Bill Marler, food safety attorney and advocate presented to the participants in the South Africa Virtual Food Safety Summit 2020 on November 3, 2020. This event was a joint venture hosted by Food Focus and Anelich Consulting.
This food safety summit was designed to do two things — first to reflect on the emergency preparedness procedures used this year. For those who had not used them, the summit provided an opportunity to review how those procedures had been employed.
“Emergency planning has always been part of a food safety management system, but fortunately we very seldom need to deal with emergency situations on a real basis. . . until 2020. In an unprecedented year, where we have had to deal with a pandemic, food security issues, a potentially disrupted supply chain, staff wellbeing, and many other real emergency situations, we have been taught a lot about our food safety management systems and where our potential weaknesses are,” said Linda Jackson, founder, and owner of Food Focus.
The second aim of the event was to celebrate industry successes. Though the year had been marred with many disappointments and a great deal of stress, the food industry had been operating in full force as an essential service from Day 1 of lockdown and proved its resilience and courage, the event announcement said. This summit provided an opportunity to celebrate and to thank the many food safety heroes who have made a difference this year.
The summit featured a line-up of speakers, both international and domestic.
Speakers Included:
- Bill Marler, attorney and food safety advocate, Marler Clark
- Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner, Food Policy and Response – U.S. FDA
- Wayne Anderson, Director of Food Science, and Standards – Food Safety Authority of Ireland
- Kalmia Kniel, President – International Association for Food Protection
- Dawie Roodt, chief economist – Efficient Group
- Kaarin Goodburn, secretary – Chilled Food Association
- John Donaghy, head of Food Safety (Microbiology/Allergens) Corporate Operations – Quality
Management – Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. - Professor Lucia Anelich – Anelich Consulting
- Elsabe Mathee, FSSC Foundation
- Richard Swannell, WRAP
- Linda Jackson, Food Focus
- Gerhard Neethling, Red Meat Industry Forum
- Lianne Jones, Country Manager South Africa – Produce Marketing Association
- Matlou Setati, FSI Executive – Consumer Goods Council of South Africa
- Jane Nock, In2Foods
- Karin Carstensen, regulatory affairs – Woolworths
- Professor Leon Gorris, independent food safety expert – Food Safety Futures
- Proffessor Michelle Danyluk, food science – The University of Florida
- Professor Ryk Lues, Director – CAFSaB, CUT
- JP. v. Lewinski, AIG Global Insurers
- Kevin O’Brien, risk executive – SPAR Group