Submit your Nomination Today for the FMI Food Safety Innovation Award

By: Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, CFS, Chief Food and Product Safety Officer and Sr. Vice President, Food Safety Programs

Has your organization developed a food safety innovation? Has your organization implemented a new food safety practice, program, or process? Is your organization’s leadership committed to promoting or improving food safety in the food industry? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should consider nominating your organization for the 2017 FMI Food Safety Innovation Award.

The FMI Food Safety Innovation Award is presented annually in conjunction with the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) to a company or organization for demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of food protection through performance, practice, creation, sustainment, or leadership.

This annual award was created to recognize companies or organizations that have made an innovative contribution or commitment to food safety and to encourage others in the industry, government, and academia to search for creative solutions and implement new practices in continuing to keep our food the safest it can be.

What are the nominee qualifications?

• Nominees must be a company or organization engaged in food production, packing, manufacturing, distribution, retailing, regulating or conducting supporting activities in the food chain, such as auditing, training, or standards-settings. 
• Nominees must be a company or organization with a demonstrable record of high standards and professional commitment to food safety.
• Self-nomination is acceptable.
• Nominee may be considered every year for the same, non-awarded innovation.

How do you make a nomination?

Submitting a nomination is simple! In 500 words or less, provide information about your organization’s food safety innovation which is a new idea; an implemented practice, program, or process; or example of leadership that promotes or improves food safety in the food industry. More specifically, the information should include:

• What is the benefit or impact of the innovation?
• How is the innovation being used or applied?
• An explanation of the innovation’s significance, recognition within the community, or adoption by others.

Information can be submitted by completing the nomination form.

Nominations should be submitted electronically by Friday, August 25, 2017 to Hilary Thesmar at hthesmar@fmi.org.

Nominees will be assessed and scored by an independent peer-review committee that has been formed.  The winner will be notified by September 1, 2017 and will be presented the award on September 13, 2017 in conjunction with the IFPTI Fellowship in Food Protection reception at The Liaison Capitol Hill, Washington DC from 5:30-7:30 p.m.