WASHINGTON, DC — March 15, 2004 — Disaster planning and preparedness, field auditing, communicating food safety messages to customers and the future of supply chain technology highlight the food retail portion of the 2004 National Food Safety Summit. Jointly sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), National Restaurant Association (NRA) and National Food Processors Association (NFPA), the Summit will be held March 17-19 at the Washington, DC Convention Center.

"FMI is pleased to join with other food industry organizations to express our shared commitment to food safety education and training,” said Dr. Jill Hollingsworth, FMI group vice president of food safety programs. "Working with key industry experts and our Summit partners, we’ve developed a comprehensive program segment with components specifically tailored for food retailers, wholesalers and distributors.”

Session topics include:

• What’s New in Washington: 2004 Regulatory Update — Top food regulators review the nation’s food safety policy agenda and changes in regulatory enforcement.

• No Power. No Water. Now What? Responding to Facility Disasters — When power failures, fires or floods threaten to damage the quality and safety of products, businesses must respond immediately. Industry experts discuss how to protect products & profits when basic systems fail, assessing damage accurately, product life span and the role of reclamation in minimizing financial losses.

• Communicating Food Safety Risks to Your Consumers — With talk of “parts-per-million” and “parts-per-billion,” how do consumers get a grasp of the real risks of food safety issues? Food safety officials examine how companies can be a resource to help explain what the real risks are and what they aren’t. The panel will look at the top issues in food safety and the state of the science today, as well as the practical, effective communication techniques that can be used with customers.

• Meeting Expectations: Auditing and Specifications for Food Retailers and Processors — What food safety standards and systems do leading retailers expect their suppliers to have in place, and how do they show that these systems are working? A panel of industry experts reviews the complexities associated with international audit and verification requirements, including the protocols, general specification guidelines and other critical requirements of big and small retailers. The panel will evaluate new technology that can enable a more accurate level of reporting without big investments in data systems.

• New Technologies for Traceback: The Latest in Food Safety and Supply Chain Integration — New technology is making it possible to trace product from beginning to end in the supply chain. From web-enabled, on-demand product location systems to scannable RFID tags that travel with a specific pallet or package, these systems are now reality. And even more advanced systems are coming soon. The panel will explore new technologies that are broadening the industry’s ability to trace products throughout the supply chain.

In addition to the education program, the Summit will feature an exhibit area. FMI will showcase its new exhibition highlighting three major food safety initiatives: delivering food safety programs to food retailers and wholesalers; the Safe Quality Food (SQF) supplier certification program; and the SuperSafeMark retail training and certification program. In addition, retail-specific exhibits will showcase pathogen detection, temperature measurement, handheld computing for quality assurance applications, food safety education and training materials, irradiation and other contemporary pasteurization methods, professional field auditing organizations and contract laboratory services.

For more information about the 2004 National Food Safety Summit, visit www.nationalfoodsafetysummit.com.

Contact: FMI Media Relations 202-220-0657