In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, food safety remains a vital topic throughout the supply chain. The Educational Advisory Board for the Food Safety Summit has developed a highly relevant program for the 2021 Food Safety Summit which will be held VIRTUALLY May 11-13, 2021. The education sessions will focus on the unique challenges of the “new normal” in four topic areas: COVID-19 and Beyond, Regulatory and Legal Issues, Tools and Technology and Support for Food Safety Professionals. For 23 years, The Food Safety Summit has been committed to delivering mission-critical technology and methods to food safety professionals throughout the supply chain. Registration for the virtual conference is now available at www.foodsafetysummit.com.

“Following our successful 2020 Virtual Summit this past October, we are once again looking forward to convening the food safety community for in-depth conversations on pressing topics and showcasing exhibitors’ latest products and technology,” said Scott Wolters, chief events officer, BNP Media. “We had hoped we would be able to gather in person this May, however with the impact of the global pandemic still a real threat we believe it is safest to bring the industry together virtually. We will be implementing new features on our virtual platform including video chat, networking opportunities, and more to enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience.”

All in the industry who are helping to keep the food supply safe for consumers are invited to register for the free general sessions; and for full access to the Summit’s four conference segments:

• COVID-19 and Beyond will focus on Managing COVID-19 Across the Food Industry; How to Manage Unintended Consequences; Public Expectations of the Food Industry; How to Integrate Food Safety Leadership, and Local Public Health - Navigating Conflicting Information.
• Regulatory and Legal sessions will focus on Mutual Reliance; The New OSHA – What Food Safety Managers Should Expect; Virtual Auditing; Retail and New Business – What the Future Should Look Like.
• Tools and Technology sessions will focus on How Ventilation can Reduce Disease Transmission; Let’s Not Forget Physical, Chemical and Biological Hazards; How Climate Affects the Safety of the Food Supply Chain; and Food Safety Challenges with Plant-Based Foods.
• New to the Summit will be a series of sessions focused on Support for Food Safety Leadership. Sessions include How to Take Care of Yourself, Each Other, Employees, and Communities​; Pivoting the Message to Fit Today’s Concerns; and Mindfulness Training. 

A complimentary Webinar Series will be offered leading up to the Summit as part of the overall education program. Topics include: Crisis Management, Restaurant Policies and Practices Related to Norovirus Outbreaks; International Impact of Imports on the Food Supply; and How to Effectively Work with Department in Your Company. The webinar series kicks off on January 26^th with the broadcast and Live Q&A of the Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box featuring Shawn Stevens and Joel Chappelle, Food Industry Counsel, LLC. Register today to reserve your seat in the jury box in the case of United States of America v. Lynn White.

The 2021 Food Safety Summit will also offer three free general sessions including a Keynote Presentation on The New Role and Responsibilities of The Food Safety Professional in The Covid-19 World presented by Craig Wilson, vice president, GMM, Costco. The 10th Annual Town Hall will feature AFDO's Steve Mandernach; CDC's Dr. Robert Tauxe; USDA's Paul Kiecker; FDA's Frank Yiannas and Sherri McGarry, CDC Liaison to FDA for Food Safety. 

The closing day general session Let’s Work the Problem People - A Guide to Flexible Crisis Planning will feature some of the best and brightest in the industry on how to build and take an incident management plan beyond what is on the page to create a program that is taught, practiced, and continuously managed to ensure that your company can handle any incident with flexibility, agility, and success. The Summit will also offer three General Workshops on What Does Traceability Mean for Me and My Business; The RoadMap to Food Safety Culture; and a State of the Industry – Effect of COVID-19 on Current and Future Management Practices. 

The virtual expo hall will feature dozens of exhibitors showcasing the newest products and services for the food safety industry including Gold Sponsor Purell and Bronze Sponsors Intertek Alchemy and InstantRecall. Education opportunities continue in the exhibit hall in the Tech Tent and Solutions Stage with informative presentations. For more information, on sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities contact Kim Hansen at hansenk@bnpmedia.com. For more information and updates for the 2021 event, visit www.foodsafetysummit.com or follow on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. 

The Food Safety Summit is owned and produced by Food Safety Magazine (www.foodsafetymagazine.com) and BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 60+ industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, webinars, events and market research.