RFA Technical Webcasts

 

The RFA hosts quarterly Technical Webcasts on timely food safety and regulatory topics affecting
the prepared foods industry. The Webcasts are live, interactive events that you can join from your office!

See below for details on the latest Technical Webcast.

RFA Members can access slide presentations from past Technical Webcasts at anytime in the Member Center.

January 13, 2021 RFA Technical Webcast:

 

“Meeting & Measuring SQF 9.0 and FDA

Food Safety Culture Benchmarks”

 

REGISTER HERE for this live, interactive Webcast that you can join from your office!

Non-member registration form

Date and Time:

     * Wednesday, January 13, 2021, from 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time 

      (12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Central, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Mountain, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific)

 

Overview:

Food Safety Culture is a phrase that has been around for a few years and both SQFI, FDA and various organizations have definitions for this phrase. FDA’s “Era of Smarter Food Safety” includes food safety culture as a key parameter. Yet, how do we effectively know when our food safety culture is “good”, “needs improvement” or really does not exist except in the Quality Assurance and Control Teams at our food manufacturing and refrigerated warehouse facilities?

This webinar will review the concept of “food safety culture”, identify the SQF 9.0 food safety culture requirements as well as FDA’s evolving expectations for a food manufacturer’s. Finally, recommendations on specific ways to measure quantitively (by the numbers) a food manufacturer or refrigerated warehouse’s food safety culture will be presented with examples.

 

Presenter:

Allen R. Sayler, EAS Consulting Group, LLC

Allen R. Sayler serves as the Senior Director for Food Consulting Services at EAS Consulting Group LLC., headquarter in the Alexandria, Virginia (across the Potomac from Washington, DC). His technical expertise lies in the area of food and dairy plant processing operations, food and dairy regulations, food safety and hygiene, food additives and extends to all food sectors of food processing and distribution. His food-based career spans thirty- seven (38) years, sixteen (16) years as a state, FDA and USDA food/dairy regulator and program manager, and the last twenty-two (22) years as an advisor, consultant and advocate for the domestic and international food industry.

Regarding professional recognition during his career, he received Group Excellence Awards from both the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture for contributions on animal drug residue strategies, the HACCP pilot work and developing an EU recognition program for dairy products. In 2009, Mr. Sayler received the Harold Barnum Industry Award from the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) as well as the 2020 Lifetime Membership Award. This Fall Mr. Sayler received the International Dairy Federation’s(IDF’s) Leadership Recognition Award as well as the IDF’s Prize of Excellence.

 

How does the webcast work?

It's easy and convenient!  A virtual seminar is one that you can "attend" and participate in right from your offices. There is no travel time, and now provided at NO COST to RFA members!
      

The RFA Technical Webcast will include live audio along with a slide presentation on the Web. You just need a phone connection for the audio and an Internet connection.  

In addition, the webcast will allow you to comment and ask questions at specified times during the event using your phone.
     

You can invite staff members to listen and participate too!  To get the most out of a webcast, it is recommended that you have no more than five people at any one computer connection. If you have multiple locations, please register each location separately.

Credits

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Research Chefs Association (RCA) have confirmed that continuing education credits are available for numerous RFA technical functions. Depending on the specific educational criteria of these two organizations, credits will be accepted for attendance at 1) RFA Webinars, 2) the RFA Fall Symposium and 3) the RFA Annual Conference.

Contact the RFA office for more information or for proof of participation.

 

Registration Information:

The cost for this event is as follows:

  • RFA Members: NO CHARGE - Now Included as a Member Benefit!

  • Non-Members: $310 per computer/audio connection

To attend the meeting, you can either:

  • Just send an email to [email protected] to register. There is no cost for members.  Nonmembers: checks must be made payable to the Refrigerated Foods Association. Payment should be received no later than January 11, 2021.

Once you have registered for the meeting, you will receive an email message inviting you to attend the web conference with instructions on how to attend. This message will provide the information that you need to join the meeting.

If you have questions about the RFA Technical Webcasts, please e-mail the RFA office at [email protected].