IAFP 2022 Annual Meeting
Pittsburgh, PA
July 31, 2022 – August 3, 2022
Each year, the International Association for Food Protection hosts an Annual Meeting, providing attendees with information on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe.
This year, the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee is supporting the three sessions at the IAFP Annual Meeting.
Monday, August 1, 2022 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM ET
FDA’s final rule “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” (the CGMP & PC rule) requires a facility that has identified hazards requiring preventive controls to verify that the preventive controls are consistently implemented and are effectively and significantly minimizing or preventing the hazard. Facilities also need to show the product has not been recontaminated after the preventive control. Verification activities can include physical measurements of the critical limits, product design measurements, environmental and/or product testing for indicator organisms or pathogens, which depend on the preventive control(s) and risks. However, many producers are asked by their customers to test for a multitude of pathogens in their finished product and their environment, to satisfy requirements for lot acceptance, regardless of whether the tests are relevant or even validated for the matrix in question. As a result, excessive testing diverts resources that could be focused on the real defined risks as well as causes products to be rejected to then be reworked or thrown away/wasted when they would not cause a public health issue. In addition, consumers may lose confidence in the food industry when recalls are announced that had no public health implications. This roundtable will discuss criteria for choosing organisms for testing finished product and/or the environment, debate if testing finished product vs. using HACCP monitoring, verification, and validation data are better indicators for lot acceptance, how human behavior fits into public health relevance, what should be recalled when no imminent public health risk has been identified, and whether zero tolerance should be the focus when testing.
Speakers:
• Ben Warren, US Food and Drug Administration
• Martin Duplessis, Health Canada
• Roy Betts, Campden BRI
• Heather Carleton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pamela Wilger, Post Consumer Brands
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM ET
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is now the gold standard for foodborne pathogen identification, epidemiological investigations, and broader studies in microbial ecology. WGS has redefined the foodborne disease outbreak landscape through improved time-to detection resulting in fewer cases. It has further increased resolution of foodborne disease outbreaks by identifying smaller outbreaks that may have historically been overlooked. WGS advances have influenced detection targets, confirmation procedures, and risk assessments. WGS has and continues to redefine genus and species classifications for some foodborne pathogens, as well as provide greater insight into virulence factors. While WGS has advanced understanding of all foodborne pathogens, this technology currently has varying utility among foodborne pathogens. The case studies presented in this symposium are strategically selected to investigate the variation in use and utility of WGS as an epidemiologic and phylogenetic tool. Leading experts will present state-of-the-art case studies of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Bacillus cereus as representatives of the spectrum of advancements and limitations of WGS technology. This symposium will showcase current WGS impacts on defining or challenging current understanding of a species, its impact on regulation, insight into virulence capacity, and implications for the private sector.
Speakers:
WGS of Listeria monocytogenes: Advancements, Limitations, and Challenges
Martin Wiedmann, Cornell University
WGS of Salmonella enterica: Perspectives on Strengths and Limitations
Dayna Harhay, USDA Agricultural Research Service
WGS of the Bacillus cereus Group: Advancements and Challenges
Sophia Johler, University of Zurich
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM ET
The announcement of FDA’s “New Era of Smarter Food Safety” initiative in 2020 brought heightened visibility to new technologies and approaches to create a safer food supply, including those to enhance traceability, improve predictive analytics, respond more rapidly to outbreaks, and reduce contamination of food. However, with more questions than answers on how the food industry can implement these technologies within their facilities and infrastructures, there exists an opportunity to help close the gap between what’s achievable with these technologies and the current state. In this roundtable, a panel of regulatory and industry scientists will discuss how recent innovations in predictive analytics; new tools for risk assessment and environmental monitoring, including how to handle tracking and mapping data; and virtual monitoring technology for use in auditing and inspections can be used to improve food safety and sustainability. In addition, panelists will discuss whether the industry is using these technologies to their fullest extent, and limitations to implementing these technologies in the food industry.
Speakers:
Tim Jackson, FDA
Cindy Jiang, McDonalds
Joseph Holt, OSI Group
Derrick Bautista, Del Monte Foods
These sessions are supported by the IAFNS Food Microbiology Committee. Learn more about the IAFP Annual Meeting.