Who's Minding the Store? - The Current State of Food Safety and How it Can be Improved

Friday and Saturday, April 11 - 12, 2008

Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Reception following)

Saturday, 8:15 a.m. - Noon

Organized and Co-Sponsored by: William D. Marler, Marler Clark LLP PS, and Kenneth M. Odza, Stoel Rives LLP

Sponsored by Seattle University School of Law Office of Continuing Legal Education

CLE Credits: 9.25 General CLE credits anticipated, of which 1.0 may be applied to Ethics

Few subjects draw more immediate attention or concern than the safety of the food we eat. Recent years have included a plethora of food warnings and recalls, raising new questions about the quality and integrity of our existing system for assuring food safety. Seattle was the epicenter of the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak that sickened 600 and killed four 15 years ago. In addition to explaining how our present system works, this program is intended to discuss how changing consumer preferences are affecting the development and distribution of food, examine whether Federal, state and industry oversight roles are changing, and discuss how the regulatory and judicial processes can be most efficiently balanced. Participants include national and local representatives of government, the food industry, consumer organizations and scientists.

Speakers

Special Guest Speaker, Friday Lunch

Governor Christine Gregoire, Washington State

Keynote Speakers

Robert Brackett PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Officer, Grocery Manufacturers Association
Dr. Patricia Griffin, CDC, Chief, Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
John Kobayashi, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Health
Barbara Kowalcyk, Director of Food Safety, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
Richard Raymond, MD, Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA FSIS

Panelists

Andrew K. Benson, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska. Lincoln, NE
Tom Billy, President, International Food Safety Consulting
Phil Brasher, Washington Correspondent, Des Moines Register. Washington, DC
Sarah Brew, JD, Attorney, Greene Espel PLLP Minneapolis, MN
Christine Bruhn, Director, Center for Consumer Research, Sacramento, CA
Caroline Smith DeWaal, Food Safety Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest
Neal Fortin, JD, Director, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University. Lansing, MI
David Goldman, MD, MPH, Assistant Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Office of Public Health USDA
Chris Griffith, Director of Food Research and Consultancy, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Stephen Hedges, Reporter, Chicago Tribune
William Keene, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist, Oregon Public Health Services, Acute & Communicable Disease Program
Liu Zhouhui, Deputy Director General, Certification and Accreditation Administration, People’s Republic of China
Deon Mahoney, Principal Microbiologist, Food Standards, Australia and New Zealand Canberra, BC, Australia
Andy Martin, Reporter, New York Times
Al Maxwell, JD, Attorney, Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Atlanta, GA
Sandra McCurdy, Extension Food Safety Specialist, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Idaho
Carlota Medus, PhD, MPH, Epidemiologist, Acute Disease Investigation and control section, MN Dept of Health Minneapolis, MN
John Munsell, President, Montana Quality Foods & Processing; Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement. Mile City, MT
Canice Nolan, First Counselor, Head of Food Safety, Health, and Consumer Affairs, Delegation of the European Commission, Washington, DC
Douglas Powell, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University. Scientific Director, International Food Safety Network, Manhattan, KS
James Prevor, Editor-in-Chief, The Perishable Pundit
Scott Rickman, Associate General Counsel, Del Monte Foods San Francisco, CA
Mansour Samadapour, PhD, President & CEO, IEH Laboratories, Seattle,WA
Jørgen Schlundt, Director, Dept of Food Safety, Zoonoses, and Foodborne Illness, World Health Organization - Geneva, Switzerland
Richard Seigler, MD, Pediatric nephrologist, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT
Denis Stearns, JD, Attorney, Marler Clark LLP, PS Seattle, WA
Brad Sullivan, JD, Attorney, Lombardo & Gilles, Salinas, CA
Bala Swaminathan PhD, Vice President, Technical and Business Development IHRC, Inc.
Craig Wilson, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Costco Wholesale Corporation. WA
Devon Zagory, PhD, Senior Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Programs, NSF Davis Fresh, Watsonville, CA

