SQF International Conference

SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
(current as of 9/29/11)

SQF Conference Brochure (Downloadable PDF)

 

Tuesday, November 8
8:30 am – 4:30 pm Principles of Internal Auditing Course
(additional fees apply)
8:30 am – 4:30 pm SQF Code Ed 7 Update Course
(additional fees apply)
9:30 am – 4:30 pm SQF Information Seminar
(free admission)
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Vendor "Meet and Greet" Welcome Reception
(free with registration)
Sponsored by: Guelph Food Technology Centre
 
Wednesday, November 9
7:00 am – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by: NSF International
8:00 am – 8:15 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Leslie G. Sarasin, Esq., CAE, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Food Marketing Institute
8:15 am – 9:45 am Keynote Speaker
Update on the Food Safety Modernization Act:
Are You Heading in the Right Direction?

Dr. David Acheson, Managing Director,
Food and Import Safety Practice, Leavitt Partners

The Food Safety Modernization Act, enacted in
January 2011, represents the most sweeping overhaul
of food safety legislation since 1938. Get an overview
of the major provisions of the act, the current status
of implementation and the impact of the new law on
your business from one of the world’s most esteemed
experts in food safety, the former Assistant
Commissioner of Food Protection at the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA).
9:45 am – 10:45 am

General Session 
Emotional Impact of a Food Safety Recall

Dr. Randall Huffman, Chief Food Safety Officer,
Maple Leaf Foods

In August 2008, Maple Leaf Foods produced sliced
deli meats that were linked to 23 deaths and over 50
illnesses from Listeriosis across Canada, an event that
launched a catalyst for change. Maple Leaf’s Chief
Food Safety Officer will share key learnings from the
outbreak and give insights into the company’s Listeria
control program. Explore their multi-year food safety
strategy and learn how the three key elements of Risk
Analysis (i.e. Risk Assessment, Risk Management and
Risk Communication) have been internalized in
employee engagement activities to assist in
embedding food safety behaviors into company culture.
10:45 am – 11:15 am  Networking Break
Sponsored by: American National Standards Institute
11:15 am – 12:15 pm Breakout Sessions
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm Lunch
Sponsored by: SGS International
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm Breakout Sessions
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Networking Break
Sponsored by: American National Standards Institute
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Breakout Sessions
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm General Session
Social Media: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Helen Levinson, Desert Rose Design

While beneficial for marketing purposes, social
media activity creates potential pitfalls in terms of
protecting a company’s brand and reputation. Are
you prepared for serious damage control in the event
of a food safety crisis? A social media expert will
reveal the six key social media best practices to
protect and monitor your brand online. Discover the
ugly side to social media and the damaging impact
it can have. Learn how to manage and track your
online reputation, identify online threats and address
social media compliance issues.
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Cocktail Reception and Vendor Court
 
Thursday, November 10
7:00 am – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by: NCSI
8:00 am – 9:15 am Keynote Speaker
The Trust Edge: How Leaders Gain
Faster Results, Deeper Relationships
and a Stronger Bottom Line

David Horsager, Author and Business Strategist

Trust is a fundamental, bottom-line issue. Without
it, leaders lose teams,salespeople lose sales, and
organizations lose reputation, relationships and
revenue. But with trust, individuals and organizations
enjoy greater creativity, productivity, freedom, and
results. Discover what makes successful leaders and
organizations thrive. Learn the 3 keys to build morale,
sales, and customer loyalty. Hear effective ways to
boost daily productivity and consistency by using
DMA’s (Difference Making Actions). Learn how to
create a consistent message, a committed following,
and a clear strategy for lasting outcomes.
9:15 am – 10:00 am

General Session
Stakeholder Panel
Sponsored by: DNV Business Assurance

Michael Ambrosio, Wakefern
Bryan Armentrout, Whitewave Foods Company
Carmen Knolle, H-E-B Grocery Company

Hear perspectives from leading foodservice, retail,
manufacturing and distribution and logistics companies
as they discuss the practical application of SQF audit
data and the positive impact of the SQF program on
their bottom line.
10:00 am – 10:15 am Networking Break
Sponsored by: TUV SUD
10:15 am – 11:00 am Breakout Sessions
11:00 am – 11:15 am Networking Break
Sponsored by: National Registry
11:15 am – 12:00 pm Breakout Sessions
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Luncheon and Awards Ceremony
Sponsored by: Eagle Food Registration, Inc.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm General Session
Culture Shift: Unlocking the Key to
Maximizing Your Food Safety Program

Jay T. Mayr, Quality Director, Food Safety and Quality
Audits, ConAgra Foods.

