Food Protection Trends - May 2009 - 307

Workshop 2 – Microbiological Sampling and Testing in Food Safety Management – Saturday, July 11 It is well recognized that no amount of sampling and testing can ensure the absence of pathogens in foods. However, there are many useful applications of microbiological testing related to monitoring and verification; e.g., testing critical ingredients, in-process monitoring, final product verification, port-of-entry testing where there is no historical data, etc. In the 1970s, ICMSF introduced statistically based sampling plans, derived from a risk-based approach. These sampling plans have been adopted by organizations such as Codex Alimentarius and national authorities for certain applications. However, there are many examples where these plans have been applied inappropriately or incorrectly. This ‘hands-on” workshop will (re-)introduce participants to the principles and limitations of microbiological sampling and testing for food safety assurance. Participants will learn how the performance of a sampling can be determined and how suitable sampling plans for particular pathogens and foods and intended consumers are established. Some calculations of the statistical aspects of sampling will be illustrated, like detection probabilities, effects of log-normal distributions of organisms, operating characteristic curves, and within-lot and between-lot testing. The use of sampling and testing in food safety management will be discussed and illustrated from both the governmental and industry perspectives. Participants are asked to bring laptops to the workshop and will work individually, or in pairs, on case studies to demonstrate the issues and principles discussed. Topics: • • • • Importance of testing in food safety management Basics of establishing suitable sampling plans and determining their performance Within-lot and between-lot sampling and statistics Illustrative examples of microbial testing and sampling plans ORGAnIZed And SuPPORted BY IcMSF Instructors: Leon G.M. Gorris, Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Sharnbrook, U.K. Marcel H. Zwietering, Laboratory for Food Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands Tom Ross, Food Safety Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia Russell S. Flowers, Silliker Group Corp., Homewood, IL, USA Intended AudIence Members involved in, or with a keen interest in understanding, microbiological sampling and testing for food safety management from the industry as well as the governmental perspective. Organizer: Leon G.M. Gorris, Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Sharnbrook, U.K. Workshop 3 – Beyond Food Safety Management – How to Create a Food Safety Culture – Saturday, July 11 Food safety awareness is at an all time high. New and emerging threats to the food supply are being recognized. Accordingly, retail and foodservice establishments, and food producers at all levels of the food production chain, have a growing responsibility to ensure that proper food safety and sanitation practices are followed, thereby, safeguarding the health of their guests and customers. Achieving food safety success in this changing environment requires going beyond traditional training, testing, and inspectional approaches to managing risks. It requires a better understanding of organizational culture and the human dimensions of food safety. To improve the food safety performance of a retail or foodservice establishment, an organization with thousands of employees, or a local community, you must change people’s behavior. The importance of organizational culture, human behavior, and systems thinking is well documented in the occupational safety and health fields. However, significant contributions to the scientific literature on these topics are noticeably absent in the field of food safety. This workshop will be the first of its kind designed to teach participants how to create a food safety culture – not just a food safety program. Designed as a series of lectures and participatory, hands-on sessions, workshop participants will be divided into teams to work through different case studies such as: • food safety for large foodservice chains • you are hired as consultant by the CEO of a large international company to strengthen their food safety performance, what advice will you give? • a community’s inspection scores are getting worse, as public health director, what can you do to improve restaurant inspection scores in the community? By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained a real working knowledge of different behavioral change theories, key elements of an effective food safety culture, and a thorough understanding of the differences between a traditional food safety management system versus a behavior-based food safety approach. In addition, participants will have received practical, real-world advice and be better equipped for their next promotion or challenge. As a take away resource, participants will also receive an autographed copy of Frank Yiannas’ new book, Food Safety Culture, Creating a Behavior-based Food Safety Management System. Organized and Instructed by Frank yiannas: In addition to working for well-known global brands, Frank is the Past President of the International Association for Food Protection, recipient of the 2007 NSF Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Food Safety, and author of the book, Food Safety Culture, Creating a Behavior-based Food Safety Management System. Intended AudIence Food safety managers, consultants, public health directors, restaurateurs, etc. TO REGISTER, GO ONLINE TO WWW.FOODPROTECTION.ORG MAY 2009 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 307

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Food Protection Trends - May 2009

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