ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF International, a public health and safety organization, is honored to announce the winners of the 2013 NSF Food Safety Leadership Awards. The awards were presented last week during the 2013 Food Safety Summit held at the Baltimore Convention Center.
The NSF International Food Safety Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a real and lasting impact on food safety. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the awards program, which NSF International created in 2004 to encourage the development of educational programs, processes and technologies that help advance global food safety.
Each year, NSF International seeks nominations from leaders throughout the global food safety community and convenes an independent panel of food safety experts from academia, industry and the regulatory community to select the winners. Nominations are evaluated based on innovation, design and the contributions made to the advancement of food safety.
This year, three winners were recognized for their outstanding commitment to food safety:
- 2013 NSF Food Safety Leadership Award for Research Advances Michigan Turkey Producers Co-Op Inc.
- 2013 NSF Food Safety Leadership Award for Training Debby Newslow, President, D.L. Newslow & Associates, Inc.
- 2013 NSF Food Safety Leadership Trendsetter Award Winner Bobby Krishna, Principal Food Studies Officer, Food Control Department – Dubai Municipality
Recognized as an expert in food safety and quality, Newslow is frequently consulted by industry members for advice and guidance. She is a sought-after speaker, presenting at industry meetings and short courses. Her published works, including the book Food Safety Management Programs – Applications, Best Practices and Compliance and articles in trade journals, are used widely as references by the food industry.
Newslow is an IRCA Certified Quality Assurance Lead Assessor, American Society of Quality Certified Quality Auditor, Certified HACCP Auditor and Certified Quality Manager. She has received the Roy Wilson Sparkle Award, the Bob Olsen Award and the Florida Association for Food Protection Sanitarian of the Year Award. She is an advisory board member and regular contributor to FoodSafetyTech.com. She has served on the executive boards of the Florida IFT and Cultured Dairy Products Association, and on the editorial board of Food Protection.
“Debby is committed to possessing a deep understanding of food safety systems and philosophies. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, Debby also worked tirelessly to understand and translate the standards into practical business applications. This ability is one of the most striking qualities that sets Debby apart from many other in the training profession,” said Mike Burness, V.P. of Global Quality and Food Safety at Chiquita Brands International.
Bobby Krishna, Principal Food Studies Officer, Food Control Department – Dubai Municipality
Bobby Krishna is influential in promoting food safety understanding and culture in the Middle East and India. Through Krishna’s initiatives, food safety awareness and education in the Middle East has significantly improved. He has created important resources for food safety practitioners and helped generate interest and scientific, reasoned debate on food safety best practices.
Krishna was instrumental in establishing a partnership with WHO and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set up a foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigation system in Dubai, which is now being implemented nationally. He played a major role in developing the Person in Charge personnel certification program, which trains food safety handlers and managers across Dubai. The program is ISO 17024 compliant and features customized training and materials, including a food safety handbook published in the three most popular languages in Dubai.
Krishna is the key organizer of the annual Dubai International Food Safety Conference, which attracts 1,500 food safety professionals. The event has made Dubai the center of food safety activity in the region, helping it establish partnerships with food safety organizations and connect with regulatory agencies, academia and food industry professionals worldwide.
Krishna runs a popular website, www.foodsafe.ae, that educates families and businesses about food safety. He established an online discussion group, the Food Safety Clinic, to spread information on topical food safety issues and to link the Food Department of Dubai Municipality to the food industry. The group serves as a forum for interaction, discussion and networking for 950 food safety professionals.
Krishna is also helping improve food safety programs in India, working with the Food Safety Commissioner’s office in Kerala to set up a food inspection and grading system.
“Bobby is dedicated to improving food safety and is well respected in the food safety and enforcement sector in the Gulf region. His work has increased the awareness of practical food safety measures among quality control professionals throughout the region, and our auditors have seen improvements in food safety awareness that can be attributed to his work,” said Peter Bracher, Managing Director of the Global Food Division, Asia-Pacific Region, at NSF International.
The 2013 NSF Food Safety Leadership Award independent panel of jurors included:
- Mary M. Adolf, M.S., R.D., Executive Director, International Pizza Hut Franchise Holders Association
- Shelley Feist, Executive Director, Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE)
- Donna Garren, Ph.D., Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Frozen Food Institute
- Jack Guzewich, formerly of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition retired)
- Ernest Julian, Ph.D., Chief of the Office of Food Protection, Rhode Island Department of Health
- Ronald S. Klein, formerly of the Food Safety and Sanitation program at the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (retired)
- Jim Mann, Founder and Executive Director, The Handwashing For Life Institute
- Donald Schaffner, Ph.D., President-Elect, International Association for Food Protection, and Extension Specialist in food Science, Rutgers University
- David Theno, Ph.D., CEO, Gray Dog Partners Inc., Food Consulting
- Ewen C.D. Todd, Ph.D., President, Ewen Todd Consulting, and former Director of Food Safety Policy Center, Michigan State University
For more information on the NSF Food Safety Leadership Awards, contact Sarah Ma at 734-769-8010 Ext. 2716 or sma@nsf.org.
About NSF International:
NSF International is a global independent organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the food, water and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF International has been collaborating with the World Health Organization since 1997 in water quality and safety, food safety and indoor environments.
The NSF Global Food Division provides expertise and accredited services across all supply chain sectors, from agriculture, produce, processing, distribution and dairy, to seafood, retail and restaurants. Services include Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification (SQF, BRC, GLOBALG.A.P., FSSC 22000, IFS, BAP, CanadaGAP) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chain of custody certifications, plus expert auditing, consulting and technical services, HACCP validation and inspection, and organic and gluten-free certification through QAI (Quality Assurance International). NSF is also the leading certifier of foodservice equipment, nonfood compounds and bottled water/beverages.
Additional NSF International services include dietary supplement and nutritional ingredient certification; training, testing and consulting for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries; consumer product testing; drinking water certification.
Source: NSF International