Biomed/Biotech SIG: Food Safety Challenges  

To be presented by

Associate Professor

Department of Nutrition and Food Science 

University of Maryland at College Park

6:00 – 6:20 PM – Networking; Pizza/drink 

6:20 – 8:30 PM – Program 

8:30 – 8:45 PM – Door-prizes drawing; Networking

Online Registration site: http://www.asq509.org/ht/d/DoSurvey/i/35817

Open to Public - $5 for non-ASQ members to cover pizza/drink cost; 

Free to ASQ Members, students, local interns, postdocs, FDA Commissioner’s Fellows, and current job-seekers 

Location: Kelly’s Deli Conference Center, 7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855

The accomplishments and challenges in safeguarding food supplies are discussed, since food safety is becoming an increasingly important and complex societal issue, both nationally and internationally.  Consumers throughout the world struggle to keep pace with a variety of ever-changing and diversified food safety concerns.  In the United States, a number of recent foodborne disease outbreaks have made the public keenly aware that our food supply is vulnerable.  There is also growing public recognition that we are ill-equipped to handle the emerging threat of a bioterrorist attack targeted against the food system.  Modern food safety encompasses a broad range of issues, including the maintenance of a food supply free from infectious organisms and deleterious physical or chemical contaminants.  Maintaining food safety is complicated by a complex international supply system, resulting in an unprecedented interdependence of food supplies globally.  The recent problems of melamine in China and plasticizers (DBP, DINP, DEHP, DIDP, DNOP, and BBP) tainting food products in Taiwan have clearly demonstrated how vulnerable the food supply chain is to adulterations, signifying the broad impacts when food safety is not given adequate attention.  Professionals involved with different aspects of the food chain often focus on the importance of their specialty areas.  However, it is clear that important food safety issues need to be properly addressed at all levels through coalescence of experts and by forging new partnerships.  

Dr. Y. Martin Lo, Associate Professor of Food Bioprocess Engineering and Extension Specialist of Food Processing Safety, is also the Director of Food Science Graduate Program at the University of Maryland at College Park.  He is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation.  Dr. Lo received his PhD in Food Science and Technology from the Ohio State University in 1995 and started his academic career at University of Delaware until 2001, before joining University of Maryland.  He has published more than 50 research papers in prestigious journals and established active research programs in value-added bioconversion of food and agriculture byproducts as well as development of food safety strategies.  Dr. Lo is the Process Authority for the state of Maryland and has helped regional food companies and the farming communities develop new quality products.  He served as the President of the Chinese American Food Society and the Chair of Food Engineering Division in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and was selected as a Distinguished Lecturer for IFT.  Dr. Lo serves as the Maryland Food Safety HACCP Coordinator for USDA-FSIS, and is leading the Commercially Sterile Packaged Foods (CSPF) international training program for the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN). He also serves as a trainer for international workshops on Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs).