FMI Foundation and SQFI Announce 2016 Food Safety Auditing Scholarship Recipients

November 2, 2016 – ARLINGTON, VA – The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation in conjunction with the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) introduced 10 recipients of the 2016 Food Safety Auditing Scholarship at the SQF International Conference, held October 25-27 in Orlando.

This award recognizes extraordinary students enrolled in a university food and agricultural science program who have a passion in pursuing a career in food systems auditing. Each winner received a $3,000 scholarship with an all-expense paid trip to the SQFI conference to network with the more than 700 food safety professionals in attendance.

“It continues to be an exciting time in the food industry as the age of the Food Safety Modernization Act drives food safety standards,” Senior Vice President of the Safe Quality Food Institute Robert Garfield said. “As the food industry continues to evolve and grow, we need more exceptional young professionals pursuing careers in food systems auditing. We’re pleased to offer this opportunity for students to gain exposure to the food industry.”

“The need for capable food safety auditors will be even more important in the future and I am delighted we had such a talented group of applicants this year,” Susan Borra, RD, executive director, FMI Foundation, said.  “Nearly all of the 2016 recipients are in the process of pursuing an advanced degree in the areas related to food and agriculture science.”

The recipients of the 2016 FMI Foundation Food Safety Auditing Scholarship are:

• Gabriela Arteaga Arredondo, Texas Tech University
• Hannah Beuse, Iowa State University
• Jose Brandao Delgado, Louisiana State University
• Madhumeeta Dutta, North Carolina State
• Anna Sophia Harrand, Cornell University
• Brenda Inestroza, Texas Tech University
• Emily Mason, McGill University
• Pedro Menchik, Cornell University
• Deepak Kumar Duraivelu Rajmohan, Oklahoma State University
• Libia Ortiz Tellez, ITESM Monterrey Institute of Technology

More information

About The FMI Foundation:

Established in 1996, the Food Marketing Institute Foundation seeks to ensure continued quality and efficiency in the food retailing system and is operated for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. To help support the role of food retailing, the FMI Foundation focuses on research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition, and health. The FMI Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

About the Safe Quality Food Program:

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) program is recognized by retailers and foodservice providers around the world as a rigorous, credible food safety management system. It is the only certification system recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) that offers certificates for primary production, food manufacturing, distribution and agent/broker management. This enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain. Additionally as a division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the SQF program incorporates continual retailer feedback about consumer concerns. This information is passed on to SQF certified suppliers, keeping them a step ahead of their competitors. www.sqfi.com