Webinars

The list below shows upcoming webinars held by IAFP and IAFP’s Professional Development Groups (PDGs). Please note that all opinions and statements are those of the individual making the presentations and not necessarily the opinion or view of IAFP.

Upcoming Webinars

  • Sanitation Break: Legal Interpretation and Industry Practices Jun 3, 2025 (11:00 AM- 12:00 PM Eastern Time)

    The session will focus on the design and implementation of clean breaks (validation, verification, and trend analysis), the importance of clean breaks for protecting your manufacturing from a risk exposure and liability perspective, and related practical considerations when relying on clean breaks to bracket implicated product, including in recall or other market action situations. Additionally, the discussion will include considerations often addressed by FDA during enforcement situations related to sanitation break justifications. From the sanitation perspective, the session will also discuss alternative ways to conduct sanitation activities during the sanitation break. The goal is to achieve cleaning objectives effectively while reducing the burden of the process.

    Learning Objective

    1. Understand the FDA regulatory framework relating to establishing and defining a sanitation break, including guidance and industry practices

    2. Discuss related practical considerations when relying on clean breaks to bracket implicated product

    3. Explore alternative ways to conduct sanitation break and sampling plan.

    Presenters
    • Maile Gradison, Panelist Hogan Lovells
    • Yue Zheng, Panelist Commercial Food Sanitation
    • Jeff Kornacki, Panelist Kornacki Microbiology Solutions, Inc.
    • Cari Rasmussen, Moderator Commercial Food Sanitation
  • Risk-Based Approaches to Sanitation in Dry Processing Environments Jun 3, 2025 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time)

    This webinar addresses technical considerations for the effective use of physical dry-cleaning methods. Dry-cleaning provides an important alternative to wet sanitation in low moisture food production environments. However, there is uncertainty about the efficacy of these methods to remove pathogens and allergenic residues from equipment surfaces. Moreover, the procedures used in implementation of these dry-cleaning methods are highly variable across the industry. The goal of this session is to discuss (1) application and verification and (2) best-practices for implementing physical dry-cleaning methods. This includes:

    • Industrial research on dry cleaning and new applications

    • Hygienic breaks for low moisture food production

    • Allergen clean vs biological clean

    • In-plant verification and validation of dry cleaning and sanitation.

    Through this webinar, participants will:

    1. Understand the principles, benefits, and limitations of dry physical cleaning.

    2. Learn about research to optimize dry cleaning strategies.

    3. Explore strategies to monitor and verify dry sanitation activities in production.

    Presenters
    • Abby Snyder, Panelist Cornell University
    • Karl Thorson, Panelist General Mills
    • Nathan Mirdamadi, Panelist Kerry
    • Jennifer Acuff, Moderator University of Arkansas
  • Hygienic Design & Monitoring Strategies to Prevent In-Process Contamination in Food and Beverage Applications Jun 5, 2025 (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern Time)

    Ensuring effective hygienic design and robust monitoring practices is critical for preventing in-process contamination in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. This webinar explores practical strategies to reduce microbial risk through equipment design and simplified monitoring protocols. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for routine process assessment, early detection of biofilms, and training best practices. Whether you’re new to sanitary design and monitoring strategies or looking to enhance your current protocols, this session will provide actionable steps to take to support your product safety and regulatory compliance.

    Learning Objectives:

    •Principles of hygienic design to minimize contamination harborage points

    •Simplified, real-world monitoring practices for busy production environments

    •Early warning signs and detection methods for biofilm formation

    •Integrating hygienic design and monitoring into proactive contamination control plans

    Presenters
    • Ann Bigalke, Moderator Qualitru Sampling Systems
    • Chris Paradise, Presenter QualiTru Sampling Systems
    • Bob Ferguson, Presenter Strategic Consulting
    • Alex O'Brien, Presenter University of Wisconsin-Madison