Organizers & Supporters

Angela Anandappa Ph.D.

Thankless jobs. It’s what moms do, and many more people who will never receive fame and fortune for what they do. It’s also what food safety is. We have an important story not often told. Food safety has long been the glue that not only keeps brands intact in the face of business risks, but also is the wind beneath the wings that make profits soar. The biggest stories being heard are of things going wrong. Now, we are working together to help tell the story of what goes right, and make a special effort to appreciate those who make it possible.

Both industry and the public sector need need to give it all we have to make sure our food stays safe. By helping to recognize important achievements in the story not told, we can help reinforce and make the task of food safety a little bit easier and a little more valued.

Barbara VanRenterghem Ph.D.

Sanitation best practices are critically important for ensuring food safety. Beyond cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces, as well as their hygienic design, handwashing and personal hygiene are essential. The lack of such basic practices contributes to the cross-contamination of food products and can lead to foodborne illness if such contaminated products are consumed. While robust sanitation programs are imperative for the food industry to develop and implement, consumers must also follow basic sanitation procedures. An ongoing challenge is how to educate and empower consumers and food workers at all levels to embrace sanitation as an important routine practice.

Nish Abeysiriwardena

In medical devices it is so important to ensure the product does not have the potential to ever cause harm to the customer. Hygienic conditions are critical for manufacturing electronic parts, as well as for the products that touch skin or are are consumed. We rely completely on standardized processes, and how well they are followed is crucial at all steps in the process. Keeping ingredients and raw materials flowing is far more complex than one might imagine, not only in medical devices, but even more so in food, which we consume daily.