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Greetings!
The IFSH Annual Meeting is just around the corner, and our staff and research team are looking forward to this annual opportunity to meet with our members and stakeholders in person. As you know, our annual networking and education event will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, October 11-12, 2011, at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus in Oak Brook, Illinois.
There is still time to register today (October 3) for the meeting, where you will be able to interact with experts from IFSH and FDA and your industry colleagues. The program will cover topics such as new regulatory initiatives, upcoming FDA-IFSH collaborative efforts, new food research-related activities at IIT, and an update on how IFSH is expanding to help members meet the challenges of today's food manufacturing environment.
I look forward to seeing you in Oak Brook!
Best regards,
Robert E. Brackett, PhD
IIT Vice President and IFSH Director, IFSH
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REGISTER TODAY!
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2011 IFSH Annual Meeting
The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), will hold its Annual Meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 11-12, 2011, at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Registration closes on October 3, but if you still plan to attend, please contact LaShondra Stephens at 708.563.8278 to let us know you will be registering onsite. (Please note: IFSH's discounted hotel rate at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's Campus is now closed. If you still need to arrange accommodation, please contact LaShondra as soon as possible for assistance.)
Check out our Member section at the IFSH website for details on this year's program. |
ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS
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IFSH to Lead FDA-funded Food Safety Preventive  Controls Alliance and Distance Learning Training Portal
The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) will develop and coordinate two new resource initiatives designed to assist the food industry in complying with upcoming Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)-related preventive control regulations.
IFSH received additional funding this fall from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Foods through the IIT-IFSH-FDA collaborative agreement to establish and coordinate the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and a standardized preventive controls training curriculum. The initiatives are designed to provide U.S. food facilities, particularly small- and mid-sized companies, the science-based resources required for compliance with upcoming FDA regulations related to the preventive control component of FSMA.
The FSPCA will provide and disseminate the technical and scientific basis for identifying hazards associated with specific food categories and commodities per the FSMA regulations, develop preventive control models and verification tools for major industry sectors, and provide guidance to industry for maintaining preventive controls. Funding also has been allocated to the development of a standardized Food Safety Preventive Control Training curriculum for the food industry, which will include hands-on and web-based training modules that can be delivered through a distance learning training portal.
In addition to IFSH and FDA, the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance will include representatives from stakeholder groups in academia, trade and scientific associations, government and industry.
University of Wisconsin-River Falls Professor Emeritus Purnendu C. Vasavada, PhD, has been named an FDA ORISE Fellow and will serve as the alliance's coordinator.
The organizing committee is currently in process of establishing an FSPCA organizational framework and timeline, as well a working group structure and mechanisms for development of the training curriculum.
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WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY
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IFSH Hosts Sprout Safety Training Workshop at ISGA Annual Convention in Las Vegas, October 19
The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) at Illinois Institute of  Technology (IIT) will unveil a unique audit checklist designed to improve sprout safety and present a first look at on-site beta test results validating its effectiveness in a real-world setting at the International Sprout Grower's Association (ISGA) Annual Convention, October 17-21, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV.
The IFSH Sprout Safety Training Workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 19 at the convention's headquarters in the MGM Grand Hotel from 1:55 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
The ground-breaking sprout safety checklist is the product of IFSH's Sprout Safety Task Force, which identifies critical research needs and develops food safety guidance required for the safe production of sprouts. IFSH member sprout growers and allied stakeholders in the task force include ISGA, Jonathan Sprouts, Caudill Seed, Brassica Protection Products, and IIT and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists.
The October workshop is the first in a series aimed at sharing information gathered by the IFSH Sprout Safety Task Force and introducing the newly beta-tested audit checklist. The document is designed to serve as a practical tool for sprout growers to use when reviewing their operation's food safety practices and as a guide when requesting a sprout-specific third party audit.
The IFSH Sprout Safety Training Workshop is free to all full conference attendees, and other interested parties can reserve space for a nominal fee of $25.00. Please visit the ISGA website for online registration details, visit the IFSH News page for the preliminary speakers and presentations list, or contact Armand Paradis, IFSH Director Business Development, at 708.563.8175 for more workshop program information.
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MEMBER UPDATE
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IFSH Welcomes New Industry Members
IFSH is pleased to announce that three new members have joined the institute in recent months. Welcome all!
Merieux NutriSciences Corp./Silliker  Mérieux NutriSciences works as a trusted partner to assure food quality, safety and better nutrition all across the supply chain on a global basis. Mérieux NutriSciences provides consulting, testing, auditing, education, sensory, innovation and contract research services through its business units Silliker, Inc., Biofortis, and Bioagri. As part of Mérieux NutriSciences Corp., Silliker is the leading internationally accredited provider of food safety, quality and nutrition services with locations in 16 countries.Flying Food Group Flying Food Group custom-designs and produces exceptional food destined for guests of customers in the airline catering, grocery, food service and specialty markets. FFG customers include over 70 premier airlines-primarily international carriers-and leading food retailers such as Starbucks. Malt-O-Meal Malt-O-Meal's history of consistent quality and service is a tradition since 1919. Founded by John S. Campbell, Malt-O-Meal® originally manufactured hot wheat cereal. In 1965, the company introduced its first ready-to-eat cereals. Today, the company manufactures three varieties of hot wheat cereal and many varieties of ready-to-eat cereal.
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IFSH ON THE ROAD & IN THE NEWS
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Conferences & Meetings
Make plans to meet up with IFSH leaders and researchers at the following food science and trade conferences:
IFSH Annual Meeting
October 11-12, Hyatt Lodge, McDonald's Campus, Oak Brook, IL
Allergen Workshop on Managing Allergens in Dry Manufacturing
October 13, Deloitte Offices, Chicago, IL
IFSH Sprout Safety Training Workshop
October 19, MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
New Publications
IFSH is featured in the cover story, "Getting Innovation Down to a Science," published in the September 2011 issue of Food Manufacturing magazine. Click here to access the online digital version of the magazine, or visit the IFSH website to download a PDF file.
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Illinois Institute of Technology's (IIT) Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) is a one-of-a-kind applied food research institute that provides stakeholders in government, industry and academia the opportunity to develop and exchange knowledge and expertise to address key issues in food safety, food defense and nutrition. Located at IIT's Moffett Campus in Bedford Park, IL, IFSH is also home to the FDA CFSAN Division of Food Processing Science and Technology. For more, visit www.iit.edu/ifsh
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