Achieving food safety success entails more than just
audits, inspections, and tests; it requires
knowledge and adaptation of human behavior to
create awareness of and commitment to safe food
practices. Building an effective and meaningful food
safety culture within an organization is a trickle-down
process. It starts with commitment to providing safe,
quality food at the executive level and is communicated
to the very roots of the company’s operations.
Learn how a major food recall, a change in leadership,
and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) set one
company on a quest to change attitudes and behaviors
and create a corporate cultural shift that benefited
the bottom line, Take home actionable ideas to shift
the culture in your own organization.
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Closing Keynote Speaker
Leadership and Accountability When It Matters

Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.)
Inspirational Leader and
Commander of the USS Cole

The privilege and burden of leadership comes
with an accountability that many aspire to emulate
and anyone can rise up to and achieve. Using a
devastating suicide terrorist attack as a backdrop,
Commander Lippold, Commander of the USS Cole,
conveys how the bedrock principle of integrity
created an environment for leadership where his crew
felt imbued with a sense of ownership as they seized
the opportunity to be responsible for their ship and not
just their jobs. Their own sense of leadership proved
to be a guiding principle in the crucible of combat.
Commander Lippold’s story is guaranteed to enthrall,
enlighten and inspire you and raise you to your feet
for a standing ovation.
4:00 pm Conference Adjourns

 

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Risk Management: 10 Practical Steps to Maximize Your Program ROI

Speaker: Serban Teodoresco, President and CEO, Preventa

Over the last 10 years, companies have invested a significant amount of money in the implementation of risk management programs. Market Research findings demonstrate however, that the majority of companies have failed to realize the expected ROI. This session will explore 10 practical steps to implement an effective Risk Management system that will create maximum return for your company.



Root-Cause Analysis: Maximizing Your Problem-Solving Skills

Speaker: Nancy Berger, Business Development Manager, Eagle Registrations, Inc.

Avoid sweeping problems under the rug with the help of an effective root-cause analysis. Learn the 5-Why Tool and its connection to the 8D Problem Solving Process, a powerful way to identify and address fundamental problems. Gain an appreciation for the unbiased approach to problem solving i.e., removing emotions and opinions from the process. Generate innovative solutions through an interactive Fishbone team analysis and understand how you can utilize statistical data to build a case for improvement. The knowledge to conduct a root-cause analysis is an invaluable take-away that can be implemented in your company immediately. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran in the food safety and quality industry, these tools will help improve your business and yield measurable results.



SQF Code Changes: What You Need to Know

Speaker: LeAnn Chuboff, Senior Technical Director Safe Quality Food Institute

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) released version 6 of the Guidance Document, requiring all existing GFSI-recognized schemes to resubmit their code for benchmarking by the end of 2011. SQF took this opportunity to review and revise the SQF codes to not only meet the requirements of the GFSI guidance document, but also to remove duplication and repetition and clarify areas of concern or ambiguity. Get an overview of the major changes to the code and learn the requirements for suppliers, auditors, and certification bodies.



Traceability in the Food Industry – Why and How

Speaker: Dr. Robert C. Strong, Vice President, Quality Management Systems, Steritech Institute

Traceability is an essential component of good business practice. Learn how to implement traceability processes for ingredients and packaging materials that comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act, SQF Code provisions and due diligence requirements.



Top Ten SQF Non-conformance Issues and How to Avoid Them

Speaker: Gary M. Smith, Vice President, Certification & Supply Chain Solutions, The Steritech Group

Discover and understand the most frequently reported non-conformance issues identified during SQF certification audits during the past 12 months. Learn which features of the standard are most challenging to the food industry and the most practical solutions for addressing them. Gain insight into the verification and validation steps necessary to prevent non-conformance mistakes.



