Stakland to host food hazards talk at Food Safety Summit

Ron Stakland, global product manager, FoodChain ID, of one the leading food safety, testing and sustainability organizations, will host a discussion at the upcoming Food Safety Summit (FSS).

Every day, food safety professionals are faced with news about outbreaks, new legislation and new products and services to help them do their jobs better.

Held in Rosemont, Illinois, May 6-9, the Food Safety Summit is a leading industry event where professionals learn from their peers about cutting-edge solutions to address emerging issues, become certified in the newest courses available and see the latest technological advances offered by leading vendors.

Stakland’s presentation will demonstrate how global hazard data can be used to identify and manage current and future supply chain risks, as well as comply with FSMA and GFSI standards.

Stakland is the global product manager and subject matter expert for Foodchain ID’s HorizonScan™, a web-based software service developed by Fera Sciences Ltd. that tracks food-safety alerts affecting nearly 600 food commodities from more than 180 countries. 

A wide range of issues will be considered, including microbiological contaminants, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, allergens, heavy metals and food fraud.

HorizonScan is the most comprehensive database of its kind and is used by food companies to identify and assess potential food safety hazards in their supply chains, research the food safety history of over 20,000 suppliers and comply with FSMA and GFSI standards.

Stakland stated in a press release, “One of the biggest challenges QA professionals around the world face is supply chain contaminants. In 2018 alone, there were over 13,000 food adulteration issues reported by inspection agencies around the world. Clearly, there is an increased need for identifying and managing these supply chain threats, making this a primary driver of our Food Safety Summit discussion.”

Stakland’s speech is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at 2 p.m. and is titled “Chemical, Biological and Physical Hazards: Latest Trends and How to Manage Them.”