Just 4 weeks to go to the 3rd Australian Food Safety Conference

7-9 September 2010 Melbourne

Food is something that impacts

on the life of everyone. As Australia's largest manufacturing industry and major export contributor, the food and beverage sector is also vital to the economy.There are just 4 weeks to go until the 3rd Australian Food Safety Conference to be held from 7 to 9 September 2010 in Melbourne which will showcase experts from across the country and around the world discussing the latest in global food safety, including emerging food safety challenges.

Dr Anne Astin, Chair of the Conference Committee, said that this is the only conference by food safety regulators for food safety regulators, consumers and industry.

‘Following on from the highly successful 2004 and 2007 conferences, the 3rd Australian Food Safety Conference will establish benchmarks for food safety management in Australia over the next 3 years.

‘We are in an era where consumers want safer food and industry wants reduced compliance costs. Hear how regulators are rising to the challenge of underpinning the relationship between consumers and industry through harnessing sound science and clear policy frameworks that combine to drive cost-effective interventions. At the conference we will witness the conversation evolve from the distraction of red tape toward an inspiring future where food regulation is accepted as creating real value,' Dr Astin said.

Key speakers include:

Bill Marler, Attorney, Marler Clark, USA

Industry Responsibility for the Food it Produces

An accomplished personal injury lawyer and national expert in food borne illness litigation, William Marler has been a major force in food safety policy in the United States and abroad. He and his partners at Marler Clark have represented thousands of individuals in claims against food companies whose contaminated products have caused serious injury and death.

Dr Robert Brackett, Senior Vice President, Grocery Manufacturers of America

Industry-Regulator Interactions: Driving Change Across the Industry

Robert E.Brackett serves as Vice President and Director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Dr Brackett is responsible for executive leadership of NCFST and enhancing its stature and reputation as a national and international leader in food safety, technology, and nutrition. Prior to coming to NCFST, Dr. Brackett served as Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Officer at the Washington-based Grocery Manufacturing Association (GMA), where he oversaw all of the association's scientific and regulatory activity, including the operation of its in-house food safety laboratory.

Professor John Humphrey, University of Sussex, United Kingdom

Private standards and food safety: what is the relationship with public standards?

Professor John Humphrey is a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in the UK and leader of the Globalisation Team. He has conducted research and consultancy work in the area of global value chains, trade and standards in the global food industry. His recent work includes a study of the impact of European food safety standards, both public and private, on vegetable exporters in Kenya and shrimp producers in Southeast Asia, and he is currently examining differences in the evolution of private standards in Europe and North America.

Professor Junshi Chen, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China

Food Safety Framework in China - opportunities for collaboration with Australia

Dr. Junshi Chen graduated from the Beijing Medical College in 1956 and has been engaged in nutrition and food safety research for more than 50 years at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the former Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine), Beijing. Internationally, he serves as the Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA). He is a member of the WHO Food Safety Expert Panel and Director of ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute) Focal Point in China.

Alyson Smith, Centre for Radiation Chemicals and Environmental Hazards Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom

The Duck 'n' Oyster - crisis management under the spotlight

Ms Alyson Smith was appointed as Consultant in Health Protection in 2001. Alyson's professional background is nursing, working for the last 20 years in the field of Health Protection initially in the NHS until the inception of the HPA in 2003. Alyson has extensive experience in outbreak investigation and management including Health Care Associated Infections (HCAI), communicable disease outbreaks in health, social care settings, the community and general population such as Tuberculosis, Pandemic Influenza, hepatitis A and foodborne illness.

The Conference will also showcase presentations from the Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Food and Grocery Council, Productivity Commission Canberra, Department of Health Victoria, Choice, Icon Global Link, Simplot Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, CSIRO Food and Nutrition Services, New Zealand Food Safety Authority and OzFood Net, concluding with an interactive panel of key industry stakeholders debating 'Is there any real value to red tape?'.

AFSC 2010 will be held from 7-9 September 2010 at Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne, Australia. For further information on AFSC 2010 please visit www.afsc2010.com.au.