Implementation of Proposed FSMA Rules to Be Focus of Five Sessions at Food Safety Summit

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Mar 25, 2015) - The 2015 Food Safety Summit is pleased to announce it will offer a series of five sessions dedicated to discussing strategies, implementation, communication, and collaboration of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The sessions will include Implementing FSMA; Implementing the Produce Rule; Implementing the Preventive Controls Rule for Human Food; Implementing the Imports Rules; and Implementing the International Adulteration Rule. The Food Safety Summit will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center from April 28 - 30, 2015. 

"We want to thank Faye Feldstein from Deloitte Consulting and Roberta Wagner with the Food and Drug Administration who have done an amazing job on developing these provocative sessions which will provide our attendees with a deep dive into the expectations of industry and government as the FSMA Rules are implemented," said Scott Wolters, Event Director for the Food Safety Summit.

Implementing FSMA: Opportunities for Collaboration: This first session will cover roles and challenges for FSMA implementation from inside the industry and regulatory agencies, and include a robust roundtable discussion of perspectives from the industry to the regulators and vice versa on suggestions and considerations for implementation and strategies for communication. (8:00 am - April 29)

Implementing the Produce Rule: Managing the Options.  Effective implementation and oversight of produce safety standards poses distinct challenges for the FDA due to the scale and diversity of the produce sector, the large number of produce farms, and their lack of familiarity with the FDA's regulatory oversight. For this reason, the FDA's implementation of produce safety standards will entail a broad, collaborative effort to foster awareness and compliance through guidance, education, and technical assistance, coupled with accountability for compliance from multiple public and private sources. (2 pm - April 29)

Implementing the Preventive Controls Rule for Human Food: Development and Evaluation of the Food Safety Plan. This session will discuss the suggested strategies and plans for implementation of the preventive controls rule by both the industry and regulatory agencies; the opportunities and pitfalls for implementation; and the potential opportunities for improved communication and collaboration between the public and private sectors. (4:15 pm - April 29)

Implementing the Imports Rules: Navigating the Globe. With the Foreign Supplier Verification Rule and the Third Party Accreditation of Auditors scheduled to be finalized in October, and the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program guidance soon to be issued, now is the time to think about just how the industry and regulatory agencies will implement these comprehensive new requirements and what will it take to be part of the VQI program. (8 am - April 30th)

Implementing the International Adulteration Rule (IA): Evaluating Facilities and Processes from a New Perspective. This session will discuss the challenges associated with implementing this rule including the breadth and scope of significant vulnerabilities, burden of proof and due diligence across entire global supply chains, and the development of a holistic food defense plan to protect against the unknowns. (2 pm - April 30th)

The Food Safety Summit is a solution based expo and conference designed to meet the educational and information needs of the entire food industry including processors, distributors, growers, retailers, foodservice operators, regulators and academia. Early bird savings on registration expires on Monday, April 6^th. For more information visit www.foodsafetysummit.com or call 847/405-4124.