Conference Theme: Predict Prevent Protect: Technological Advancements that would Power the Future of Food Safety

Organiser: Food Safety Department, Dubai Municipality

Conference Session Format:Day 1 (19 Nov): Plenary Sessions

Day 2 & 3 (20,21 Nov): Parallel Sessions

Exhibitions: All Days (19,20 &21 Nov)

Primary Contact: Bobby Krishna

Mobile: +971 50 3302470

Mail to: difsc@dm.gov.ae

Tentative Program as on 22nd of August 2017

1 Microbiological Shelf Life Evaluation of Food 1.1 Basic science of shelf life1.2 Factors influencing shelf life of food1.3 How is food safety linked to shelf life?1.4 How do you differentiate between foods that become unsafe from the ones

where quality is the main criteria for shelf life decisions?1.5 How do you decide on the target organisms? 1.6 How do you decide what tests are to be used for specific foods?1.7 How do you decide the shelf life of raw-unpasturised juices?1.8 How do you decide the shelf life of raw- salads?1.9 How do you decide the shelf life of raw meat?1.10 How can you decide the secondary shelf life of a food product in a food

service facility such as catering (raw meat)?1.11 Can shelf life of raw meat be extended by freezing in-house in a food service

facility?1.12 What could go wrong when you do an assessment?1.13 How can technology help- Predictive modeling?1.14 Where is predictive modeling used- can it replace a lot of laboratory testing?1.15 Can better packaging, logistics, monitoring and tracking help use maximize

shelf life?1.16 How can we come up with an objective assessment of shelf life and expiry

dates?1.17 What is new?

Expert Panel:

Dr. Roy Betts, Campden BRI, UK

Dr. Ian Jenson, Meat and Livestock Australia

Dr. Donald Schaffner, Rutgers University, USA

2 Process Validation – Technology, Trends and Tools2.1 Fundamental concepts of a validation study2.2 Differences between validation and verification2.3 Rapid detection tools utility and limitation2.4 Surrogate and indicator organisms as tools for validation2.5 Need for Validation for product development and design2.6 When to validate2.7 How to validate2.8 Selection of pertinent pathogens for validation2.9 Validation needs in low moisture and shelf stable foods2.10 Methods and Standard Operating Procedures for microbial evaluations in

challenge studies2.11 Statistical aspects of validation process and data interpretation2.12 Utility of pathogen modeling programs for validation

Expert Panel:

Dr. Manpreet Singh, University of Georgia, USA

Dr. Benjamin Chapman, North Carolina State University, USA

3 Cleaning and Disinfection– What Matters!3.1 Understanding the cleaning and disinfecting agents used today3.2 What is suitable for your facility- what should you be buying for your facility

- Restaurants- Catering- Manufacturing plants

3.3 How can you monitor cleaning and disinfection – IoT devices, digital platforms3.4 When do you need to validate cleaning and disinfection?

4 Pest Management- Are you doing it Right?

4.1 What are the common pests in the region?4.2 What are their main characteristics?4.3 How do the pests overcome the challenges that we put in front of them

(examples of how and why traps, nets and lights fail)4.4 Understanding the role of other factors – climate, environment, micro and

macro ecologies4.5 What is new in technology (IoT devices, weather data)?

5 Data Driven Future of Food Safety - Using data and data analytics in Food Inspection and Auditing Ecosystem

5.1 What is new in Dubai – an introduction to FoodWatch?5.2 How can data be collected, analysed and used?5.3 Chicago Model for Food Inspection – Predicting where critical violations would

occur using data analytical tools5.4 Moving from paper records to data analytics- How can you ensure the

credibility of records and documents?5.5 Auditing the performance of monitoring devices- How can we deal with

machines5.6 Big Data – When ‘too much’ has to be converted to ‘what is necessary’

6 Is the future of microbial aspects of food safety in the ‘DNA’? How will DNA technologies help Predict, Prevent and Protect against Foodborne diseases and Food Fraud

6.1 What is Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) – Understanding the basics 6.2 What are the advantages of WGS over other molecular subtyping methods?6.3 11.3. What are the advantages of WGS over conventional PCR based

detection?6.4 How is WGS being used to tract the source of an outbreak? Case studies6.5 What are DNA barcodes and how can they be used to protect against

adulteration and preserve authenticity? 6.6 DNA based tests to identify food adulteration, authenticity etc6.7 Limitations DNA based tests in detecting food adulteration/ fraud and

authenticity tests6.8 DNA based detection tests - How can end-users translate the DNA test results

information into actionable items?

