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

  • Produce Safety Risks and an Update on Two Ongoing Research Projects - Risks imposed by wild birds and risks associated with EHEC during post harvest leafy greens Mar 21, 2023 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time)

    Organized by the IAFP Fruit and Vegetable Safety and Quality PDG

    This webinar will focus on two ongoing research projects related to produce safety, "A holistic assessment of the food safety risks imposed by wild birds" and "quantifying risk associated with changes in the EHEC physiology during post harvest pre processing stages of leafy green production". The researchers will provide a synopsis of their current research including background, purpose, methodology and expected outcomes that may assist farmers with mitigating produce safety hazards. They will also discuss previous research that has led them to these research projects and future research that may evolve from these studies.


    Learning Objectives:
    1. Potential produce safety risks associated with wild birds
    2. Potential produce safety risks associated with changes in EHEC physiology during post-harvest pre-processing stages of leafy green production.
    3. Potential connections between researchers and industry related to the aforementioned topics

    Presenters
    • Teresa Bergholz, Presenter Michigan State University
    • Daniel Karp, Presenter University of California- Davis
    • Kristin Esch, Moderator FDA and Chair of the Fruit and Vegetable Safety and Quality PDG
  • Food Toxicology Webinar-Food Chemical Safety and Current Tools and Methods Mar 28, 2023 (10:00 AM - 11:15 AM Eastern Time)

    Organized by: The International Food Protection Issues PDG

    Part One of a Two-Part Series:
    Producing safe food requires attention to several aspects of the food during production, harvesting, processing, and distribution. Factors such as microbiological, allergen, foreign material, and chemical management are important parts of the overall food safety picture. With the current interest in toxic elements/heavy metals in infant formula and other foods, as well as the increasing interest in micro and nano plastics in food and the environment, a series of webinars has been created to provide overviews of the major principles of food toxicology; a review of already existing or newly developed methods and how these methods are applied to food toxicology; case studies of relevance to the food safety professional; as well as highlighting available resources.
    This first webinar aims to provide basic overviews of food chemical safety and of current tools and methods that are used in toxicology.

    Part II is scheduled for May 16, 2023

    Presenters
    • Steve Hemansky, Pharm.D., Ph.D., DABT, Presenter U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • George Kass, Ph.D., ERT, Presenter European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
    • Marianne Solomotis, Ph.D., Moderator U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Suzanne Fitzpatrick, PhD, DABT, ERT Moderator U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Is it a Listeria sensu stricto or sensu lato species? Why understanding the difference is important May 8, 2023 (12:00 PM -1:00 PM Eastern Time)

    Organized by: The Applied Laboratory Methods PDG and Merieux NutriSciences

    The Listeria genus has rapidly expanded since 2009 from six to 28 species. Comparative characterization of Listeria clearly indicated the existence of two distinct groups that are now formally known as the Listeria (i) sensu stricto, and (ii) sensu lato. The Listeria sensu stricto consists of L. monocytogenes (LM) and the species that indicate a potential for LM contamination; this group now contains 10 species. The Listeria sensu lato, which initially only included L. grayi, has now grown to 18 species. Arguably, all of the Listeria sensu lato species are divergent enough from the Listeria sensu stricto to warrant reclassification as separate genera. Therefore, when a Listeria spp. detection method is reported to “not detect all species”, it is important to evaluate if it is a sensu stricto or a sensu lato that is not detected as this distinction has different implications for food safety.

    Learning Objectives:
    -Review why genomics data supports a re-organization of Listeria and that only the Listeria sensu stricto species should be classified as a Listeria
    -Clarify the expectations for detecting all Listeria spp. using the currently available rapid detection and identification methods.
    -Understand the FDA's perspective on detecting the new Listeria species

    Presenters
    • Martin Wiedmann, Presenter Cornell University
    • Yi Chen, Presenter Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Catharine Carlin, Presenter Merieux NutriSciences
    • Sarita Raengpradub, Presenter Merieux NutriSciences
  • Introduction to Toxicology Part II: New Methodologies: Application in Food Safety and International Trade  May 16, 2023 (9:45 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern Time)

