Produce Safety Summit Kicks Off FreshTech 2007

FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach
Speaks to Standing-Room-Only Crowd

Palm Springs, Calif. -  The United Fresh Produce Association opened its annual FreshTech expo and conference in Palm Springs with the all new Produce Safety Summit, a special two-day conference dedicated to produce safety.

In the opening general session, FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 300 attendees. Commissioner von Eshenbach outlined the FDA of the 21^st century and discussed how industry and the agency could partner in the effort to keep the food supply free of contamination.

“The past will not be sufficient for the future. FDA must be not just a regulator, but a facilitator,” said von Eshenbach. “We must be engaged in the full life cycle of product. Therefore, we must be more involved in the front end of the produce life cycle. We (FDA) will be more collaborative, engaged and interactive.” The Commissioner added, “We will continue to work with organizations like United Fresh to do this; to ensure product quality and help people understand how fruits and vegetables benefit their health.”

The Commissioner applauded the industry for its past and present efforts to employ the most current research and scientific information toward reducing foodborne illnesses, but stressed that all points along the distribution chain, including imported product, must be incorporated into a food safety culture that is based on strong communication networks, implementation of guidelines and continuous research.

Following the commissioner, the Produce Safety Summit continued with a series of speakers from around the global who shared their perspectives on food safety and how it is affecting their businesses. David Barney, business development manager at Bakkavor; Paul Cruikshank, branded commodity management manager at C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.; Charles Sweat, president of Natural Selection Foods/Earthbound Farms and Dr. Bob Whitaker, vice president processing and technology at NewStar Fresh Foods, LLC represented businesses along the entire produce supply chain.

Padilla outlined the four-legged approach that Costco Wholesale uses and Smith described the three tiered approach that McDonald’s uses, but they all agreed that food safety, while always a part of the industry, has reached new levels of scrutiny.

Any discussion about produce safety would not be complete without looking at customers at all levels. So Dr. Jim Gorny, senior vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh, led a food safety discussion among a panel of retail and food service representatives. Frank Padilla, assistant vice president, GMM fresh foods at Costco Wholesale; Gale Prince, director, corporate regulatory affairs, The Kroger Company; Mitch Smith, director, quality systems at McDonald’s Corporation and Ed Thompson, vice president, quality assurance at Avendra, LLC each outlined their respective company food safety philosophy and protocols, and they all agreed that everyone along the supply change must work together to advance our collect knowledge and harmonize protocols.

Finally, after Ed McLaughlin, director of food Industry management at Cornell University, set the stage with an insightful presentation on new retail positioning, Steve Lutz, executive vice president of Perishables Group, led a consumer panel discussion that included the first-hand consumer comments about packaging, food safety, the importance of brand names and more. Visit http://www.freshtech.org/ for more show information.