Expert Panel

Dr. Suresh Pillai

Dr. Gopal Gopinath, US Food and Drugs Administration

Dr. Anthony (Safetraces)

Dr. Werner Nader, managing director Eurofins Global Control GmbH

7 Egg-xactly!Exploring practices and methods to reduce Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks linked to egg products

Prof. Julian Cox

8 Social Media: How can food industry use it effectively to identify food safety problems, address consumer concerns and keep rumours away

8.1 Fact finding mission and scientific explanations about the popular stories and rumours in the world wide web - Plastic Rice, Wax on apples

8.2 How can we keep the consumers informed?8.3 Do the rumours affect the way consumers buy and eat?8.4 Social media- what goes in comes back?8.5 Does better food safety and healthy menu mean better business- A social

media perspective8.6 Can food safety incidents be predicted with data

9 Data Analytical and Predictive Tools in Food Safety Risk Assessment and Nutrition

9.1 How can you quantify hazard, exposure and risk?9.2 What are the tools available for modelling consumer exposure of additives,

flavouring and pesticide residue?9.3 How can you profile population to assess nutritional status?9.4 How can you find out whether the reformulation of a product affect consumer

choice?

Expert Panel

Cian O’Mahony, , Crème Global, Ireland

Cronan McNamara, Crème Global, Ireland

10Pesticide Residues and Chemical Hazards10.1 Pesticide legislation worldwide – how to define MRLs and how to enforce

them by analysis10.2 Understanding diverse standards and analytical strategies10.3 What are the different approaches used in the US, EU, Australia and the

region?Expert Panel

Thomas Unger, Managing Director Eurofins Global Control GmbH US EPA

11Food Safety- Vision Expo202011.1 What are the Food Safety Preparations for Expo 202011.2 What should Food Businesses do to comply with the requirements?11.3 What are the concerns and what challenges are likely?11.4 How does the food inspection team foresee the challenges and what

preparations have been done?11.5 How can food businesses that import food as well as produce food in Dubai

comply with the requirements of the region better, especially with regard to labeling, product standards etc?

Expert PanelSultan Al Tahir, Food Safety Department

Darren Tse, Expo 2020 (TBC)

Yasmin Baker, Expo 2020 (TBC)

Maryam Yousuf Mohd Mahmood Beshwari, Food Safety Department, Dubai Municipality

12Symposia on Applied Nutrition- - Trends, Innovation and Technologies that can change the way the World Eats

12.1 Dubai’s Eat Healthy Live Healthy initiative for Food Service Businesses12.2 What skills are required to enhance culinary skills and enhancing

flavors ,menu planning  and creativity?12.3 How to create encouraging environment to enhance healthy eating habits

among children and school community?12.4 How to increase collaboration / partnerships between school and food

businesses ?12.5 Are there low cost/ no cost solutions? And what are they?

13Technological Advancements in Food Traceability – How not to worry about ‘Losing Track’

13.1 What is traceability and why is it important?13.2 What kind of food needs to be traced and when?13.3 What are the traceability tools available today?13.4 Are we ready to leap out of the printed barcodes?13.5 Genetic labeling, Synthetic DNA on packaging, RFID and IOT devices13.6 Will the labels become more smart and friendlier for customers?

Expert Panel

Tejas Bhat, Director, Global Food Traceability Center, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

 

14 “The Global Food Imperative for Education”  

A panel discussion of professors from major universities on the need to include a more global approach to food topics (safety, science, regulatory, authenticity.) The panel will also raise the issues of challenges and obstacles to a global learning community on food.

The Panel solves these problems:The theme of this year’s conference is “Predict, Prevent & Protect.”  We all know that these concerns are not limited to any one geographical or political area.  Academic programs at all levels should include a global perspective to this theme. The action you want people to take as a resultAudience members will take away motivation for a global perspective on food concerns as well as ideas for inclusion of this perspective and imperative in food studies.  Audience members will learn of current programs and their challenges as well as successes.

 Panelists

 Dr. Darin Detwiler