Webinar Archive

Active IAFP Members can use our search below to find past webinars held by IAFP and IAFP’s Professional Development Groups (PDGs). Please note that all opinions and statements are those of the individual making the presentations and not necessarily the opinion or view of IAFP.

Webinar Access

You must have an active IAFP Membership to play the archived webinars in this section.

Archived Webinars

  • Matrix Additions Part 2: Alternative Approaches for Rapid Pathogen Detection Methods

    Organized by: Applied Laboratory Methods PDG

    The food safety industry recognizes the increasing need for the most prudent, scientifically, and economically sound approaches to method validation and verification for pathogen methods. The scope of certified methods available from test kit providers for significant pathogens is limited to the matrices included in the validation study. With tens of thousands of food products on the market, third-party validations of all matrices at all test portion sizes is not cost-efficient or feasible. Matrix studies can extend the use of a method to a food not included in the original validation and be used to ensure that a method is fit-for-purpose for the end-user. Part 2 of this webinar series will dive deeper into the complexities of matrix evaluation and method performance. Examples of food-similarity grouping and the application of a risk-based questionnaire will be presented to help end-users determine an appropriate level of evaluation for their method of choice.

    Learning Objectives:
    1. Decipher the critical parameters of rapid pathogen detection method and the intrinsic properties of food matrices that may affect method performance.
    2. Learn the proposed levels of matrix evaluation as they relate to matrix risk assessment.
    3. Outline considerations for strain selection and sample spiking procedures for matrix evaluation.
    Understand how to use the Applied Laboratory Methods PDG's Matrix Risk Assessment Tool and interpret the outcome.

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    Presenters
    • Amanda Brookhouser-Sisney, Presenter Midwest Laboratories
    • Nisha Corrigan, Presenter Hygiena
    • Jaya Sundaram, Moderator WTI, Inc
  • Diversify Your Food Safety and Quality Data: Where Are My Results and What Are They Telling Me?

    Organized by: Applied Laboratory Methods PDG, Data Management & Analytics PDG, and Hygiena

    In today's food industry, data collection is widespread, but often, this data remains in raw forms like numbers and symbols due to departmental silos and profitability concerns. Companies struggle to create a comprehensive narrative about product safety and quality despite investing time and effort in sample collection and lab tests. Modern tools leverage internet connectivity and advanced algorithms to unlock the true potential of this data, revolutionizing the food industry. However, challenges lie in effectively implementing these technologies. This session aims to encourage the sharing of industry practices related to environmental monitoring, indicator testing, pathogen detection, and quality analysis. By uniting these facets, collaborative problem-solving can address issues without inadvertently creating new ones.

    Learning Objectives:

    •Data Digitization for Holistic Food Safety and Quality Management
    •Maximizing Your Testing Budget for Actionable Data-Driven Decision-Making
    •Utilization of Indicators and Pathogens to Manage from Live Production, Process Control and Final Product

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    Presenters
    • Mindy Brashears, Presenter Director of ICFIE at Texas Tech University
    • Karen Beers, Presenter Pilgrim's, Director – Lab Services
    • Matt Hahs, Moderator Hygiena, Sr Global Product Manager
  • Plant-Based Meat Analogues; How far of an Analogue in Microflora?

    Organized by: IAFP's Plant-Based Alternative Products Quality and Food Safety PDG

    Plant-based meat analogues are the latest trends in replacing the meat in prepared meals and other traditional meat-based products over health, nutrition, safety, and environmental reasons. With increasing interest, it becomes important to ensure the safety of these products. A recent outbreak, sickening 470 people followed by recall in June 2022 with ground-beef substitute have proven that plant-based meat analogues also come with food safety risks. Peer reviewed comparisons of microbial spoilage of identical meals prepared with meat and meat analogues found the microbial proliferation was faster in hot meals containing meat analogue, especially if the meals were not cooled.
    Understanding microbial community and identifying spoilage flora, pathogen serotypes, and virulence genes could provide useful insights. The goal of this webinar is to describe current microbiome research projects focused on spoilage or pathogen presence and persistence in a variety of plant-based meat analogues with particular attention to microbiome transfer dynamics.

    Learning Objectives:
    1. Use of microbial community profiling in meat analogue products.
    2. Potential food safety and quality solutions in plant-based meat products.
    3. Understanding spoilage of plant-based products and how it affects food sustainability.

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    Presenters
    • Alejandra Ramirez, Presenter Impossible Foods
    • Nicolette Hall, Presenter Kerry
    • Joyjit Saha, Moderator Kerry