Auditor Competence: Developing the Food Safety Professional

Speaker: Bill McBride, Senior Partner, Foodlink Management Services

In 2010, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) formed a Technical Working Group (TWG) to define food safety auditor competencies that support GFSI benchmarked schemes and the methods for assessment and verification. Hear a status update on the GFSI TWG and SQFI’s role in the Auditor Competence Working Group. Get direction on how to apply the GFSI auditor competencies and discover which of the competencies have been identified as mandatory. Learn about options to implement an international competence framework for food safety auditors.



How to Prepare for an SQF Audit

Speaker: James van Ells, Technical Manager, Food Safety Certification Systems, NSF International

Get an insider’s perspective and learn the basics of SQF audit preparation. Distinguish the difference between CODEX HACCP and regulatory HACCP, the importance of prerequisite programs and what is meant by validation and verification. Discover what constitutes a “good” internal audit and learn the do’s and don’ts for making your audit a success. Gain insight into the most common audit failures and challenges companies face in trying to comply with the new requirements.



Ethical Sourcing
Speaker: Skip Greenaway, CEO/President, EAGLE Registrations Inc.

Conscientious consumers demand assurance that their food is grown and processed in a manner that meets their own standards of social and environmental responsibility. Get an overview of the review and development process for SQF’s Ethical Sourcing Module, learn about future plans for its evolution in 2012, and potential changes to the assessment requirements.



Achieving a Practical and Effective Food Defense Program

Speaker: Ray Pettit, Senior International Security Consultant, Ray Pettit Enterprises

Food defense is an easily underestimated, yet vital, component of a comprehensive company security program. Many commonly practiced security measures provide inadequate or ineffective protection. Attend this session and take home a practical,proven strategy for developing an effective food security and defense program. Gain greater confidence in your ability to deal with food security challenges, including malicious contamination.



Conveying Food Safety Up the Food Chain

Suppliers are obliged to meet farm-to-fork food safety expectations of their buyers, but how can they enforce the same requirements on their suppliers farther down the food chain? The supplier approval process can be difficult to implement and manage, and can impact a manufacturer or processor’s ability to ensure a farm-to-fork safety mandate. Gain perspective from suppliers that are recognized for their diligence,as they share their experiences using GFSI and SQF to successfully manage and ensure food safety throughout the entire supply chain.



The Regulatory Maze: Staying on Track in a Global World

Speaker: Frank Schreurs, President and Chief Technical Officer, Guelph Food Technology Centre

While all countries share a common goal to keep food safe, regulatory requirements and inspections vary widely and are subject to change over time. The ever-evolving landscape of food safety regulations presents a challenge for facilities to understand, comply with and keep abreast of new laws and requirements. Learn how and why the SQF standard incorporates a requirement to stay current and compliant with all regulations specific to each operation. Identify ways to ensure your facility complies with the regulations for all countries to which your goods are exported and get an overview of U.S. and Canadian regulatory applications and how they may affect your operations.



The Power of Data: An Inside Look at the New SQF Data Management System
Speakers:
Morgan Palmer, Chief Technology Officer, EtQ, Inc.
John Schulz, Senior Business Director, Safe Quality Food Institute

Take a detailed first look at the newly designed SQF Audit Data Management System. Discover how the system will benefit your SQF program, how it will function, and when it will be launched.



Your Line Workforce: Understanding, Engaging, Confirming

Speaker: Doug Wilmsmeyer, Director, Strategic Relations, Alchemy Systems

Production line workers are your first line of defense during an audit. Are they prepared to answer questions from an auditor? To be successful, a food safety plan should incorporate training that can be easily absorbed--a real challenge given high turnover rates, cultural and language barriers and above-average rates of illiteracy. This session will help you better understand the demographics of your line workforce, learn techniques for overcoming barriers, and discover what motivates them to become a part of the solution. Drawn from hundreds of thousands of standardized training records, hear some surprising data about how your workforce can become an active participant in a food safety plan.



Managing Risk - Everything Applies

Speaker: Kim Onett, Audit Operations Manager, Silliker, Inc.

Learn the truth about the common misperception among suppliers that not all sections of the SQF code apply to their individual processes or that code requirements are impossible to meet. Hear an auditor’s perspective on how to match the risks in your processes with the SQF requirements. Discover how doing so will help you better execute your food safety programs and prepare for your certification audit.