AFDO Educational Conference presentations
Tuesday, June 13, 2022
Glendale, Arizona
General Sessions
7:00AM – 10:15AM
FDA/Industry Collaboration Meeting
This working session is being conducted to identify opportunities for improving collaboration between FDA and the food industry, and to help advance an integrated food safety system. There will be four topic areas that will be addressed in separate sessions of 45 minutes each – Routine Engagement, Education & Training, Inspections, and Investigations & Outbreaks. Attendees will be able to participate in two of the four sessions. This working session is for human and animal food industry officials only.
Speakers:
- Joseph Corby, Senior Advisor, Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Erik Mettler, MPA, MPH, Assistant Commissioner for Partnerships and Policy, Office of Partnerships and Operational Policy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Brooke Benschoter, Director of Communications, Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Randy Treadwell, Program Manager, Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Patrick Kennelly, Program Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
8:00AM – 8:15PM
Announcements and Awards
Presenters:
- Natalie Adan, AFDO President and Food Safety Division Director, Georgia Department of Agriculture
8:15AM – 9:45AM
Turning the Great Resignation into the Great Rehiring
Government agencies have been struggling, especially in the past two years, to recruit and retain talent to fill regulatory inspection jobs – however, these agencies typically offer excellent benefits and job security. Glean best practices, tips, and tricks to help you proactively recruit and retain valuable staff to work for your agency in today’s evolving work culture.
Speaker: Patrick Ibarra, The Mejorando Group
Round Robin:
- Glenda Barfell, Assistant Commissioner for Regulatory Management Operations, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Deborah Laughman, HR Manager, PA Office of Administration
- Steven Walker, Environmental Health Department Manager, City of Lubbock, Texas
10:15AM – 11:55AM
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Updates and joint Question & Answers
Moderator: Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
Speakers:
- Dr. Robert Tauxe, Director, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Virtual)
- Donald Prater, Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Virtual)
- Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Virtual)
- Paul Kiecker, Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Sessions
1:30PM – 2:15PM
Regulatory Policies For Heavy Metals in Spices – a New York approach
Moderator: Patrick Kennelly, Program Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
Currently, the FDA does not have recall threshold levels for heavy metals in spices. Based on sampling of spices by the NYS
Department of Agriculture and Markets, and subsequent review of health data by the NYS Department of Health, New York is phasing in a threshold level for certain heavy metals of concern. As part of NYSAGM’s outreach to both industry and regulatory partners, this presentation will discuss threshold levels, how they were determined and the phase in process.
2:15PM – 3:00PM
Dietary Supplement Regulation & Enforcement
This session will provide an overview of dietary supplement regulation in the United States, highlighting the key differences in
manufacturing and labeling requirements of dietary supplements and conventional foods. The session will further highlight key
violation findings and enforcement actions taken when dietary supplement contents are not accurately represented or their
labeling or advertising are found to be false or misleading.
Moderator: Patrick Kennelly, Program Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials
Speakers:
- Richard Beckstrand, MPT, Manufactured Food Program Manager, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
- Scott MacIntire, Program Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
3:30PM – 4:30PM
Improving the Future of Recalls
Ensuring food safety is a fundamental duty of regulatory agencies. When becoming aware of unsafe food, they must act quickly to keep people from becoming sick. This may involve recalls of the food source and withdrawal from the marketplace. These important efforts are duties of both federal, state, and local government agencies, and have not always been successful at working collaboratively to achieve success. FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety ties together steps for innovation and more efficient approach for change. FDA’s Blueprint for the Future is a focal point for recalls.
Speakers:
- Lisa Hainstock, Food Safety Specialist, Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
- Jennifer Pierquet, Project Manager, Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Roberta Wagner, VP Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Consumer Brands Association
4:30PM – 5:30PM
Can HACCP be applied to food donations?
Moderator: Dr. Brian Nummer, USU Food Safety Extension
Speakers:
- Molly Crouch, Corporate Director of Sustainability, Sodexo Live! North America
- Julian Graham, Safety Specialist, Sodexo Live! North America
- Joe Graham, Water Recreation & Food Safety Sec Manager, Environmental Health and Safety, Washington State Department of Health
Retail Sessions
1:30PM – 3:00PM
To add or Not to Add? Food Additives and GRAS Products at Retail
Have you ever been conducting an inspection and found something
being added to food and asked yourself, is this allowed? Join us
as we learn about food additives and GRAS products and how an
inspector can assess novel items that are added to food.
