On October 24th, the Wisconsin Association for Food Protection (WAFP) held its 2018 Annual Fall Food Safety Workshop at Covance Food Solutions in Madison. An audience of more than 70 members from industry, government and academia gathered to hear the latest developments in food regulation, microbiological safety, and other food safety initiatives. WAFP President Adam Borger welcomed attendees and introduced our new 2019 President Jay Myrick.
Rachel Klos, an epidemiologist for the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, opened the program by providing an update on foodborne outbreak investigations in Wis. and around the United States. Dr. Jae-Hyuk Yu helped us get to know the world of fungi and how to control mold contamination in food manufacturing facilities. Rob Glennon reminded us how to throw balls when he discussed establishing statistical process control. Were we accurate and precise Rob?
Aaron Uesegi with KraftHeinz Microbiology and Food Safety discussed tracking microbial date when decision making for food safety and quality. Troy Sprecker with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection brought us up to date regarding preventive controls inspections for Wis. He explained where the DATCP training process is for our inspectors, helped us understand how these inspections are different and what we can expect.
Shawn Stevens with the Food Industry Council helped us make sense of the liability and legal issues for food companies with regards to recalls and outbreaks. Do we all know what story our records tell? Megan Brown with Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovation, formerly Covance Food Solutions, reviewed validation methods for microbial food testing.
The meeting closed with the presentation of the WAFP Food Safety Leadership Award, given annually to a person showing dedication to improving food safety through research, training, and/or outreach. This year’s award was presented to Dr. Steve Ingham with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
