National Alliance for Food Safety and Security

Agenda and Minutes for the Joint Meeting of the Board of Directors and Operations Committee of THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY

Ft. Worth 5 Room

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center

Grapevine, Texas

BOARD OF DIRECTORS/OPERATING COMMITTEE JOINT MEETING

7:30 Working Breakfast

8:00 Welcome and Introductions Pat Curtis

Background: The Chair and Secretariat welcomed the Board and Operations Committee (OC) members, Executive Committee, Center and Assoc. Center Directors, and other NAFSS members and invited comments on the agenda (bolded names on the slides were in attendance). A total of 20 members were present (B. Sheldon, B. Annous, C. Harris, E. Todd, P. Curtis, A. Simonne, J. Dickson, S. McCurdy, C. Bruhn, A. Draughon, J. Marcy, H. Bailey, B. Marks, E. Ryser, R. Nannapaneni, D. D'Souza, C. Czuprynski, A. Castillo, F. Arritt, and L. Harris).

Action: The Board and OC were asked to approve the agenda as presented; approved as written. On behalf of any new members in attendance, the Secretariat was requested to provide an overview of the structure of NAFSS which included a summary of the breadth of expertise existing among the NAFSS membership.

8:05 Progress Report Brian Sheldon

Background: The Secretariat provided an annual report to the Boards on the administrative and leadership activities of the Alliance from the perspective of the Administrator Advisor. The Secretariat also provided the annual financial report.

Action: The Board members were invited to discuss the 2009 activities of the Secretariat and make recommendations on the future activities of the Secretariat in 2009-2010.

• Executive Committee Conference Call Summarized (2/27/09)

Conference Call Agenda:

• Center for Food Integrity Index Proposal (Executive Committee elected to proceed forward with this project (see slides for project details)

• 2009 Annual Meeting (The primary focus of the meeting was discussed; the Exec. Com. felt that besides updating the membership on NAFSS activities, the focus should be directed towards discussing the future of NAFSS including how to enhance our national visibility and identifying new funding partners to continue our grants program)

• Washington Lobbying Trip (the Secretariat discussed his intention to schedule an early 2009 lobbying trip to Washington for the purpose of meeting with members of key Executive Branch agencies, commodity associations, and members of Congress)
• NAFSS Internet Site (The Secretariat discussed the state of the NAFSS website including its present location at Purdue Univ. and the need for considerable updating of its membership, activities, events, etc.)
• Annual Report (Since our USDA funding of NAFSS projects had ceased in 2007, there was a discussion as to whether we should continue producing some form of annual report. This topic was postponed until the annual meeting.)
• Center Associate Director Elections (The Secretariat discussed the time table and nomination and election process for Associate Center Directors. Nominations had been solicited at that time.)

• Member Participation (A general discussion of how to foster better participation of NAFSS members was continued from the 2008 annual meeting of NAFSS. It was clear that much of our participation was clearly tied to our grants program. Without a functional grants program the benefits of participating in NAFSS become a little more obscure. The lack of communication at all levels was also considered a factor influencing participation. The benefits for participating in NAFSS should be more clearly identified, defined and shared among the NAFSS members.)

• NAFSS Internet Site Update

• Webpage still maintained at Purdue University (Kevin Hamstra - original site developer). The Secretariat will proceed in updating the webpage as needed.

• Home Page and Contact Info. have been updated (Chair & Secretariat completed)

• Membership (active, addresses, background, & Center information - updating in progress; an email will be sent following the annual meeting by the Secretariat requesting updated information from all members)

• Center Directors (Directors and Associate Center Directors update information completed)

• News Items and Event Dates (needs updating; The Secretariat will send an email to the membership requesting updates for this section of the website.)

• Some other webpage ideas expressed by the members included developing job corner and outreach corner sites and establishing links to universities highlighting different programs or events.

• Member Achievement Spotlight (needs updating; the Secretariat will send an email to the Center Directors requesting their solicitation of research and education accomplishments from among their Center members to highlight in this section of the webpage.)

