FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grocery Manufacturers Association Conference Focused on Improving Food Safety Through Harmonization of Global Third Party Food Safety Audit Criteria
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
December 2, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Grocery Manufacturers Association today kicked off a two-day meeting of industry experts to identify essential criteria for third party food safety audits. Third party food safety audits are already playing an integral role in ensuring the safety and security of the food supply, and that role is expected to grow as public and private sector agents continue to work towards strengthening our food safety net.
“The full potential of third party audits has yet to be realized, which is why this meeting is critical,” said Dr. Robert Brackett, GMA senior vice president and chief scientific and regulatory affairs officer. “The sooner we can harmonize global audit criteria, the sooner we can fully leverage third party audits to the maximum benefit of the consumer.”
The conference, titled Bolstering Consumer Confidence: Identifying Essential Third Party Food Safety Audit Criteria, featured public sector speakers Rich McKeown, chief of staff, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and David Acheson, M.D., associate commissioner for foods, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The program also includes representatives of the Consumer Federation of America, the World Bank and Bumble Bee Foods, LLC President and CEO Christopher Lischewski. In addition to general sessions and panel discussions, attendees will also participate in breakout sessions designed to cull from their experiences new and innovative approaches to harmonizing the global food safety system.
The American National Standards Institute, the National Fisheries Institute and the Seafood Products Association co-sponsored the conference with GMA. For more information on this event, please visit www.gmaonline.org.
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Based in Washington, D.C., the Grocery Manufacturers Association is the voice of more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies that sustain and enhance the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe. Founded in 1908, GMA is an active, vocal advocate for its member companies and a trusted source of information about the industry and the products consumers rely on and enjoy every day. The association and its member companies are committed to meeting the needs of consumers through product innovation, responsible business practices and effective public policy solutions developed through a genuine partnership with policymakers and other stakeholders. In keeping with its founding principles, GMA helps its members produce safe products through a strong and ongoing commitment to scientific research, testing and evaluation and to providing consumers with the products, tools and information they need to achieve a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. The food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry in the United States generates sales of $2.1 trillion annually, employs 14 million workers and contributes $1 trillion in added value to the economy every year.
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