Annual program recognizes outstanding people and organizations advancing food safety.
NSF International, an independent organization that certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment, has announced the winners of the 2011 NSF Food Safety Leadership Awards.
The awards were presented Wednesday, April 20 at 9:30 a.m. (EST) during the 2011 Food Safety Summit held at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center.
The NSF International Food Safety Leadership Awards program recognizes those individuals and organizations that have made a real and lasting impact on food safety. NSF created the awards program in 2004 to encourage the development of educational programs, processes or technologies that help advance global food safety.
Each year, NSF International seeks nominations from leaders throughout the food safety community and convenes an independent panel of food safety experts from academia, industry and the regulatory community to select the winners.
Nominations are evaluated based on creativity, innovation, design and the contributions made to the advancement of food safety.
This year, five individuals or organizations are being recognized for their contributions to food safety in the following categories: Education, Training, System Improvement, Technology Breakthroughs, and the new Trendsetter award for first-year programs already making an impact. Additionally, three people are being honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The NSF Food Safety Leadership Training Award went to Publix Super Markets Food Safety. Publix Super Markets is committed to implementing successful food safety initiatives and education programs at the retail level. The organization distinguished itself as a leader in retail food safety more than a decade ago when it implemented a food safety initiative requiring all staff, including those directly and indirectly involved with food handling, to earn Food Manager Certification. Publix also partnered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the FDA Oral Food Safety project, and their retail-focused food safety behavior program, which gave the FDA greater understanding of the program’s impact. It has been recognized as a best-in-class idea by several organizations, including the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and the Conference for Food Protection (CFP). Publix also partnered with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) to develop FMI’s SafeMark training program for all supermarket employees and a food safety behavior program called Prevention Plus. These training programs resulted in a 32% decrease in cleaning and sanitation observations and a 26% decrease in violations for personal hygiene over the last year in all 1,035 Publix Super Markets. Publix also has educated 3,500 associates who received Food Manager Certification and 48,000 new associates on proper food safety handling techniques.
Other 2011 NSF Food Safety Leadership Award Winners include:
NSF Food Safety Leadership Education Award
Brenda Halbrook, M.S., R.D., Director, Office of Food Safety, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service.
NSF Food Safety Leadership System Improvement Award
David Ludwig, M.P.H., R.S., R.E.H.S. , Manager, Environmental Health Division, Maricopa County, AZ Environmental Services Department.
NSF Food Safety Leadership Technology Breakthrough Award
National Pasteurized Eggs Inc.
NSF Food Safety Leadership Trendsetter Award
International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI)
NSF Food Safety Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award for Consumer Advocacy Food Safety, Nancy Donley, President, Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.)
NSF Food Safety Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Health Food Safety,
Donald Sharp, M.D., DTM&H, Captain, United States Public Health Service Deputy Director, Food Safety Office, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NSF Food Safety Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award for Industry and Association Food Safety
Jill Hollingsworth, D.V.M., Senior Vice President, Food Safety Programs, Food Marketing Institute
The Panel
Each year, NSF International convenes an independent panel of food safety experts from academia, industry and the regulatory community to select the awardees. This year’s panel of experts included:
• Mary M. Adolf, M.S., R.D., Executive Director, International Pizza Hut Franchise Holders Association
• Ernest Julian, Ph.D., Chief of the Office of Food Protection, Rhode Island Department of Health
• Ronald S. Klein, Program Manager, Food Safety and Sanitation, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
• Jim Mann, Founder & Executive Director, The Handwashing For Life Institute
• Donald Schaffner, Ph.D., Extension Specialist in Food Science, Rutgers University
• David Theno, Ph.D., CEO, Gray Dog Partners Inc., Food Consulting
• Ewen C.D. Todd, Ph.D., Director of Food Safety Policy Center, Michigan State University
• Isabel Walls, Ph.D., President-Elect, IAFP, and National Program Leader, Epidemiology of Food Safety, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
• Frank Yiannas, M.P.H., Vice President, Food Safety for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
For more information on the Food Safety Leadership Awards visit www.nsf.org/