[USCC] Fwd: "Fresh Leafy Greens - Are They Safe Enough?"

[Jim McNelly]

>
>*   "Fresh Leafy Greens - Are They Safe Enough?" 
>is the title of a Rapid Response Symposium which 
>will be held on October 6, 2006 at the Key 
>Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia - The 
>symposium is organized by the International 
>Association for Food Protection (IAFP) in 
>cooperation with United Fresh Produce 
>Association and The National Restaurant 
>Association - In announcing the symposium, IAFP 
>notes that " ... A recent widespread foodborne 
>outbreak linked to fresh bagged spinach has 
>called into question the safety of fresh leafy 
>greens ... The IAFP Rapid Response Symposium ... 
>will bring leading experts and stakeholders 
>together on this topic for a science-based 
>discussion on the latest findings from the 
>recent spinach outbreak, lessons learned, and 
>current strategies to improve the safety of 
>these types of products ..." - Details are 
>posted at 
><http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Symposium.asp>http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Symposium.asp 
>- The program is posted at 
><http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Schedule.pdf>http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Schedule.pdf 
>
>
>http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Symposium.asp
>
>Fresh Leafy Greens - Are They Safe Enough?
>
>In cooperation with United Fresh Produce 
>Association and The National Restaurant 
>Association, IAFP has planned a Rapid Response 
>Symposium on “Fresh Leafy Greens – Are They Safe Enough?”.
>
>A recent widespread foodborne outbreak linked to 
>fresh bagged spinach has called into question the safety of fresh leafy greens.
>
>Amidst a growing obesity epidemic in North 
>America, many public health professionals are 
>encouraging consumers to eat more fruits and 
>vegetables, including fresh leafy greens. 
>However, at the same time, fresh produce is 
>being increasingly implicated as a vehicle of 
>foodborne disease. The recent outbreak linked to 
>fresh bagged spinach illustrates this point. 
>Based on early epidemiological evidence of an 
>evolving outbreak, consumers were advised to not 
>eat fresh spinach or products containing fresh spinach.
>
>Since 1995, there have been 19 reported 
>outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United 
>States caused by E. coli  O157:H7 for which 
>lettuce or leafy greens were implicated as the 
>outbreak vehicle. Given these findings, are 
>fresh leafy greens safe enough? Are current 
>measures adequate to ensure their safety? And 
>what are the latest risk management strategies 
>that can be taken to further reduce their risk?
>
>The IAFP Rapid Response Symposium, "Fresh Leafy 
>Greens - Are They Safe Enough?" will bring 
>leading experts and stakeholders together on 
>this topic for a science-based discussion on the 
>latest findings from the recent spinach 
>outbreak, lessons learned, and current 
>strategies to improve the safety of these types of products.
>
>_____________
>
>We want to recognize the following sponsors, who 
>have financially helped to make this symposium possible.
>
>bioMerieux
>DuPont Qualicon
>Ecolab
>National Restaurant Association
>National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
>Silliker
>Technical Committee on Food 
>Microbiology-International Life Sciences Institute, North American Branch
>
>*************
>
>http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/Rapid%20Response%20Schedule.pdf
>
>IAFP RAPID RESPONSE SYMPOSIUM
>Fresh Leafy Greens – Are They Safe Enough?
>
>October 6, 2006
>Key Bridge Marriott
>Arlington, Virginia
>
>Morning Session – The Evolution of a Fresh Bagged Spinach Outbreak
>
>Convenors
>
>Frank Yiannas, IAFP President, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
>Alejandro Castillo, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
>
>8:00 A.M. – 8:30 A.M.
>
>Registration & Continental Breakfast
>
>8:30 A.M. – 8:45 A.M.
>
>Welcome and Opening Remarks
>Jeffrey Farber, IAFP Past President, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>
>8:45 A.M. – 9:15 A.M.
>Fresh Spinach Outbreak Investigation – What We Now Know
>Michael Lynch, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
>
>9:15 A.M. – 9:35 A.M.
>FDA Traceback – Pinpointing the Source
>Ellen Morrison, FDA/CFSAN, College Park, Maryland
>
>9:35 A.M. – 9:55 A.M.
>Spinach Outbreak as Part of Broader Concerns 
>About Produce Safety – An FDA Perspective
>Robert Buchanan, FDA/CFSAN, College Park, Maryland
>
>9:55 A.M. – 10:15 A.M. Refreshment Break
>
>10:15 A.M. – 10:40 A.M.
>Industry Reaction – An Entire Industry in the Midst of a Storm
>Hank Giclas, Western Growers Association, Irvine, California
>
>10:40 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
>California Spinach Production 101
>Trevor Suslow, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
>
>11:00 A.M. – 11:25 A.M.
>The Economics of a Produce Outbreak
>Linda Calvin, USDA/ERS, Washington D.C.
>
>11:25 A.M. – 11:55 A.M.
>Communications – Media Analysis and Consumer Reaction
>Douglas Powell, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
>
>11:55 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
>Lunch (provided with registration)
>
>Afternoon Session – The Way Forward, Improving 
>the Safety of Fresh Leafy Greens
>
>Convenors
>Linda Harris, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
>Jeffrey Farber, IAFP Past President, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>
>1:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.
>Fresh Leafy Green Safety – A Research Perspective
>Trevor Suslow, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
>
>1:30 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
>Fresh Leafy Green Safety – A Research Perspective
>Robert Mandrell, USDA/ARS, Albany, California
>
>2:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.
>Fresh Leafy Green Safety – A Research Perspective
>Alejandro Castillo, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
>
>2:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Refreshment Break
>
>3:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
>Fresh Leafy Green Safety – An Industry Perspective
>David Gombas, United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, D.C.
>
>3:30 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
>The Way Forward – Roundtable Discussion
>All Speakers Participating
>
>end
>
>
>
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>
>Jack Cooper
>
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>
>Jack L. Cooper
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>and
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>Food Industry Environmental Network, LLC
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