Food Protection Officials To Gather In Battle Creek
BATTLE CREEK -- Food protection officials from 20 countries will meet July 24 at the International Food Protection Training Institute to discuss effective food safety training within a globally integrated food system.
The group's visit to The Training Institute -- the global leader in developing and delivering career-spanning training for food safety professionals -- is part of the annual "International Food Safety Short Course" sponsored by Michigan State University and will include presentations by Gerald Wojtala, executive director of The Institute.
"Food safety is an issue that affects everyone on the planet, and making sure that the food supply is safe should be a top priority for all countries," said Wojtala.
The 40 government officials planning to visit the Battle Creek-based institute represent the following countries: Algeria, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Republic of Moldova, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine and Vietnam.
"As the global food supply becomes more interconnected, strong international food safety systems are essential," said Wojtala. "The programs provided by The Training Institute play a vital role in helping food safety professionals in the U.S. and throughout the world protect the food supply."
The International Food Protection Training Institute is an initiative of the Global Food Protection Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driving the adoption of food protection policies and practices for a safer global food supply. The Institute's mission is to improve public health and reduce mortality, morbidity and economic costs associated with foodborne illnesses.
The International Food Protection Training Institute is building and administering the training infrastructure for a global integrated food safety system. Working with federal regulatory and public health officials, The Training Institute is establishing and overseeing the implementation of a career-spanning food-protection training curriculum and courses that will increase training capacity and ensure competency and equivalency throughout regulatory jurisdictions at all levels of government.
Financial support for the Training Institute is provided through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and through the generosity of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
