Blog | Partnership for Food Safety Education

PFSE Announces FDA’s Closer to Zero Action Plan Workshop at CFSEC 2023

February 2, 2023

Conference explores the future of food safety education, next generation of food handlers and more

The Partnership for Food Safety Education, host of the 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference (CFSEC) on March 1-3, is thrilled to announce the addition of new pre-conference workshops to the conference series, as well as continuing education units (CEUs) being offered for attendance.

CFSEC 2023 is the only conference in the U.S. dedicated to consumer food safety education. The conference convenes research experts, nutrition professionals, and community-based health and food safety educators across the country who educate people on how to handle food safely at home during three days of workshops, sessions and networking.

This unique conference will be co-chaired by Howard Popoola, vice president of corporate food technology and regulatory compliance with The Kroger Company, and Dr. Shauna C. Henley, family and consumer sciences educator with the University of Maryland Extension and PFSE board member.

New pre-conference workshops on developing strategies to effectively communicate food safety risks include:

“FDA’s Closer to Zero Action Plan: What’s the Food Safety Message?” with Dr. Conrad Choiniere, Director, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and Dr. Kellie Casavale, Senior Science Advisor for Nutrition, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food & Drug Administration
“Flour Food Safety – from Farm to Fork” with Jason Scott, wheat farmer from Maryland; Juliany Rivera Calo, Senior Manager, Regulatory and Food Safety, Ardent Mills; Hailey Rogers, Research and Development Chef, Ardent Mills; Jane DeMarchi, President, North American Millers’ Association; and Sarah Hubbart, Communications Consultant, North American Millers’ Association
“Harris Teeter: Enriching Lives One Meal, One Family, One Associate and One Community at a Time” with Sarah Durham, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Harris Teeter
“Don’t Eat the Pseudoscience: Navigating Misinformation and Disinformation on Social Media Platforms” with Dr. Nicole Arnold, Assistant Professor and Food Safety Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension, The Ohio State University

These four workshops will enhance attendees’ skills and conference experience helping them gain a competitive edge with exclusive training opportunities on important food safety topics. Limited space available.

Attendees also have the chance to earn up to 11.5 CPEUs (and 1.5 poster hours) to strengthen their educational and professional development. Conference CEUs have been approved by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), American Culinary Federation (ACF), Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM), Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), and National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference will be held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View in Arlington, Virginia, just around the corner from the Reagan National Airport and Washington, D.C.’s historic sites. The discounted conference hotel room rate is $199/night with complimentary Wi-Fi in guest rooms and free shuttle service to/from the airport as well as the Crystal City metro station. Discounted room rates are available until Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Registration is still available. There are limited tickets remaining.

For more information, visit cfsec.org or contact PFSE at cfsec2023@fightbac.org.

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference is supported in part by Costco Wholesale, USDA FSIS, Beef Checkoff, International Association for Food Protection, Chipotle, Ecolab, Hormel, International Fresh Produce Association, McDonald’s Corporation, and in-kind media partners Food Safety Magazine and Food Safety News.

The conference planning is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award R13FD007697 totaling $50,000 with 17% funded by FDA/HHS and $246,603 and 83% funded by nongovernment source(s).The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

About the Partnership for Food Safety Education
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) is a nonprofit, public health organization with a mission to develop and promote effective education programs to reduce foodborne illness risk for consumers. This important work is done through a historically significant cross-sector collaboration with the federal government, food industry, consumer groups, and scientific associations. PFSE supports more than 13,000 health and food safety educators with free, science-based safe food handling messages who reach 8.5 million U.S. households each year. Food safety professionals, health educators, and consumers can download free food safety education information from the Partnership’s website at www.fightbac.org.

BAC Fighter Shannon Coleman Incorporates DEI into Food Safety Education

February 1, 2023

By Britanny Saunier, Executive Director, PFSE

Everyone has a role to play in food safety, whether you are a home cook, a courier for a food delivery service, a food producer, a regulator, a community educator, or a middle school science teacher. Your handwashing and food handling habits matter to reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses, for yourself and for your loved ones.

You’ve likely asked, “But how do I make a difference and actually help people practice food safety?” A key element to influencing food handling behaviors is representation. People must see themselves in food safety messaging, which includes the deliverer of the messages. Representation matters.

That’s why the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) is celebrating Black History Month by sharing the experience of community-based food safety educators like Dr. Shannon Coleman, assistant professor/state extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. She is helping to lead conversations about properly incorporating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into food safety education efforts.

Shannon graciously took the time to share her experience as an educator, her thoughts on representation in food safety, and what excites her the most about her work to prevent foodborne illnesses in her community.

How it all began

Shannon began her professional career in food safety during her doctoral program in Animal Science at Colorado State University. During her doctoral program, she studied fresh produce safety. However, Shannon’s interest in food safety was sparked after performing research in a dairy food and produce safety laboratory as an undergraduate.

Representation matters in food safety education

Shannon says representation matters because “our audience is diverse.” She is starting to incorporate cultural competency in programming, especially when working with a diverse audience. Through her work with a diverse audience, Shannon has learned to leave her assumptions at the door and think about how this information would benefit their lives.