Moderator: David Morales, Registered Sanitarian-Managing Supervisor, Maricopa County Environmental Services
Speakers:
- Katie Overbey, PhD, Regulatory Review Scientist, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Nancy-Ann Hall, REHS, CMI/CMR, Senior Environmental Health Specialist, Regulatory Support Office, Environmental Health, Southern Nevada Health District
3:30PM – 5:30PM
TCS or Not – You Make the Call
You found a product that is being held in the Temperature Danger Zone. The operator says, “Don’t worry about it”. Is Time
and Temperature control needed for safety? You make the call! During this interactive session participants will dig in and face a
few curveballs as they determine if various food products (Waffle Batter?) are TCS or not. Like Yogi Berra said, “I wish I had an answer to that because I’m tired of answering that question.” Teams will pitch their calls to the group. But watch out! Just like in the Major Leagues, other teams can challenge the call. Our esteemed Umpire will step in and arbitrate. In the process, the Teams will develop the “bases” of a TCS job aid. Don’t strike out! Be an MVP as we practice a valuable skill that will help us get more RBI’s (Risk-Based Inspections)!
Moderators:
- Adam Inman, Assistant Program Manager, Kansas Department of Agriculture
- Traci Michelson, REHS, CP-FS, Food Safety Manager, US Supply Chain Management, McDonald’s Corporation
- Melissa Vaccaro, MS, BSEd., CP-FS, CPFM, Vice President of Consulting, Paster Training, Inc. Umpire
- Donald Schaffner, PH.D., Professor and Food Science Extension Specialist, Rutgers University
Produce Sessions
1:30PM – 2:15PM
Strategies and novel approaches to building farm inventory, engaging growers, confirming farm size, and the importance of making this a priority for CAP states
Moderator: Kristin Esch, Produce Safety Expert, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Panelists:
- Michael Botelho, Director, Produce Safety, Market Access and Certification Division, Massachusetts Department of Agriculture
- Kelly Johnson, Produce Safety Manager, South Carolina Department of Agriculture
- Ben Marshall, Produce Safety Inspector, Missouri Department of Agriculture
- Rene Nieto, Produce Safety Outreach Specialist, Texas Department of Agriculture
2:30PM – 4:30PM
Greenhouse condensate: the issues and potential hazards
Moderator: Erik Bungo, Program Supervisor, Produce Safety, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Panelists:
- Natalie Adan, Food Safety Division Director, Georgia Department of Agriculture
- Emily Hollingsworth, Michigan Department of Agriculture
- Justin McConaghy, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture
- Katherine Simon, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Cannabis Sessions
1:30PM – 2:00PM
Pick your Poison: The United States Cannabis Industry from the Perspective of the American Association of Poison Control Centers
Moderator: Lezli Engelking, Founder and President, Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS)
Speaker:
2:00PM – 3:00PM
I Never Saw That Coming: A Discussion on Delta 8 THC and Other Hemp Derived Synthetics
Speakers:
- Steve Bevan, Partner, O’Cann Group
- Chris Hudalla, Ph.d, Chief Scientific Officer, ProVerde Tesing Laboratories, Inc.
- Marielle Weintraub, Analytical Services Manager, GMP, OTC, Contaminants, Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing
3:30PM – 4:00PM
I Want What I Want When I Want It: Consumer Preferences in Cannabis
Speaker:
4:00PM – 4:30PM
Going the Distance: Cannabis Supply Chain Traceability and Product Verification
Speakers:
- Alberto de la Serna, Business Solutions Manager, SICPA
- David Cree Crawford, Co-Founder and President, Green Ocean Sciences
4:30PM – 5:30PM
Building a Federal Framework for Cannabis in the United States
Speakers:
- Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food andDrug Officials
- Lezli Engelking, Founder and President, Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS)
- Kyle Baker, Founder, EcoBuds
- Roberta Wagner,Roberta Wagner, VP of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Consumer Brands Association
- Brett Goldman, Partner, O’Cann Group
- Anna Osterlind, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Groundswell Strategy
Body Art Sessions
1:30PM – 2:15PM
Integrators
This course will discuss what indicators and integrators are, why they are used, and which integrator would be helpful during an inspection.
Speaker:
2:15PM – 3:00PM
Sterilization: From Dirty to Clean
This course will familiarize you with how to determine what type of processing is required to make an item sterile.
Speakers:
- Steve Joyner, Body Art Compliance
- Matt Bavougian, Body Art Compliance
3:30PM – 4:15PM
How Does FDA Regulate Items Used in the Body Art Industry
Speaker:
4:15PM – 5:00PM
Body Art Inspection Tips and Things to Look For Part 2
This presentation will walk you through a typical body art facility inspection. We will focus on tips and tricks for areas of consistent difficulties that inspectors run into nationwide. We will go over piercing and tattooing inspection details, and touch on other procedures that you may run into including but not limited to: permanent makeup, suspensions, scarification, & branding.
Speakers:
- Jodi Zimmerman, Registered Environmental Health Specialist II, El Paso County Department of Health and Environment, Colorado
- Katherine Martinez, Kent County Michigan
5:00PM – 5:30PM
Building Body Art Resources and Partnerships
Body art facility inspections are part of almost every health department, but resources to support the inspectors aren’t readily
available. This presentation will focus on the collaborative efforts of industry and regulators to develop tools, resources, and education to build partnerships and support body art inspection programs.
Speaker:
- Christl Tate, Training Operations and Logistics Manager, Entrepreneurial Zone, NEHA