5th Commissioner’s Food Safety Forum to be Aug. 18 at State Fairgounds

The Fifth Annual Commiss-ioner’s Food Safety Forum, formerly known as AgFirst, will be held Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Scott Building at the State Fairgrounds.

The forum will focus on the future of food safety, with discussions by the nation’s food safety experts, congresissional delegation, industry leaders, regulators, public health officials, and emergency management and academic leaders.

Topics to be discussed include the Changing Science of Peanut Butter, Building an Integrated National Food Safety System, Food Safety from the Consumer Perspective, Food Safety in North Carolina, Seafood Marketing and Food Safety.

Keynote speakers include: Michael Taylor, senior adviser to the Food and Drug Administration commissioner; Dr. Donald Zink, senior scientist for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; David Bergmire-Sweat, N.C. Division of Public Health, food-borne disease epidemiologist; and Dr. Ken Falci of Kelloggs.

The forum is free, but participants are asked to register by contacting Christina Waggett at (919) 733-7125 or by e-mailing at christina.waggett@ncagr.gov.

A link to the registration form can be found at www.ncagr.gov.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.