• NAFSS Lobbying Efforts (Washington, DC; RTI; SAIC)

• Washington, DC (3/31-4/1/09) (The Secretariat and Chair traveled to Washington for the purpose of meeting with key members of Congress serving on either the Agriculture or Appropriations Committees, members of the USDA, FDA and other Executive Branch agencies, and personnel from selected food commodity associations. The purpose of these meetings was to introduce them to NAFSS including a discussion of our mission and role, our member's expertise, accomplishments, and the benefits of affiliating with NAFSS. Where appropriate we discussed establishing funding partnerships. The Secretariat will continue to communicate with these and other contacts in seeking new funding partners. Moreover, where funding opportunities are identified that do not fall under NAFSS direct oversight, the Secretariat will continue to communicate these opportunities directly to NAFSS members. The Secretariat stressed the importance of all NAFSS members being pro-active in seeking funding mechanisms that would support NAFSS. Working through your respective University Lobbyists is highly recommended since many universities do not allow direct contact with members of federal or state legislatures. When appropriate, NAFSS members are encouraged to contact their congressional representatives serving on the U.S. Agriculture, Appropriations, or Homeland Security committees to market the benefits of NAFSS, either through their formal University structures or directly. Moreover, NAFSS members are encouraged to contact the Secretariat or visit the NAFSS Internet site when seeking marketing information to support their lobbying efforts. Please contact the Secretariat with your ideas about funding or for information to support your efforts.)

• 1- and 3-page NAFSS Marketing Brochures were developed

• A NAFSS Business Card was developed for the Secretariat

• Call went out to our membership requesting Washington contact information

• Trip scheduling completed

NAFSS Marketing Brochure (the brochures will be placed on the website in the near future)

• Rationale (mission, history, USDA partnership)

• Justification (member expertise, Centers)

• Member Universities

• Significant Accomplishments

• Benefits

• Contact Information & Website Address

Washington Lobbying Trip Schedule

• Karlease Kelly, USDA/FSIS Asst. Adm., Office of Outreach, Employee Education & Training

• Carol Maczka, USDA/FSIS Asst. Adm., Office of Data Integration & Food Protection

• David Goldman, USDA/FSIS Asst Adm., Office of Public Health Science

• Jan Singleton, USDA/CSREES National Program Leader - Food Science & Food Safety, Plant & Animal Systems

• David Gombas, Senior VP Food Safety & Technology, United Fresh Produce Assoc.

• Bob Brackett, Senior VP & Chief Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Grocery Manufacturers Assoc.

• Betsy Booreen, Dir. Scientific Affairs, American Meat Institute

• Congressman Mike Rogers (Rep. AL), Agriculture Committee

• Senator Richard Shelby (Rep. AL), Appropriations Committee

• Congressman Larry Kissell (Rep. NC), Agriculture Committee

• Congressman David Price (Dem. NC), Appropriations and Homeland Security Committees

Other Lobbying Efforts (direct contact, telephone calls or email)

• James Lindsay, USDA/ARS National Program Leader Food Safety & Health (email and telephone)

• Mary Torrence, USDA/ARS National Program Leader Food Safety & Health (email)

• Ramkishan Rao, USDA/CSREES National Program Leader Plant & Animal Program Systems (email)

• Jeanette Thurston, USDA/CSREES National Program Leader for AFRI, Food Safety and Epidemiology (Raleigh, NC)

• John Sheehan, FDA Director of Plant & Dairy Food Safety Division

• Research Triangle Institute (Mary Muth, Senior Economist/Dir. Food & Ag. Policy Research Program; Lee Ann Jaykus - sabbatic leave from NCSU)

• Scientific Applications International Corporation (Lou Borghi, Division Manager, Vice President I ILPSG)

• Senator Harkin (Dem. IA) Chair of Senate Agriculture Committee [met directly with Senator Harkin's congressional aide David Edwards (FASS Fellow) and via email]

• Center For Food Integrity Project Update

Background: A new initiative designed to build consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system by sharing accurate and balanced scientific information, correcting misinformation, modeling best practices and engaging stakeholders.

Goal: to draft and publish/circulate 1-2 page white papers on several contemporary topics

A summary of activities of the Secretariat is outlined below.

• Multiple communications with Terry Fleck (Exec. Dir.)

• Secretariat participated in developing a formal contract between CFI and authors

• NAFSS will assist in identifying (RFP) and selecting via an Executive Committee vote two authors per question

• Contract established solely between the authors and CFI

• Authors have editorial rights throughout the process
• No endorsements by NAFSS allowed in the papers; CFI can specify NAFSS participation in identifying and selecting authors and author's association with NAFSS

• Each author receives $1,000; NAFSS receives $200/author

• Two questions/statements submitted to date

1. Is food grown and produced in the U.S. as safe or safer than food grown/produced outside the U.S.?

• Ann Draughon, University of Tennessee

• Mark Kantor, University of Maryland

2. Meat from grass-fed cattle is safer than meat from cattle that are fed corn.

• Jim Dickson, Iowa State University

• Susan Brewer, University of Illinois

• RTI/USDA-FSIS Project Summary

• Research Triangle Institute (RTI) were seeking 8 experts to develop and conduct technical webinars for FSIS personnel and to develop outreach webinars for small and very small plants on different food safety topics as noted below. An RFP was emailed from the Secretariat to the NAFSS members highlighting this funding opportunity.