Program Schedule and Topics

Friday, April 11
8:30 - 9:15 a.m.	Welcome and Introduction of Opening Speaker Welcome and Introduction - Dean Kellye Testy, Seattle University School of Law Opening Speakers - Barbara Kowalcyk, Director of Food Safety, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention - Richard Raymond, MD, Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA FSIS
9:15 - 10:45 a.m.	Session 1: Defining the Problem: How the concerns about food safety are viewed by physicians, disease experts, state regulators, and consumers. What is the scope of the problem? Do the different aspects of food safety have opposing/competing perspectives on the issue? What is the good news and bad news for food safety today? Panelists - Tom Billy, President, International Food Safety Consulting - William Keene, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist, Oregon Public Health Services, Acute & Communicable Disease Program - Sandra McCurdy, Extension Food Safety Specialist, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Idaho - Carlota Medus, PhD, MPH, Epidemiologist, Acute Disease Investigation and control section, MN Dept of Health Minneapolis, MN - Richard Seigler, MD, Pediatric nephrologist, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	Session 2: How the Regulation of Food Safety Works: The roles and responsibilities as seen by Federal and State regulators, industry and consumers. How do the different food safety agencies function? Are there gaps? Are consumer practices affecting policy? What are the challenges and benefits of Federal and State agency consolidation? How has the response to Homeland security/bio-terrorism threats impacted food safety practices? Panelists - Christine Bruhn, Director, Center for Consumer Research, Sacramento, CA - Caroline Smith DeWaal, Food Safety Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest - David Goldman, MD, MPH, Assistant Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Office of Public Health USDA - Mansour Samadapour, PhD, President & CEO, IEH Laboratories, Seattle,WA - Bala Swaminathan PhD, Vice President, Technical and Business Development IHRC, Inc.
12:30 - 1:45 p.m.	Lunch 2nd Floor Gallery, Sullivan Hall, Seattle University Luncheon Speaker - Governor Christine Gregoire, Washington State
1:45 - 3:15 p.m.	Session 3: Zones of Responsibility: What are the responsibilities of growers/producers, sellers, government, and consumers in the food safety system? How does the system actually work in practice? Those on the front lines of regulation, production, industry and consumer safety discuss challenges and successes. Panelists - Andrew K. Benson, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska. Lincoln, NE - John Munsell, President, Montana Quality Foods & Processing; Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement. Mile City, MT - Scott Rickman, Associate General Counsel, Del Monte Foods San Francisco, CA - Craig Wilson, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Costco Wholesale Corporation. WA - Devon Zagory, PhD, Senior Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Programs, NSF Davis Fresh, Watsonville, CA
3:30 - 5 p.m.	Session 4: Roles of the Civil/Criminal Justice Systems: Different perspectives on food borne illness litigation. An overview of law relating to product liability. How do you prove or defend a food borne illness liability case? What about causation? What is the legal standard? Panelists - Sarah Brew, JD, Attorney, Greene Espel PLLP Minneapolis, MN - Neal Fortin, JD, Director, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University. Lansing, MI - Al Maxwell, JD, Attorney, Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Atlanta, GA - Denis Stearns, JD, Attorney, Marler Clark LLP, PS Seattle, WA - Brad Sullivan, JD, Attorney, Lombardo & Gilles, Salinas, CA
5 - 6 p.m.	Reception for Speakers and Attendees Court Level Atrium, Sullivan Hall, Seattle University Speaker - Robert Brackett PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Officer, Grocery Manufacturers Association

Saturday, April 12
8:30 - 9 a.m.	Welcome and Introductory Remarks Opening Speaker - Dr. Patricia Griffin, CDC, Chief, Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
9 - 10:30 a.m.	Session 5: How is Food Protected Overseas? International Perspectives on food safety. Experts from the EU, UK, Australia/New Zealand, China and the World Health Organization discuss international food protection. How is food safety maintained as products travel through the global marketplace? Panelists - Liu Zhouhui, Deputy Director General, Certification and Accreditation Administration, People’s Republic of China - Chris Griffith, Director of Food Research and Consultancy, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, Wales, UK - Deon Mahoney, Principal Microbiologist, Food Standards, Australia and New Zealand Canberra, BC, Australia - Canice Nolan, First Counselor, Head of Food Safety, Health, and Consumer Affairs, Delegation of the European Commission, Washington, DC - Jørgen Schlundt, Director, Dept of Food Safety, Zoonoses, and Foodborne Illness, World Health Organization - Geneva, Switzerland
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.	Session 6: Role of the Media in Public Health and Food Safety: The contributions of media and science writers to Food Safety. How do reporters get the story, and get it right, in the middle of media frenzy? How do they get the information they need to inform and protect the public? What is the role of the media in disseminating public health information? Panelists - Phil Brasher, Washington Correspondent, Des Moines Register. Washington, DC - Stephen Hedges, Reporter, Chicago Tribune - Andrew Martin, Reporter, New York Times - Douglas Powell, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University. Scientific Director, International Food Safety Network, Manhattan, KS - James Prevor, Editor-in-Chief, The Perishable Pundit

For additional information about this, or any Seattle University School of Law CLE seminar, please contact Roxanne Mennes in the Office of Continuing Legal Education at mennesr@seattleu.edu or by phone at 206.398.4092.

Sullivan Hall

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