Contact: Kirsten Khire, National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, (517) 432-3100, Ext. 111, khirek@cvm.msu.edu; or Tom Oswald, University Relations, (517) 355-2281, oswald@msu.edu
3/23/2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. � Experts from around the world will gather at Michigan State University next week to take a closer look at the food safety aspects of organic fruits, vegetables and grains.
The First World Congress on Organic Food: Meeting the Challenges of Safety and Quality for Fruits, Vegetables and Grains takes place March 29-31 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on the MSU campus.
�This event will break new ground regarding organic food safety research,� said Ewen C.D. Todd, director of the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at MSU, one of the sponsors of the event. �We�re really pleased that the center will be bringing together organic and conventional producers, processors and retailers � along with academic and government representatives � to talk openly about food safety.�
Sessions will include the production and safety of organic food; risks of organic versus conventional foods; pesticide issues; microbiological issues; regulating food safety and quality; and research, policy and education related to these topics.
Scheduled speakers will represent nearly every aspect of organic food production, including industry, research and technology. A truly international gathering, there will be presenters from the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Japan.
The keynote speaker will be Kathleen Merrigan, director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program and the Center for Agriculture, Food and Environment at Tufts University. Merrigan served as administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture�s Agricultural Marketing Service when USDA developed the final rule implementing national organic standards.
The purpose of the congress is to explore industry and scientific information, and knowledge to assess the need for developing further handling and processing methods in organic production.
�It is important for industry, and the scientific and research community to assess, evaluate and improve current methods,� said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), one of the event co-sponsors.
Other sponsors include the International Association for Food Protection, the Organic Trade Association, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture�s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, with participation of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.
Additional information about the event, including online registration, is available on the congress Web site at www.foodsafe.msu.edu/organics
The National Food Safety and Toxicology Center is committed to reducing food-related disease on a global level, through research, education and service. More information about the center is available at www.foodsafe.msu.edu