    Organized by: IAFP's The International Food Protection Issues PDG

    Part Two of a Two-Part Series: New Methodologies: Application in Food Safety and International Trade
    Producing safe food requires attention to several aspects of the food during production, harvesting, processing, and distribution. Factors such as microbiological, allergen, foreign material, and chemical management are important parts of the overall food safety picture. With the current interest in toxic elements/heavy metals in infant formula and other foods, as well as the increasing interest in micro and nano plastics in food and the environment, a series of webinars has been created to provide overviews of the major principles of food toxicology; a review of already existing or newly developed methods and how these methods are applied to food toxicology; case studies of relevance to the food safety professional; as well as highlighting available resources.
    This second webinar aims to provide a brief review of newly developed methods and discuss how they are and/or can be applied to food toxicology relevant to food safety and international trade.

    Presenters
    • Suzanne Fitzpatrick, presenter U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • José Vicente Tarazona Lafarga, Presenter PARC
    • Marianne Solomotis, Moderator U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Steven Hermansky, Moderator DABT
  • Dry Cleaning: Is Water Friend or Foe in Food Safety and Sanitation? Jun 14, 2023 (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time)

    Organized by: The Food Hygiene and Sanitation PDG

    We tend to think of water as our friend when it comes to cleaning, it's fast, easy, and effective, but its presence can encourage microbial growth and increase the spread of contamination.
    Dry sanitation in the food industry is usually only considered in relation to those food plants that undertake dry/low (aw) food and ingredient processing. But dry/limited water sanitation can be a valuable option in the control of microbial hazards, and improve food safety for any processing plant.
    In this webinar, Vikan’s Global Hygiene Specialist, Debra Smith, and Karl Thorson, Food Safety and Sanitation Manager at General Mills, will guide you in the maintenance of food safety and quality through the use of dry/limited water sanitation.

    Learning Objectives:
    Uncontrolled water: Learn how to
    • Prevent it
    Design it out – facilities & equipment; systems - zoning
    Make it easy to clean – hygienic/sanitary design
    • Find it
    Drips, leaks, condensation, pooling, steam, frost, uncontrolled wet cleaning
    • Fix it
    Eliminate drips, leaks, etc.
    Rationalize your cleaning
    Choose sanitation methods that maximize contamination removal & minimize its spread

    Presenters
    • Debra Smith, Presenter Global Hygiene Specialist at Vikan
    • Kari Thorson, Presenter Food Safety and Sanitation Manager at General Mills
    • Nathan Mirdamadi, Moderator Sr. Food Safety Specialist at Commercial Food Sanitation L.L.C.
  • Tech-Enabled Traceability: Get Ready For FSMA 204 With GS1 Standards Jun 15, 2023 (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Eastern Time)

    Join Industry Leaders to Discuss What’s Needed for Final Rule Compliance.
    In late 2022, The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) finalized their traceability rule for producers of high-risk foods under Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As the industry needs to be compliant with this regulation by January 2026, it is important to know that GS1 standards can help play a pivotal role in helping organizations on their compliance journey.
    Previously, FSMA only required “one up/one down” visibility of the product’s movement through the supply chain. Now, supply chain partners will have to keep more detailed records, such as the traceability lot code for each product to drive greater transparency. GS1 US Standards can help supply chain partners by establishing a common language for key product data to be captured, shared, retrieved, aggregated, and interpreted by all links in the supply chain.
    In this session, attendees will learn how they can take action to deliver on heighted expectations for food safety and transparency. Those in attendance will also discover how GS1 Standards can be used to go above and beyond the new regulation, while also hearing first-hand from industry colleagues about their varying levels of standards adoption in their traceability journey.

    Learning Objectives:
    • Hear directly about the ongoing challenges associated with food traceability and new opportunities that FSMA 204 presents to industry.
    • Learn which GS1 Standards help companies identify products individually and at the case/carton level, capture information about them, and share data with multiple trading partners efficiently.
    • Discover different ways the industry has gone about leveraging GS1 Standards to drive traceability, supply chain visibility, and ultimately meet the requirements of FSMA 204

    Presenters
    • Ryan Peters, Presenter Chick-Fil-A
    • Brando Tijerina, Presenter Taco Johns
    • Chris Polito, Presenter Inspire Brands
    • Greg Cassens, Presenter Dot Foods
    • Norma Crockett, Moderator Director, Community Engagement GS1 US