Most challenging part of being a Black woman in the field

“The community of Black females in food safety is small, which makes it hard for us to all know that each other exists,” Shannon says.

However, through Shannon’s two networks — Iowa State University and Alabama A&M University — a group of Black female educators have developed a small community. This community has started conversations about properly incorporating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and collaborations. A few members of the group presented about DEI at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) annual conference in summer 2021.

Explore stories of different groups of people in food safety

As an educator for the lay audience and the classroom, Shannon has learned that stories stick with people. During lectures, she purposely shares stories about consumers who have been impacted by foodborne illness and companies who have been impacted by a foodborne outbreak.

Food safety resources for underrepresented communities

Shannon’s team is currently working on translating existing produce safety videos into Spanish language. They are also developing fact sheets. This project is a collaborative project which involves the ISU Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology Transfer (BCAIT); Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS); Iowa Farm Union (IFU); and Davis Blasini from Cornell University Produce Safety Alliance. The Brenton Center is facilitating the video editing. Both IDALS and IFU are financially supporting this project, and Davis is serving as their expert in cultural competency.

Trend that should be further explored

According to Shannon, food preservation is always a trending topic. The North Central Food Safety Educator Network that she co-leads with Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson, has developed several resources related to the topic. As a consumer, Shannon has seen several inappropriate recipes and practices on social media. She strongly encourages people to use tested food preservation recipes.

Most exciting part about working in food safety

Recently Shannon’s extension director mentioned that she’s had some flexibility in her current role. She has shared food safety education with diverse audiences, such as gardeners, 4-H judges, fresh produce growers, cottage food producers, and small food processors. Due to this variety, Shannon’s days and weeks are never the same, so she rarely gets bored.

Thank you, Shannon, for all your hard work in food safety education!

Dr. Shannon Coleman is an assistant professor/state extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. She can be reached at scoleman@iastate.edu.

The Five W’s of CFSEC 2023

December 6, 2022

Emerging trends in climate change, digital technology, food security, contamination, consumer habits, and other global issues continue to dominate the future of the food safety landscape. As a result, we need to make education a key tool for communicating, to all generations, food safety information that is effective at changing behavior.

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference (CFSEC) is the place for health, nutrition, and food safety experts to explore how to deliver effective, innovative consumer food safety education during three days of workshops and sessions. This event will bring answers and clarity to questions such as “Where and how will the next generation of food handlers get their food safety information?”

We’ve put together a summary of the five W’s of the CFSEC 2023 to make sure you know exactly what to expect from this extraordinary event.

WHO?

The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) is hosting over 300 attendees from all across the nation consisting of members of the nutrition, health, and food safety community such as:

Food safety educators and food safety communicators
Public health and environmental health professionals
Cooperative extension professionals
Registered dietitians and nutrition professionals
Consumer advocates
Food and beverage industry professionals
Local, state, and federal government and military personnel
Educators ― K to 12 through college/university

A variety of forward-thinking speakers will assemble to share their insights on topics ranging from health equity to the effect of climate change on food safety.

PFSE is excited to welcome conference co-chairs Howard Popoola, vice president of corporate food technology and regulatory compliance with The Kroger Company, and Dr. Shauna Henley, family and consumer sciences educator with the University of Maryland Extension and PFSE board member.

Federal health and food safety experts will also join the speaker lineup, including:

Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Robert Tauxe, director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sandra Eskin, deputy under secretary for food safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service

Here’s an introduction to the all-star keynote speakers you’ll hear from by attending the CFSEC 2023:

Dr. Garth Graham, director and global head of healthcare and public health partnerships at YouTube and Google Health
Dr. Cynthia Baur, endowed chair and director, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland
Dr. Devlon Jackson, assistant research professor, Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland
Dr. Ellen Evans, research fellow at the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Dr. Ian Young, associate professor in the School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University
Erin Seidl, food scientist and social media influencer the “Food Science Babe”
Mitzi Baum, chief executive officer, Stop Foodborne Illness

WHAT?

The Consumer Food Safety Education Conference (CFSEC) is the only conference in the U.S. dedicated to consumer food safety education. This one-of-a-kind event features a variety of activities:

The opportunity to collaborate with federal, non-profit, higher education, and industry professionals.
The ability to earn continuing education units (CEUs) to strengthen your educational and professional development.
Advance your knowledge at a solution-based program addressing today’s critical food safety challenges.
Posters exploring the latest research and innovations.
Pre-conference Workshops on developing strategies to effectively communicate food safety risks.

WHERE?

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference will be held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View in Arlington, Virginia. The hotel is just around the corner from the Reagan National Airport and Washington, D.C.’s historic sites with free shuttle service to and from the airport as well as the nearby Crystal City metro station to make sightseeing easier!

WHEN?

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – Pre-conference workshop
Thursday, March 2, 2023 – Multiple concurrent track sessions
Friday, March 3, 2023 – Multiple concurrent track sessions

View the full conference program.

WHY?

Health, nutrition and food safety educators from every sector must be prepared to reach all generations with food safety education that is effective at influencing behavior change. This conference will prepare for the future of food safety education by advancing knowledge in today’s critical health and food safety challenges and orienting educators to national goals such as Healthy People 2030.

