Food Protection Trends - November/December 2024 - 499

COMMITTEE AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT GROUP MINUTES
and roundtables ideas through the PDG. Deadline for abstract submission
for IAFP 2024 is January 14, 2025. Dr. Camila also encouraged webinar
development and submission when symposia are rejected.
The student liaison talked about student PDG updates and called for
scientists' involvement.
Recommendations to the Executive Board:
1. The PDG recommends Dr. Rafael Davila (Eurofins) to serve as the PDG
vice chair for the next year and the PDG chair for the following two
years.
Next Meeting Date: Sunday, July 27, 2025, Cleveland, Ohio.
Meeting Adjourned: 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Chairperson Name: Dr. Camila Rodrigues
Retail and Foodservice PDG
Attendees: Briana Lorenzo (Chair), Sultan Al Taher, James Arbogast,
Fernando Avelleyra, Jonathan Basha, Tejas Bhatt, Jared Bock, Jessica
Brown, Janet Buffer, Jack Burnett, Allison Carter, Samantha Cooper,
Betsy Craig, Sabahnur Demirci, James Doyle, Elizabeth Duffy, Clare Edgar,
Elizabeth Epps, Tom Ford, Todd Frantz, Kristen Gibson, Tia Glave, Dayane
Gossner, Leena Griffith, Diana Hao, Brittany Holmes, Allison Howell,
Sharon Humphries, Minji Hur, Lone Jespersen, Chris Jordan, Pete Kennedy,
Larry Kohl, Rob Kooijmans, Bala Kottapalli, Barbara Kowalcyk, William
Lachowsky, Heath LaFevers, Glenda Lewis, Eric Martin, Rob Middendorf,
Barakatullah Mohammadi, Eric Moore, Wayne Muraoka, Kathleen O'Donnell,
Sokhom Panhavatey, Kellison Platero, Howard Popoola, Carolina Prates,
Gale Prince, Carrie Rigdon, Lisa Robinson, Kristen Saniga, Dina Scott,
Mandy Sedlak, Amarat (Amy) Simonne, Vianca Tashiguano, Pheara Tep,
Akhila Vasan, Johnny Velasco, Craig Wilson, Amy Wise, Michael Wood,
Sathish Yerrapati, Melissa Yost, Laís Zanin.
Number of Attendees: 65.
Meeting Called to Order: Sunday, July 14, 2024.
Minutes Recording Secretary: Minji Hur.
Old Business: The meeting commenced with introductions and a welcome
to attendees. The group discussed the rapid growth of meal kit companies
and the challenge of tracking customers within this industry. A primary goal
for the group is to sponsor at least six webinars within the next year.
New Business: 2025 IAFP Proposal: a Google form will be circulated to
gather input for the 2025 IAFP proposal. Attendee sharing (Integrating
food safety into business). Chair: Introduced a representative from
Italy specializing in cold meats. Starbucks: Represented the company,
focusing on food allergens. Uber Eats: Shared experiences from the past
two years in the industry. Wendy's: Focuses on training, monthly food
safety snippets, and franchisee engagement. Compass USA: Utilizes a
measurement tool from safe to assess food safety culture, emphasizing
employee empowerment and information access. Celebrates successes
to motivate employees.
Food Code Adoption: The new food code was released in 2022 and adoption
rates vary widely by state. Encouraging organizations to adopt the latest
food code as a best practice.
Best Practices: On-the-job training: Both Wendy's and Compass USA
prioritize hands-on training over traditional classroom or computer-based
methods. Employee turnover: Wendy's addresses high turnover by focusing
on early employee indoctrination and creating a supportive environment.
Compass USA highlights the challenge of turnover and the increasing
reliance on technology and temporary labor. Leadership development: Both
companies emphasize the importance of developing food safety leaders
and fostering a culture of growth and empowerment. Supplier relationships:
Both companies stress the importance of supplier partnerships and
ensuring alignment with food safety standards.
Challenges and Opportunities: Talent retention: The industry faces
challenges in retaining employees due to factors such as salary, career
growth opportunities, and work-life balance. Both companies discussed
strategies to address these issues, including competitive compensation,
professional development programs, and employee recognition. Labor
shortages: The industry is experiencing labor shortages, impacting training
and operational efficiency. Temporary labor services and technology are
being explored as potential solutions.
Action Items: Continue to monitor food code adoption rates. Share
information about the safe assessment tool for measuring food safety
culture. Explore opportunities for collaboration on talent retention and
development initiatives.
Breakout Session: Retail Brands-The group divided into retail and
food service breakout sessions. The retail group discussed training
effectiveness, sales-driven produce development, and the challenges posed
by varying food codes across states.
Recommendations to the Executive Board:
1. The PDG recommends Sarah Kozak-Weaver as the incoming Vice Chair
Next Meeting Date: Sunday, July 27, 2025, Cleveland, Ohio.
Chairperson Name: Briana Lorenzo
Sanitary Equipment and Facility Design PDG
Attendees: Dimitri Tavernarakis (Chair), Jason White (Vice Chair), Grishma
Prabhukhot, Niam Abeysiriwardena, Noushin Arfatahery, Aeriel Belk,
Farrah Benge, April Bishop, Cigdem (CC) Caban, Scott Deterding, Alejandro
Echeverry, David Flicek, Tina Gettis, Charles Giambrone, Dale Grinstead, Lili
He, Rick Heiman, Ruben Hernandez, Jessica Hofstetter, Arpit Jain, Megan
Jensen, Arshpreet Kaur Khattra, Amit Kheradia, Kathy Knutson, Tamara Kope,
Jeffrey Kornacki, Yuqian Lou, Scott McKinney, Rob Middendorf, Gerardo
Morantes, Montavius Morgan, Sandra Osorio Hincapié, Monica OsorioBarahona,
Mangesh Palekar, Aaron Patch, Gale Prince, David Rasmussen,
Paula Rosowicz, Timothy Rugh, Sarah Sanderson, Arlette Shazer, Deb Smith,
Rick Stokes, Charis Tavernarakis, Phillip Thomas, Adwy van den Berg, Patrick
Wouters, Shaelyn Xu, Kenneth Zacher, Yue (Joy) Zheng.
Number of Attendees: 49.
Meeting Called to Order: Sunday, July 14, 2025, 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Old Business: Meeting Minutes were recorded and seconded. Initiation:
Rick Stokes
Seconded: April Bishop.
New Business: Rick Stokes proposed to have nominees for the position for
vice-chairperson-Dr. White said that an email will be sent out asking from
nominations and do electronic voting.
Rick Stokes proposed reviewing last year's list, to review things that were
not approved in the last session.
Timothy Rugh suggested formalizing a liaison between organizations, to
offer education and trainings in different areas as a group. Reporting on
what each group is doing, and create compendiums of areas that should
be studied.
November/December Food Protection Trends 499
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