Organizers have revealed the schedule for the in-person 2022 Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, IL, May 9-12, 2022. The summit had gone to virtual presentations during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be its 24th annual conference and trade show.

Those planning to attend can use code 20off22 to receive 20 percent off all registration rates before Dec.31, 2021. For more information details and to register, visit the summit website.

The conference program, developed by an the Educational Advisory Board (EAB), will feature sessions led by industry thought leaders; a keynote presentation focused on The Future of Food Safety Culture: Commitment and Collaboration; five certificate/certification courses; the 10th Annual Town Hall; and opportunities for community networking.

“We are looking forward to bringing the food safety industry back together for the Summit, which for the past 24 years has been the one event where professionals learn from their peers about cutting-edge solutions to address emerging issues throughout the supply chain,” said Scott Wolters, chief events officer of BNP Media, the producer of the event.

“Attendees to the 2022 Summit will once again be able to gain certificates in courses, see the latest technological advances offered by leading vendors, network with their peers and industry-leading speakers, and hear thought-provoking education sessions.”

The 2020 virtual event attracted more than 1,300 food safety professionals including attendees from companies such as Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, Publix Supermarkets, The Kraft Heinz Company, Blue Bell Creameries, Costco, and many others, as well as experts from the FDA, CDC and other state and local regulatory organizations. More than 1,500 food safety professionals are expected to attend this Summit’s education sessions in 2022.

The Food Safety Summit is the largest solutions-based conference and expo for the food industry in North America, according to BNP Media, and explores the most critical food safety issues facing the food industry today. The summit agenda will feature an extensive line-up of educational seminars, high-level industry and government speakers, hands-on workshops, certification courses, networking events and a large exhibition floor.

On the schedule

Kick off — on Monday, May 9, with five certificate and certification courses including NEHA’s Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS) Credential; FSPCA’s Intentional Adulteration Course; Food Fraud Prevention Academy’s Food Fraud Prevention Workshop and Certificate Course; The HACCP Alliance’s HACCP Certificate Training; and AFDO’s Environmental Sampling for Retail Food Establishment Outbreaks.
Tuesday, May 10 — The opening general session will be a live Mock Civil Trial where attendees will be able to watch opening statements from plaintiff and defense lawyers, listen to testimony from a mother who lost her child to a severe E. coli O157:H7 infection; hear testimony and cross-examination from the company CEO and VP of Food Safety; and evaluate expert testimony from the plaintiff and defense. Following closing arguments, the audience will deliberate the case and issue a final verdict. Later in the afternoon, there will be four workshops including a two-part session on “Cybersecurity and What it Means to Food Safety Professionals,” with speakers from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Michigan State University, and Butterball Inc. Additional afternoon workshops will focus on Internal Audits; Moving Beyond a “Checking-the-Box” Mindset; and Effectively Communicating with the Regulatory Community.
Wednesday, May 11 — The keynote presentation will focus on “The Future of Food Safety Culture: Commitment and Collaboration” with speakers from Publix Supermarkets (invited), FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA Office of Food Policy and Response, and DOJ Consumer Protection Branch. The panel will discuss FDA’s views on the importance of developing and nurturing food safety culture in the food industry; provide an industry perspective on implementing successful food safety culture strategies in the real world; and provide insight on the role and importance of food safety culture through the eyes of the Department of Justice. The session will be moderated by attorney Shawn Stevens of Food Industry Counsel LLC.
Thursday, May 12 — the Summit will offer the 10th annual Town Hall: A Conversation with Top Regulators and Advisors with insight from the Food and Drug Administration’s Frank Yiannas; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Robert Tauxe, M.D.; U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sandra Eskin; and the Association of Food and Drug Officials’ Steve Mandernach. The session will be moderated by the Summit’s EAB Chair Gary Ades, president of G&L Consulting.
Closing Session — Thursday afternoon will feature Joe Stout of Commercial Food Sanitation and Eric Moorman from Butterball Inc., who will present an interactive session, “In the Trenches with Sanitation: Challenges and Key Learnings from Solving Problems in the Field.”