The Retail-Foodservice Market Segment Board of the United Fresh Produce Association will present an educational session on "The Role of Buyers in Assuring Small Farm Food Safety," on Wednesday, September 15 as part of United’s annual Washington Public Policy Conference. The session will explore the part that retail and foodservice companies play in assuring that the smaller operations and seasonal farms from which they purchase produce meet the same essential food safety and quality standards as large commercial growers.

Speakers at the session include Kent Killebrew, quality assurance manager for Ahold USA’s Corporate Brands Fresh Products operation, Hal King, Ph. D., senior manager of food and product safety at Chick-fil-A, New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Al Murray, and Michael Jantschke, director of food safety for Pro*Act. The session will be moderated by Mitch Smith, director of U.S. quality systems, agricultural products for McDonald’s Corporation.

"More than ever, today’s retailers and foodservice operators rely on a wide variety of sources large and small for a constant, year-round supply of fresh produce," said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh president and CEO. "This session is designed to help those buyers better understand how to assure that their product is safe, no matter its source."

The Retail-Foodservice session is just one of the many targeted educational programs at the 2010 Washington Public Policy Conference, September 14-16 at the Gaylord National Hotel on the banks of the Potomac River. During the three-day conference, attendees will gather to discuss food safety, farm labor, nutrition and consumption, locally grown and other priority issues for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry. Attendees will hear from USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), as well as political strategist and wordsmith Frank Luntz. During the annual March on Capitol Hill, industry members will have the unique opportunity to meet in person with lawmakers and staff, discuss food safety policies with FDA officials, hear from key Cabinet officials and engage in face-to-face dialogue with President Obama’s executive team.

This year’s conference will also include the return of the Management Resource Center, where attendees can research and explore new solutions and technology providers, and the popular Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill, a favorite among industry members and congressional staffers alike. During Fresh Festival, House and Senate lawmakers and their staff join attendees to sample the various fruits and vegetables the produce industry has to offer. In addition to Fresh Festival, the conference will include a New Orleans-themed cruise up the Potomac River to benefit United’s A Salad Bar in Every School campaign. As part of the build-up to the United Fresh 2011 convention and expo in New Orleans, guests will enjoy Dixieland jazz, dinner and waterfront views of Washington, D.C., all while raising funds to provide salad bars to schools in New Orleans and nationwide.

Registration is now open and more information may be found by contacting United Fresh Political Affairs Manager Angela Bezon at 202-303-3400, ext. 416 or abezon@unitedfresh.org, or by visiting http://www.unitedfresh.org.