The National Restaurant Association Announces Jon Luther as a Keynote Speaker for the 2003 Food Safety Summit 3/11/2003
From: Katharine Kim, 202-331-5939, or Bethany Sirt, 312-715-6761 WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Underscoring the restaurant industry's longstanding commitment to food safety, the National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and its International Food Safety Council (IFSC) announced today that Jon Luther, chief executive officer of Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants (ADQSR), will serve as the Industry Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Food Safety Summit, held March 18-20, 2003, in Washington, D.C., at the Convention Center. Luther's speech will take place on Thursday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m., and will focus on ADQSR's proactive efforts on food safety and the ongoing and dedicated commitment by the restaurant industry to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply. "We are thrilled to have such a distinguished member of the restaurant and foodservice industry serve as a keynote speaker at this year's Food Safety Summit," said Mary Adolf, president and chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Our restaurant and foodservice track emphasizes the importance of risk management and Jon Luther will underscore the critical food safety initiatives that are of great importance to our industry and to our nation's 870,000 restaurants." Jon L. Luther, a 35-year veteran of the foodservice industry, was named chief executive officer of Allied Domecq Quick Service Restaurants (ADQSR) effective January 8, 2003. ADQSR is the parent company of quick service restaurants including Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robins, Togo's and others. Luther is a proven leader at creative brand development and at satisfying consumers who seek quality, convenience, and value in a quick service restaurant setting. He will lead ADQSR's business strategy by building the brands, growing the business nationally and internationally, and maintaining the integrity of the concepts. Prior to his new position with ADQSR, Luther was president of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, a division of AFC Enterprises, from February 1997 to December 2002. "The Food Safety Summit is an event that shows that our industry is committed to food safety throughout the food chain," said John Farquharson, FMP, president of the International Food Safety Council. "Jon Luther enjoys an outstanding reputation and image in this great industry of ours. We are honored to have Jon be part of this leading industry forum - his presence reiterates that food safety is an obligation and not an option for everyone in the restaurant and foodservice industry." The Food Safety Summit is sponsored by the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the leading business association for the restaurant industry; the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), the voice of the $500 billion food processing industry on scientific and public policy issues; the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), which represents 2,300 supermarkets, food retailers and wholesalers worldwide; and Food Safety Magazine, the leading publication about food safety and quality assurance. Eaton Hall Exhibitions, of Florham Park, NJ, owns and created the event. In addition, the National Restaurant Association, NRAEF and its IFSC will present a full program track, which will focus specifically on restaurant and foodservice food safety topics. For more program information and registration materials, call the Food Safety Summit's toll-free number at 800-746-9646 or visit http://www.foodsafetysummit.com. ----- National Restaurant Association (http://www.restaurant.org), founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 870,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 11.7 million. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is dedicated to fulfilling the educational mission of the National Restaurant Association, and created the International Food Safety Council to heighten the awareness of the importance of food safety education. National Food Processors Association (NFPA) is the voice of the $500 billion food processing industry on scientific and public policy issues involving food safety, nutrition, technical and regulatory matters and consumer affairs. Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its 2,300 member companies - food retailers and wholesalers - in the United States and around the world. FMI's U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores with a combined annual sales volume of $340 billion - three-quarters of all food retail store sales in the United States. FMI's retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and independent supermarkets. Its international membership includes 200 companies from 60 countries. Eaton Hall, of Florham Park, NJ, is a publishing and trade show firm, which specializes in bringing buyers and sellers together. Eaton Hall Expositions, which owns the Food Safety Summit, created the event in 1999. For additional information about exhibiting and or attending the Food Safety Summit, visit www.foodsafetysummit.com or phone 800-746-9646. For additional information, contact: NFPA: Eric Price, Communications Assistant, 202-639-5929, eprice@nfpa-food.org FMI: Todd Hultquist, Senior Manager, Media Relations, 202-220-0655 or thultquist@fmi.org Eaton Hall: Amy Riemer, Riemer Communications, at (978) 475-4441, amy@riemercommunications.com | |