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<< back to the 2000 archive listing << Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Quotations From Jack, March 2000 What draws more food safety professionals to our meeting is the outstanding
program I have just returned from our winter Executive Board and Program Committee meetings. These were the first official meetings under our new name and they were held at the Hilton Atlanta, the site of our August 2000 Annual Meeting. The Hilton is a beautiful hotel located in the heart of Atlanta. There is plenty to see and do in the hotel as well as within walking distance. What draws more and more food safety professionals to our Annual Meeting is the outstanding program and this year will be better than ever! David Golden, our program committee chairperson and his committee members (Stan Bailey, Don Breiner, John Bruhn, Alejandro Castillo, Donald Conner, Jeff Farrar, Donna Garren, Paul Hall, Maria Nazarowec-White, Thomas Schwarz, and Frank Yiannas) have done outstanding jobs, as have the many folks who have arranged symposia or submitted abstracts. Speaking of abstracts, 217 were submitted this year compared to 169 last year. Counting oral and posters, over 300 scientific papers will be presented this year. There will be technical oral sessions on foodborne pathogens, microbial methods, inactivation and control methods and risk assessment. Technical poster sessions will cover inactivation and control methods, general food microbiology and education and microbiological methods. There are 21 specific symposia scheduled as well as an open slot for a session on late breakers; stay tuned for that. Abbreviated topics include: Campylobacter Performance Standards, Food Safety in Latin America and the Caribbean; Biosensors; HACCP; Viruses, Listeria; Genetic Methods; Sprouts; Produce on Farm Food Safety; Mycotoxins; Large Dairy Farms; Transportation of Raw and Finished Dairy Products; and Cook-chill/Sous Vide Technology to name a few. Our general session on Tuesday afternoon is titled, "Bioterrorism and Food Protection." It promises to be an eye opener. Of course all work and no play is no way to enjoy a conference. An excellent set of tours has been arranged by the Georgia Local Arrangements Committee chaired by Ed Giera, Judy Harrison and Pam Metheny. The Sunday tour stops at CNN, the world of Coca-Cola Museum, and Underground Atlanta. Monday's tour has a historical theme stopping at the Carter Presidential Center and the Martin Luther King Center among others. On Tuesday the tour heads for exclusive Buckhead to see Atlanta's little Hollywood area and the homes of many past and present wealthy Atlantan's. The Monday Social Event and dinner will be served at the famous Fernbank Museum of Natural History where you can see art galleries and exhibits including: Life and Death Under the Pharaohs, A Walk Through Time in Georgia, Cultures of the World, and First Georgians. Tuesday evening's special event will feature dinner at Stately Oaks, a Greek Revival plantation home. The 2000 Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection will be one you won't want to miss. I hope to see you there. |