Food safety spotlight: from harvest to the home

The conference is targeted at practitioners in food and drink who are involved with food safety. It will investigate the latest advances in ensuring food safety: from the farm, through manufacture and the supply chain, to products and packaging on sale in stores and foodservice outlets. It will also discuss what the industry can do to reassure consumers about the safety and authenticity of the food they eat.

The event will be chaired by Professor Colin Dennis, president elect of the US Institute of Food Technologists, former director general of Campden BRI and past president of the UK Institute of Food Science & Technology.

Four sessions ​

It will comprise four sessions dealing with the following topics: minimising contamination in raw materials and ingredients; managing safety hazards and risks in processing, distribution and sale; delivering products that are safe throughout their shelf-life; and reassuring consumers about the safety of what they eat.

Speakers from the Food Standards Agency, Campden BRI, Food and Environmental Research Agency, NSF International, Society of Food Hygiene & Technology, Leatherhead Food Research, Institute of Food Research, British Retail Consortium, and Allergy Action will be among those giving presentations on the day. See conference programme below.

More information is available here or email: Xngvr.Gurbsnabhf@jeoz.pbz​.

Food Safety Conference - Safer food and drink - from the harvest to the home​

Tuesday,  September 29 2015

The Lowry, Manchester

09:00​ Welcome and opening remarks by chairman

Session 1: Minimising contamination in raw materials and ingredients

This session will examine the threats to the food supply chain following the 2013 horsemeat contamination scandal and earlier incidents involving the contamination of ingredients: from Sudan 1 in chilli to melamine in milk; from emerging bacterial pathogens to chemical contamination. It will also report on progress with the Food Standard Agency's Food Crime Unit, formed in the wake of Professor Chris Elliott's report into ‘horsegate', and outline what is being done to address criminal activity in the sector.

11:00​ Coffee

11:30​ Session 2: Managing safety hazards and risks in processing, distribution and sale

Session 2 will look at the need to create better food safety cultures in the workplace to minimise foodborne hazards. While people often know what they should be doing to ensure good food hygiene on the shopfloor, they don't always put this into practice and can cut corners. Presentations will explain how to instil the right behaviours. Others will describe what effective cleaning and sanitation looks like in today's food manufacturing workplace and will cover the hygienic design of equipment and processes.

12:30​ Panel debate (involving all speakers from morning sessions)

13:00​ Lunch

14:00​ Session 3: Delivering products that are safe throughout their shelf-life

Campylobacter infection from poultry is the largest cause of food poisoning incidents in the UK. With up to 70% of all fresh chicken on sale contaminated with campylobacter, this session will provide an update on various industry measures being taken to reduce levels of contamination: from better biosecurity on farms to new processing and packaging techniques. Other presentations during the session will focus on new systems for accurately measuring and extending food shelf-life, together with risk assessment approaches for determining safety throughout shelf-life.

15:00​ Coffee

15:20​ Session 4: Reassuring consumers about the safety of what they eat

The final session of the day will take a consumer perspective of food safety, with presentations describing how the general public view the food industry. It will cover what more needs to be done to reassure people about the safety of the food they buy and eat. It will also describe moves to provide clearer labelling of information for consumers and what is being done about the growing incidence of people with food allergies and intolerances.

16:30​ Conference closes

Book your place here.