WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, March 19, Asa Hutchinson,
Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security of the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) will headline the keynote panel at the 6th annual Food
Safety Summit. In his role at DHS, Hutchinson leads a directorate of more than
110,000 employees and is responsible for coordinating the enforcement
activities of our borders, transportation and immigration systems. Hutchinson
also leads an effort to reform border inspections through the use of biometric
technology and continues to oversee the reorganization of border agencies into
a unified inspection force.
    Following Under Secretary Hutchinson's speech will be Dr. Peter Sandman,
the creator of the "Hazard + Outrage" formula for risk communication. He has
helped corporate and government clients through a wide range of public
controversies -- from oil spills to labor-management battles; from E. coli
contamination to the citing of hazardous waste facilities.
    On Thursday, March 18, Robert E. Bracket, Director of the Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) at the Food and Drug Administration and
Robert Lawless, CEO of McCormick & Company, the largest spice company in the
world, will serve as keynote speakers.  These two leaders will share their
knowledge on the latest technologies and regulatory and scientific issues that
the government and corporations face regarding food safety and food security.
The keynote presentations on both days will take place at 10:15 a.m.
    "We are confident that Under Secretary Hutchinson and our other
distinguished speakers will offer invaluable recommendations and insights that
food industry professionals can utilize in their continued efforts to ensure
the safety and security of the food supply," said Scott Goldman, president of
Eaton Hall Expositions, producers of The Food Safety Summit. "Throughout this
three day event, some of the most recognized experts in the field will be
updating attendees on a wide range of critically important food safety issues
that face the industry."
    More than 1,500 food manufacturers, food processors, restaurant owners and
foodservice operators will attend The Food Safety Summit.  The conference will
kick-off on Wednesday, March 17 with several half-day seminars.  One will
focus on Food Security & Bioterrorism presented by the National Food
Processors Association and sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton.
    At the workshop, attendees will hear from front-line leaders in the US
government, the military, law enforcement, corporate security experts, the
transportation sector and the food industry who will provide the latest
information on potential threats to our food supply. Meat & Poultry Magazine
will be sponsoring a second half-day workshop, titled "Mad Cow" is here - What
Now?" focusing on the recent BSE incident in America.  Leaders in science,
industry and government will provide the latest developments on new
technologies being applied to trace product from farm-to-fork.

    The Food Safety Summit is sponsored by the National Food Processors
Association (NFPA), the voice of the $500 billion food processing industry on
scientific and public policy issues; and Food Safety Magazine, the leading
publication about food safety, the National Restaurant Association, the
leading business association for the restaurant industry; and the Food
Marketing Institute (FMI), which represents 2,300 supermarkets, food retailers
and wholesalers worldwide. Eaton Hall Exhibitions, of Florham Park, NJ,
created and owns the event.

    EDITOR'S NOTE:  The Food Security & Bioterrorism pre-conference workshop
will be closed to members of the media.  Dr. Rhona Appblebaum, executive vice
president and chief science officer of the National Food Processors
Association (NFPA) will be available to meet with the press immediately
following the seminar.

    PRODUCER/OWNER:
    Eaton Hall Expositions LLC, of Florham Park, NJ, is a publishing and trade
show firm, which specializes in bringing buyers and sellers together.  Eaton
Hall Expositions, which owns the Food Safety Summit, created the event in
1999.   For additional information about exhibiting and or attending the Food
Safety Summit, visit http://www.foodsafetysummit.com or phone 800-746-9646.

    SPONSORS:
    The National Food Processors Association (NFPA) (http://www.nfpa-food.org) is the
voice of the $500 billion food processing industry on scientific and public
policy issues involving food safety, nutrition, technical and regulatory
matters and consumer affairs. NFPA's three scientific centers and
international office (Bangkok, Thailand), its scientists and professional
staff represent food industry interests on government and regulatory affairs
and provide research, technical assistance, education, communications and
crisis management support for the Association's U.S. and international
members.  NFPA members produce processed and packaged fruit, vegetable, and
grain products, meat, poultry, and seafood products, snacks, drinks and
juices, or provide supplies and services to food manufacturers.

    Food Safety Magazine (http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com) is the leading industry
trade publication for food safety and quality assurance/quality control
professionals worldwide. FSM publishes a variety of practical management,
technology, regulatory and trend articles that assist readers-food processors,
foodservice operators and institutions, regulators, laboratories and
researchers-to better meet today's food safety and QA/QC challenges.

    The National Restaurant Association (http://www.restaurant.org), founded in 1919,
is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is
comprised of 878,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 12
million. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
(http://www.nraef.org) is dedicated to fulfilling the educational mission of the
National Restaurant Association, and created the International Food Safety
Council to heighten the awareness of the importance of food safety education.

    Food Marketing Institute (FMI) (http://www.fmi.org) conducts programs in
research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its
2,300 member companies -- food retailers and wholesalers - in the United
States and around the world. FMI's U.S. members operate approximately 26,000
retail food stores with a combined annual sales volume of $340 billion -
three-quarters of all food retail store sales in the United States. FMI's
retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and
independent supermarkets. Its international membership includes 200 companies
from 60 countries.

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