ROSEMONT, IL (May 19, 2011 - Marketwire)—U.S. Foodservice continues to advocate for the protection of the entire food supply chain to ensure food safety. This month, Jorge Hernandez, senior vice president, food safety and quality assurance, U.S. Foodservice, delivered a food safety presentation at the Food Technology Innovation and Safety Forum in Chicago. The presentation, "Food Safety from Farm to Fork," focused on strategies to improve food safety controls throughout the product chain.
"Food safety will only grow in importance worldwide as our food supply becomes more global," Hernandez said. "Our food safety program is successful because we partner in every segment of the food chain -- growers, processors, distributors, operators and the government. It's the only way to ensure food safety from farm to fork."
Since March, U.S. Foodservice food safety experts have presented at the National Seafood Show, the GlobalG.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices) conference, The Food Safety Summit, The New Food Safety Modernization Act-Approved and at a NSF Bringing the Supply Chain Together through Global Food Safety Standards webinar.
Presentations focused on reducing the estimated annual 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States by incorporating innovative food testing and safety programs.
"We are finding that many operators don't understand that food safety risks are present in every segment of the food chain, including transportation, and regulatory agencies must work to educate them," Hernandez said. "When some operators transport their restaurant supplies -- such as raw meats, vegetables and chemicals -- in their personal transport vehicles, we know that they don't understand the food safety risks they are taking with their business and the health of their customers. One food poisoning incident can severely damage a business and the operator's reputation. That's why we support clear and concise regulations that address the food safety risks in all the segments of the supply chain, including transportation."
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