Name: Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety
Start: 2025-07-22T15:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

7/22/25 3:00 pm to 7/22/26 EDT

Contact: Vania Halabou

Managing food safety with pen and paper is no longer adequate in today's digitally connected supply chain. Many food businesses are going "beyond the binder," utilizing digital food safety management systems (FSMS) to reduce food contamination and ensure compliance. Digital technologies enable real-time monitoring of essential parameters such as temperature, pH, and moisture, along with task checklists and procedures to simplify food safety processes. However, technology alone is insufficient; digital tools and human skills must work in concert to safeguard the food supply. Our expert speakers will elaborate on best practice guidelines for digital management of FSMS developed by the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), the importance of comprehensive skills training and digital systems in monitoring food safety, and the role of digital tools in food safety management across industry and regulatory agencies.

From this webinar, attendees will learn:

The role that digital tools play in food safety management
Best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies
Why comprehensive training is needed to realize the synergy of technological innovation and human expertise

Speakers:

Ben Chapman, Ph.D., Department Head and Professor, North Carolina State University. Ben Chapman, Ph.D. is Head of the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, Professor, and Director of the Safe Plates Food Safety Extension and Research Program at North Carolina State University. With the goal of reducing foodborne illness, his group researches food handling and food safety systems, designs and implements food safety strategies, and evaluates messages and media from farm-to-fork. Since February 2020, Dr. Chapman has been providing guidance to the food sector on issues related to food safety and COVID-19. He is the Co-Chair of the STOP Foodborne Illness Board of Directors, an advocacy group for individuals affected by foodborne pathogens. Dr. Chapman also co-hosts two podcasts, Food Safety Talk and Risky or Not, and is active on social media.

Andrew Thomson, Director, Think ST Solutions. Andrew Thomson is the Director of Think ST Solutions in Adelaide, Australia. With over 23 years of field experience, he has accumulated a wealth of expertise and formal qualifications. Andrew began his career as an Environmental Health Officer and Food Industry Teacher, and has since evolved into leadership roles within the foodservice industry. He holds qualifications as a teacher and lead auditor, among others. He has presented at conferences in Australia and New Zealand and contributed as an author to Food Safety Magazine and Westwick-Farrow Media. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development.

Matthew Wilson, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide. Matthew Wilson, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine at the University of Adelaide in Australia. He has a diverse research background in food quality and preservation, horticulture, new crop development, plant physiology, and sustainability. Dr. Wilson has over 10 years of experience exploring the intersection between the environmental conditions influencing primary production and the resulting influences on food chemistry and sensory perception. This has led to an acute understanding of the factors determining food quality, as measured by microbiological, instrumental, and human based means. As an education specialist, Matt teaches into the Food and Nutrition Science program and is part of the Haide College teaching team. He teaches and assists with the development and delivery of several undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Moderator: Adrienne Blume, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine

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