HOW? (bonus)

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference is supported in part by Beef Checkoff, International Association for Food Protection, Chipotle, Hormel, International Fresh Produce Association, McDonald’s Corporation, and in-kind media partners Food Safety Magazine and Food Safety News.

The conference planning is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) as part of a financial assistance award R13FD007697 totaling $50,000 with 17% funded by FDA/HHS and $246,603 and 83% funded by nongovernment source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Join us at the biggest event of the year! By taking part in this conference, you can honor the past and shape the future of food safety education and its implications on public health.

Time is running out! Register now to take advantage of the early bird registration — a $50 savings off the standard rate!

Melanie Safi is studying Health & Nutrition Sciences with a concentration in Foods and Nutrition. She serves as a Marketing Consultant for the 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference.

PFSE Welcomes New Chair, Vice Chair to Board of Directors

November 17, 2022

Harold Chase of NSF elected as Chairman, Dr. Barbara Masters of Tyson Foods elected as Vice Chair

The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) announced Harold Chase of NSF was elected as its new board chair during the October Board of Directors Meeting. Chase succeeds Michael Roberson, who served as chair since 2020.

Chase is the director of legislative and regulatory affairs at NSF. He is an experienced government relations professional with a demonstrated history of working to protect public health.

Chase graduated with honors from the University of Detroit with a B.A. in political science and earned an MPH from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. He has served on PFSE’s Board since 2019.

Additionally, Dr. Barbara Masters, vice president of regulatory policy, food, and agriculture at Tyson Foods, Inc., was elected as vice chair of the PFSE Board of Directors. She holds her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Mississippi State University and a Food Animal Internship from Kansas State University. Dr. Masters previously served as an administrator with USDA FSIS and has served on PFSE’s Board since 2020.

The PFSE Board of Directors are active food safety experts who ensure the organization’s success in serving 13,000 community-based health, nutrition, and food safety educators across the nation with educational resources. These educators reach about 8.5 million people in the United States with important safe food handling information that reduces the risk of food poisoning.

Together, alongside this dynamic Board of Directors, PFSE will continue helping families and individuals stay healthy by raising awareness of safe food handling practices and proper hand hygiene that reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

Visit the PFSE’s website to view the full list of the Board of Directors.

About the Partnership for Food Safety Education
The non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education is the creator and steward of the popular Fight BAC!® national food safety education campaign and the national leader in disseminating information around the linkage of food safety consumer education with positive health outcomes. Food safety and health educators, and consumers, can download free food safety education information from the Partnership’s website at www.fightbac.org.

Contact PFSE Communications Associate Shawnte Loeri for more information.

The Future of Food Safety: Everyone Has a Seat at The Table

October 6, 2022

Conference explores the future of food safety education and the next generation of food handlers

The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) will host the Consumer Food Safety Education Conference (CFSEC), March 1-3, 2023, the only conference in the U.S. dedicated to consumer food safety education. The conference convenes research experts, nutrition professionals, and community-based health and food safety educators across the country who educate people on how to handle food safely at home.

This unique conference will be chaired by Howard Popoola, vice president of corporate food technology and regulatory compliance with Kroger, and Dr. Shauna Henley, family and consumer sciences educator with the University of Maryland Extension and PFSE board member.

The 2023 CFSEC will equip health and food safety educators from all sectors to be prepared for the future of food safety education and orient educators to national goals such as Healthy People 2030.

These federal health and food safety experts will be featured at the upcoming conference:

Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Robert Tauxe, Director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sandra Eskin, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service

Opening keynote speaker Dr. Garth Graham, director and global head of healthcare and public health partnerships at Google/YouTube and Google Health, will highlight the strategies YouTube and Google use to communicate health matters.

Focused discussions on topics ranging from health equity to the effect of climate change on food safety are to be led by:

Dr. Cynthia Baur, endowed chair and director, Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, University of Maryland
Dr. Devlon Jackson, assistant research professor, Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland
Dr. Ellen Evans, research fellow at the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Dr. Ian Young, associate professor in the School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University
Erin Seidl, food scientist and social media influencer “The Food Science Babe”

Health, nutrition and food safety educators need to be poised to reach all generations with food safety education that is effective at influencing behavior change. This conference will help advance knowledge in today’s critical health and food safety challenges.

Other features of the CFSEC include:

The opportunity to network and collaborate with health and food safety educators from government agencies, non-profit organizations, higher education, and the food industry
Access to tools and resources that address the biggest food safety challenges.
Posters exploring the latest research and innovations.

Registration is now open with an early bird rate of $450 through January 2, 2023 — a $50 savings off the standard rate!

For more information, visit cfsec.org or contact PFSE at cfsec2023@fightbac.org.

The 2023 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference is supported in part by Beef Checkoff, International Association for Food Protection, McDonald’s Corporation, and in-kind media partners Food Safety Magazine and Food Safety News.

The conference planning is supported by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) as part of a financial assistance award R13FD007697 totaling $50,000 with 17% funded by FDA/HHS and $246,603 and 83% funded by nongovernment source(s).The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.