September 8-11, 2024
This was an in-person event, open to any and all food safety professionals and policy makers in local/state/federal government, industry and academic sectors.
Hotel Information
The Park Vista – A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
705 Cherokee Orchard Road
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Agenda
View the 2024 Annual Educational Conference agenda here.
Monday Presentations
Main Session Presentations
- AFDO Update – Pamela Miles, AFDO Board of Directors Secretary & Treasurer
- FDA Office of Partnerships & OP DSI Program Updates – Guy Delius, CSO-MFRPS Specialist, FDA
- Produce Safety Regulations: Basics to Understanding the Rule for Retail and Manufactured Food Programs – Kelly Hughes Thompson, Agricultural Specialist Program Manager, Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry
- Accreditation and Proficiency Testing in Cannabis Testing Laboratories – Time for a Unified Approach? – Brad Stawick, Research Institute Senior Director, Association of Official Analytical Chemists International
- When a Food Allergen is Your Enemy – Chirag Bhatt, Director of Environmental Health Regulatory Affairs, HS GovTech
- Hygienic Equipment Design – Dr. Mark Morgan, Professor of Food Science, University of Tennessee
Produce Breakout Meeting Presentations
- Ag Water Assessment: How to FIll Out & Promote on Farms – Sarah Cope, Outreach Coordinator, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Produce Standards: What States are Experiencing – Richard De Los Santos, Director of Produce Safety and Livestock Expert, Texas Dept. of Agriculture
Tuesday Presentations
- Cannabis Economics and the Rise of Hemp Derived Cannabinoids – Dr. Christopher Hudalla, Founder and CSO ProVerde Laboratories
- Dairy Food Safety: Available Resources – Alex O’Brien, Food Safety/Quality Coordinator, Center for Dairy Research
- KY Legionella Outbreak Pt 1: Local Health Department Perspective – Kala Adams, Kara Stanfield, and Erin Hudson, Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, KY
- KY Legionella Outbreak Pt 2: HOT (or Warm!) – Ashley Aurand-Cravens, Laboratory Environmental Micro Scientist Supervisor, KY Dept. for Public Health
- SAFHER Next Generation Regulatory System – Debbie Pickle, SAFHER Implementation Manager, AFDO
- Best Tools and Equipment for MFRPS Programs – Patricia Szappanos-Hart, Hemp Program Director, TN Dept. of Agriculture
Wednesday Presentations
- Food Safety for Small Raw Milk Cheese Producers – Susan Rigg, Owner of River Whey Creamery; American Cheese Society Board Member
Continuing Education
The 2024 AFDOSS AEC was granted Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through NEHA. Attendees were eligible for 17.5 CEU contact hours. Forms to claim CEUs were available at the registration desk for conference attendees.
Live Auction
Our 2024 Live Auction benefitting the Mary Logan Scholarship was able to raise $13,650 in winning bids and generous contributions!
A very special Thank You! to all who supported the scholarship fund; either by donating an item for auction, placing bids, or simply pledging a donation to the fund. Your generosity was vital to the overwhelming success of the auction!
Exhibitors & Sponsors
THANK YOU! to our 2024 AEC Sponsors:
Thank You! to our gracious sponsor WinWam. Please head over to their website and pay them a visit!
And a HUGE THANK YOU! to AFDO. Their continued support to our association is integral to our success! Please check out their website and see the important work they are doing. Become a member of AFDO to gain access to even more benefits and resources.
Travel Scholarships
The window to apply for travel scholarships has now closed.
Travel scholarships were available to state and local, food and drug regulatory personnel, to aid regulatory members in attending the AEC. Conference Registration was not an allowable expense for inclusion in a scholarship award.
Applications for travel scholarships were available via SurveyMonkey.
Funding for this conference was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant 1 R13 FD007553-03. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.