• In-plant validation of food safety interventions in beef products

• In-plant validation of food safety interventions in poultry products

• Selecting and maintaining effective GMPs for an effective food safety system

• Using in-plant records (recordkeeping) to improve/maintain food safety

• Issues regarding effective microbiological testing for E. coli O157:H7 for small and very small plants

• Selecting scientific documentation to support establishments' HACCP plan

• Issues in food safety related to egg products

• NAFSS members chosen for this project are listed below

• Jim Dickson

• Christine Alvarado

• Manpreet Singh

• Zhinong Yan

• Mindy Brashears, Pat Curtis, Kevin Keener (contacted directly by RTI)

• Budget Review

Background: No institutional assessments have been collected for over 4-5 years. With the current NAFSS balance currently at around $17,480, it is estimated that our operating funds will be expended in around 8 months (end of February, 2010). A discussion ensued as to whether another University member assessment of $2,500 should issued at this time. The last assessment was over 3 years ago. Although university budgets are very tight, the members in attendance felt that it would be appropriate to move forward and initiate a new assessment in anticipation that we would take in sufficient operational funds to sustain NAFSS for another 2-3 years. (See the slides for the budget summary; The Secretariat will send out a University assessment request shortly following the annual meeting.)

8:45 New Member Request Brian Sheldon

Background: Contacted by Dr. Yifan Zhang, Asst. Prof., Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University to become a NAFSS member

• Wayne State University is not currently a member so they would need to become a member prior to accepting Dr. Zhang as a new member (The Secretariat will contact Dr. Zhang to inform him that he was unanimously approved for becoming a NAFSS member and to inform him of Wayne State University's financial obligation for becoming a University member prior to finalizing his membership.)

• Institutional Assessment ($5,000 initial assessment followed by the usual $2,500 assessment as needed)

• Background of Dr. Zhang:

• 1998: Bachelor of Medicine in Preventive Medicine, Shandong Medical Univ., Jinan, China

• 2001: Master of Medicine in Nutrition & Food Hygiene (Food Micro. Specialty), China Center for Disease Control, Beijing, China

• 2005: Ph.D. in Food Science/Food Microbiology, Univ. of Maryland

• 2006-08: Post Doc., Food Animal Health Research Program (OSU)

• 2008-Present: Assist. Prof., Department of Nutrition & Food Science, Wayne State U.

• Scientific Memberships: ASM, IFT, IAFP

• Publications: 12 journal articles; 6 presentations

• Research Areas: understand how pathogens contaminate and persist in the food chain; microbial food safety; antimicrobial resistance and virulence; pathogenicity; molecular epidemiology of foodborne and nosocomial pathogens

8:50 Associate Center Director Nominations Brian Sheldon

• Associate Directors move to Center Director after 1 year of service

• Responsibility of Center Directors to solicit nominations by August 25

• Election Process conducted within Centers by Secretariat (ballots out by September 1)

Action: Current Center Directors are requested to solicit nominations of Assoc. Center Directors and to send their nominations to the Secretariat by August 25. The Secretariat will send an email to the new Center Directors requesting their participation in the nomination process.

9:00 Break

9:10 Future of NAFSS Brian Sheldon

Pat Curtis

Background: As we are all aware, funding for NAFSS in FY 2007 & 2008 was rescinded by Congress. Furthermore, institutional assessments for NAFSS operational funds have been delayed for over 3 years. After continued discussions with Jim Lindsay (our USDA/ARS contact), it has become apparent that because of the current adverse economic condition of the country and the lack of clear direction as to whether a one food safety agency would be created, congressional funding through his office (USDA/ARS) is unlikely at this point. It is therefore incumbent on NAFFS to develop alternative funding strategies to ensure the future viability of NAFSS. The remaining time was spent brainstorming ideas on how to assure a viable future for NAFSS.

• Funding Opportunities Discussed

• Institutional Assessments

• Federal Agency Partnerships

• Congressional Support

• Industry Associations

• International Opportunities

Specific ideas that were shared in addition to the 5 primary funding avenues listed above included:

1. Solicit the annual funding priorities of different food industry associations for use in supporting grant proposals submitted directly by NAFSS members to these associations or to support grant proposals being submitted to Federal granting agencies (i.e., USDA, FDA, etc.). Several Food Commodity associations have indicated a desire to share their respective research and education priorities (i.e., United Fresh Produce, American Meat Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association). The Secretariat will solicit these priorities on an annual basis and provide the information to NAFSS members.

