March 29, 2007

FDA Commissioner to Speak at Produce Safety Summit

FDA Chief Andrew von Eschenbach will keynote the opening session at the new Produce Safety Summit in Palm Springs, Calif. The summit will take place April 25-26, immediately before United FreshTech Expo & Conference.

Von Eschenbach’s presentation is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 25. After his presentation, a panel of industry leaders including David Barney, business development manager for Bakkavor; Paul Cruikshank, branded commodity management manager for C.H. Robinson Worldwide; Charles Sweat, chief operating officer of Earthbound Farm; and Bob Whitaker, vice president of processing and technology for NewStar Fresh Foods, will examine the impact of food safety on the produce industry today.

Frank Padilla, assistant vice president, GMM Fresh Foods Costco Wholesale; Gale Prince, director, corporate regulatory affairs, The Kroger Company; and Mitch Smith, director of quality systems, McDonald’s Corporation, will take the stage to talk about the importance of food safety and its role within the produce supply chain and beyond.

The Wednesday summit program wraps up with a presentation on the future of food safety standards and regulations by Jim Gorny, United Fresh senior vice president, food safety and technology.

The Thursday summit program will feature a series of presentations from university and government partners on new insights, research and studies being done in the area of produce safety.





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