2026 Agenda
2026 Food Safety Summit Agenda
All times listed are Central Time Zone (CT)
Schedule subject to change
Looking for a slimmed down version of the schedule? Check out Schedule-at-a-Glance
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Monday, May 11, 2026
Certification/Certificate Courses
(Mon) 9 am - 5 pm
Food Fraud Prevention Workshop and Certificate Course
Lead Instructor John Spink, Ph.D., Michigan State University/ Supply Chain Management
(Mon) 9 am - 5 pm
Application of the Principles of Hazard Analysis - Beyond the Basics
Lead Instructor: Sara Mortimore, MSc, FRSPH, MIFST, Former Vice President and Global Subject Matter Expert, Walmart Inc.
(Mon) 9 am - 6pm
Allergens and Allergen Management
Instructors: Donna F. Schaffner, M.S.,Food Safety and Training Consultant
William Lachowsky, Food Safety & Education Consultant WML Consultants
William Lachowsky, Food Safety & Education Consultant WML Consultants
(Mon, Tues) 8 am - 6pm
FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food Participant Course Version 2.0
Lead Instructor: Juan Silva, PhD, Professor,Mississippi State University
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
8:30 - 11:30 am
AI in Food Safety
OPENING SESSION: Leveraging AI for Food Safety: From Strategy to Impact
Session Leads: Cindy Jiang, M.S., Senior Director, Global Food Safety Risk Management, Global Supply Chain, McDonald's (retired)
Sean Leighton, Global Vice President of Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory, Cargill
Sean Leighton, Global Vice President of Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory, Cargill
12:30 - 2:30 pm
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Navigating Food Allergens: Insights and Strategies for Effective Management
Session Lead: Monica Khoury, Senior Quality Expert, Nestle
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Food Safety Economics: Communicating the Costs and Benefits of Risk Mitigation Programs for Food Safety
Session Lead: Tim Jackson, Ph.D., Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor, FDA
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Frontline Safety & Resilience: Building Psychological Safety and a Sustainable Workforce
Session Lead: Spir Marinakis, VP Food Safety, Quality and Technical Services, Maple Leaf Foods
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Effective Pathogen Control through Identification and Management of Sources and Harborages in the Processing Environment
Session Lead: Sharon Birkett, M.B.A., Vice President, Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance, OSI Group, LLC
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Open – Welcome Reception on the Show Floor!
View Floor Plan
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Meat Institute’s Foreign Material Maturity Model – What and How
Session Lead: Sharon K. K. Beals, Founder, SKKB-LLC
Sponsored by: 
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
From the Ground Up: Growing Food Safety Culture Champions through Mentorship
Session Lead: Lily Yasuda, Alliance Deputy Director, Stop Foodborne Illness
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Legal Data Protections: Challenges with Compliance and Litigation
Session Lead: Shawn Stevens, J.D., National Food Industry Lawyer, Food Industry Counsel LLC
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Strengthening Retail Food Safety: A Collaborative Approach to Norovirus Reduction at Retail
Session Lead: Laurie Farmer, Office of Retail Food Protection Director, FDA
9:15 - 10:30 AM
Keynote
Keynote Presentation: Food Safety is a Team Sport: Leading with Courage, Collaboration, and Curiosity in a Changing World
A Fireside Conversation with Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Chief Quality Officer, Van Drunen Farms/FutureCeuticals, and Jesse Newman, Food Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
A Fireside Conversation with Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Chief Quality Officer, Van Drunen Farms/FutureCeuticals, and Jesse Newman, Food Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Keynote Presenter: Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Chief Quality Officer, Van Drunen Farms and FutureCeuticals
10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Exhibit Hall Hours - Join us for Education on the show floor
View Floor Plan
2:45 - 4:00 pm
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Beyond Compliance: Elevating Food Safety Buy-In Through Interpersonal Influence
Session Lead: Robin Forgey, M.S., AGMM, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Costco Wholesale
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Traceability: Practical FSMA 204 Applications
Session Lead: Kathleen O'Donnell, M.S., Chief Scientist, Wegmans
Sponsored by: 
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Retail Sanitation & Culture: Real-World Case Studies
Session Lead: Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A., Director, Head of Health and Safety, EG America
Retail, Produce and Other Sectors
Breaking Silos, Breaking Bias – Real Collaboration in Food Safety
Session Lead: Drew McDonald, Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety, Taylor Fresh Foods
4:15 - 5:30 pm
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Digital HACCP: Nestlé’s Journey to a Connected Food Safety Ecosystem
Session Lead:David Clifford, Director Food Safety, Nestlé USA
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Food Safety Leadership: Lessons for Business Success
Session Lead: Hal King, PhD – Active FS
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Food Irradiation Today: What’s Allowed, Where, and Why
Session Lead: Larry Keener, President and CEO, International Product Safety Consultants
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Exceptional Lethality
Session Lead: Matthew van Natter, Sr Mgr Global Food Safety, Kellanova
5:30 am - 7:00 pm
Food Safety Summit Gives Back Networking Reception
Benefitting: 
Thursday, May 14, 2026
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
How to Conduct an Unbiased Gap Assessment to Stay Audit Ready
Session Lead: Michael Ciepila, Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement, Southern Specialties
Moderator: Adrienne Blume, M.A, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine
Moderator: Adrienne Blume, M.A, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
From Cost Center to Value Creator: Making the Business Case for Food Safety
Session Lead: Melody Ge, Founder, Women in Food Safety
Retail, Produce and Other Sectors
Build and Sustain High-Impact Partnerships with Academic Institutions To Address Emerging Public Health Challenges
Session Lead: Ben Chapman, Ph.D.,
Professor and Director, Department Head of Agricultural and Human Sciences, North Carolina State University
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Time and Temperature Control for Food Safety at the Crossroads: Scientific Challenges and Solutions to Implement
Session Lead: Glenda Lewis, Director of the Retail Food Protection Staff in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
9:15 - 10:30 AM
Town Hall
14th Annual Town Hall: A Conversation with Regulators
Moderator: Gillian Kelleher, CEO, Kelleher Consultants LLC and Chair, Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board
10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Exhibit Hall Hours - Join us for Education on the show floor
View Floor Plan
2:45 - 3:45 pm
Hazards (Biological + Chemical + Physical)
Policy Developments Around Food Ingredient Safety and Labeling
Session Leads: Caitlin Boon, Senior Director - Health & Nutrition Policy, U.S. Public Affairs, Mars
Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association
Roberta Wagner, Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
Presentation by The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness and the U.S. FDA
Session Lead: Vanessa Coffman, PhD. Program Director at Stop Foodborne Illness
Food Safety Validation, Risk & Compliance
Strengthening Food Safety Through Validation & Verification
Session Lead: Deb Kane, MS, Vice President, Food Safety, Quality, EHSS & Regulatory, J&J Snack Foods Corp.
Retail, Produce and Other Sectors
Beyond the Headlines: Food Safety Risks in Imported Foods
Session Lead: Suzette Stalker, Director of Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Compliance, Target Corporation (formerly)
4:00 - 5:15 pm
Leadership, Culture & Workforce
CLOSING SESSION: FSMA at 15
Session Lead: Steven Mandernach, J.D., Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)