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Auburn University Hosting Food Safety Symposium
AUBURN, Ala. - "Current Perspectives for Pathogen Reduction in the Food Supply" is the title of a food safety symposium to be held Sept. 5-6 at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center.
The symposium, which is being hosted by Auburn's Food Technology Institute (FTI) and the Alabama Biotechnology Center, will feature two days of speakers and discussion relating to the status of pathogen-caused food safety problems, both before and after harvest.
Jim Barbaree, associate professor of microbiology at Auburn and program coordinator for the symposium, noted that the program will include an overview of pathogen-based food safety problems.
"All food pathogens will be considered, but emphasis will be placed on Salmonella, E-coli 0157:H7 in meat and poultry and pathogens found in seafood", said Barbaree. "On the evening of Sept. 5, a workshop will be held to discuss new and rapid food pathogen detection techniques and devices that various companies are offering."
The second day of the symposium includes a discussion of the proposed Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) federal guidelines, presentations on the implementation of HACCP by representatives from food processing companies and producers, new technologies for intervention strategies and consumer concerns.
"This is an initiative that fits the overall goal of the Food Technology Institute and a proposed Food Safety Center we hope to establish soon at Auburn," said Dale Huffman, FTI director. "The FTI's goal is bring together scientists and people from many disciplines who already are working on some aspect of food production, quality control, processing, marketing, distribution and preparation issues. This symposium is just one way to strive to achieve that goal."
He noted Auburn University is the ideal host for such an event, because it is the home of experts that collectively represent expertise covering the entire food chain.
Speakers for the symposium will include university-based researchers; Kaye Wacsmuth, deputy director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; several speakers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; industry representatives and others.
Barbaree noted that this meeting is designed to address issues all the way from on-farm production to the consumer. He encouraged anyone interested in the current status of all aspects of food safety and impending regulations to attend.
Cost of the symposium is $25, which includes the meeting, workshop, a luncheon and a reception. Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 5 at the Hotel and Conference Center, with the formal program beginning at 1 p.m. that day. For more information or to preregister, contact Linda Clark at (334) 844-4900 (phone), (334) 844-4814 (fax) or lclark@ag.auburn.edu (e-mail).
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News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu
