Natl. Restaurant Association Presents Educational Workshops Devoted to Restaurant and Foodservice at 2003 Food Safety Summit 2/13/2003
From: Katharine Kim, 202-331-5939 Bethany Sirt, 312-715-6761 both for the National Restaurant Association CHICAGO, IL., Feb. 13 -- The National Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), and its International Food Safety Council (IFSC) announced today their substantive and cutting-edge restaurant and foodservice track for Food Safety Summit 2003. This is the second year the National Restaurant Association, NRAEF and its IFSC will present this food safety educational track, which will address the positive and proactive efforts performed by the restaurant industry in maintaining food safety as a top priority. Held on March 18-20, 2003, the Food Safety Summit will take place at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. "Our nation's 870,000 restaurants have had a longstanding commitment to food safety, particularly because our industry employs and touches the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association. "Because the restaurant industry is a food purchaser as well as a food server, restaurants are also consumers when it comes to food safety, and that is why we are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of our nation's food supply by working closely with the government and our allied partners." "The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is committed to three areas of focus for the restaurant and foodservice industry: risk, recruitment and retention," said Mary M. Adolf, NRAEF's president and chief operating officer. "The Food Safety Summit is a natural extension of our dedication to risk management on behalf of the industry and we are please to bring our educational expertise to this highly respected food safety event." Each day, the conference will feature education sessions grouped into five tracks: Food Security; Food Plant Operations; Laboratory and Technology; Quality Assurance and Management; and Restaurants and Foodservice. The National Restaurant Association, NRAEF and its IFSC are proud to sponsor the educational workshops for the restaurant and foodservice industry. Sessions in the restaurant and foodservice track include: -- Food Safety in the US: An Update from the Regulators -- Is E. coli in Your Future? -- Do You Measure Up? Talking with Auditing Experts -- Food Security for Restaurant & Foodservice -- Speaking the Language of Food Safety: A Melting Pot Key speakers during these sessions include: -- Darren Blass, Director Quality Assurance & Product Safety, Jack In The Box -- Shirley Bohm, President, AFDO -- Chet England, Senior Director of Product Safety and Regulatory Chief Food Safety Officer, Burger King Corporation -- Frank Ferko, Director of Quality Assurance, RARE Hospitality -- Dr. Angela Fraser, Professor, North Carolina State -- Steven F. Grover, Vice President of Health and Safety Regulatory Affairs, National Restaurant Association -- John Gurisi, Director of Total Quality-New Business, Darden -- James Harper, Head of Training, Learning & Development, McDonald's Corporation -- Jorge Hernandez, Senior Director of Science & Regulatory Relations, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation -- Randy Huffman, Vice President, American Meat Institute -- Alan Janzen, Owner, Circle 5 Feedyard, Inc. -- Steve Johnson, Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Environmental Protection Agency -- Mike Kissel, Manager of QA Restaurant Food Safety, CKE Restaurants -- Gordon Meriwether, President, The Uriah Group -- Erika Voogd, President, Voogd Consulting -- Craig Wilson, Assistant Vice President, Director of Food Safety & Quality, Costco -- Frank Yiannas, Food Safety & Health Department, Walt Disney World "This is a great partnership opportunity for the NRAEF's International Food Safety Council," said John Farquharson, FMP, president of the IFSC. "The 2003 Food Safety Summit allows us to make a great impact on the state of food safety education on a much larger scale. The caliber of presenters and the wide-ranging topics in our restaurant and foodservice track are remarkable and will be able to provide attendees with critical information. It is imperative we remember that food safety is non-negotiable." Participants at the Food Safety Summit are industry decision-makers in quality assurance and food safety. They include executives in quality control, food safety, plant operations and sanitation. Top leaders from the processing, restaurant and retail food industry, representatives from Capitol Hill, the White House and key regulatory officials also will be in attendance at this important conference. The Food Safety Summit is also sponsored by the National Food Processors Association, Food Safety Magazine and Food Marketing Institute, and organized by Eaton Hall Expositions and is attended by more than 1,000 food safety professionals. 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 http://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 | |