2. Pursue funding opportunities available from the Food Manufacturers Institute (FMI). The Secretariat will contact FMI to identify funding opportunities.

3. Suggested NAFSS should contact Connecticut's Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3), chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. The Secretariat will contact Congresswomen DeLauro to identify funding opportunities.

4. Other potential contacts that were mentioned included: Mike Taylor, Dave Atcheson (spelling?) and Jim Garney with the FDA; and Mark Black with AMI.

5. Dr. Nannapaneni suggested that NAFSS may want to consider developing a food safety internet journal as a means of increasing our revenue and increasing our national visibility. Although this effort would be in direct competition with IAFP's publications and other food safety publications, it merits some consideration. (The Executive Committee will further discuss.)

6. International Opportunities: IAFP's upcoming European meeting may provide some funding opportunities; upcoming Chinese food safety meeting (Ann Draughon to attend); USDA Foreign Ag. Service may also have some opportunities for NAFSS (The Secretariat will contact the USDA Foreign Ag. Service)

7. The Secretariat emphasized the need for all NAFSS members to be pro-actively involved in identifying project and funding opportunities to support NAFSS. NAFSS could act as a government contractor and then sub-contract to NAFSS members. A question was raised as to what specifically should we be asking for when approaching members of Congress? Moreover, a question was raised as to what makes NAFSS unique among other individuals or groups conducting food safety research and educational activities? A specific request/document should be drafted that could be used by NAFSS members when contacting potential funding groups (The 1- and 3-page marketing instruments developed by the Secretariat might serve this need, either as is or in a revised format. The Executive Committee will review our current marketing documents and revise as needed.). It was also suggested that a 5-year plan be drafted to provide direction for NAFSS (The Executive Committee will consider this recommendation.). It was suggested that NAFSS centers could become more pro-active in seeking funding opportunities. (This recommendation will be forwarded by the Secretariat to the new Center Directors.)

• Enhancement of National and International Visibility

• Conference Grant Proposal (P. Curtis) - Dr. Curtis presented an idea for increasing the national visibility of NAFSS. Specifically, she suggested seeking federal funding to support planning and convening a national workshop, and potentially regional workshops, on Crisis Management and Risk Communication in response to crisis food safety/food defense events. The workshop would consist of teaching the fundamentals of risk management and communication by nationally recognized experts followed by the development of a working risk management/risk communication manual containing commodity-specific sections and templates to aid the food industry. The manual would be circulated to the food industry with an emphasis on small and very small food processors and producers. It was suggested that we might want to team up with one of IAFP's Professional Development Groups (PDG) in developing this idea. Drs. Bruhn and Todd suggested that Dr. Curtis and the Secretariat attend IAFP's 2009 annual meetings of the Food Safety Education PDG (to consider co-sponsoring a symposium) and Control of Foodborne Illness PDG (to consider developing a manual) to discuss this proposal.

• Product Safety & Recall Directory (tabled due to time constraints - the Secretariat will look into this opportunity and discuss with the Executive Committee)

• 2010 NAFSS Symposium (IAFP) (tabled due to time constraints - the Secretariat will look into this opportunity and discuss with the Executive Committee)

• 2009-2010 Annual Report (tabled due to time constraints - the Secretariat will look into this opportunity and discuss with the Executive Committee)

• Increasing Member Participation

• Regional Meeting Proposal (P. Curtis): Dr. Curtis summarized a recommendation from one of her colleagues. Because all NAFSS members are not members of IAFP and therefore do not attend the IAFP annual meeting, NAFSS might want to consider holding other meetings in conjunction with other associations (i.e., AVMA) . (The Executive Committee will consider this recommendation).

• Better Communication at all Levels: The Secretariat indicated that better communication at all levels of the Alliance should foster greater member participation. This can be achieved through the efforts of the Executive Committee, Center Directors, and perhaps an appointed committee.

10:15 Other Business (no other business was discussed) Brian Sheldon

10:25 Installation of New Chairperson Pat Curtis

Background: The Vice-Chair, Dr. Elliott Ryser (Michigan State University), succeeded Dr. Curtis as Chair for 2009-2010. Dr. Ryser was elected by the NAFSS membership to serve as our next chair. Congratulations to Dr. Ryser! We all look forward to his leadership in the upcoming year. Please contact the Secretariat if you have an interest or are interested in nominating an individual to serve as Vice-Chair. Nominations will be taken through mid-September with the election to follow by email. The Vice-Chair and Center Associate Directors will assume their positions on September 30.

Action: Dr. Curtis' service and accomplishments for NAFSS were applauded and Dr. Ryser introduced.

10:30 Adjourn Meeting Brian Sheldon