FTA to Host Free Webinar on Food Safety Certifications and Standards

Presented by Peter Cicero, #1 ranked food safety expert in the world

May 14, 2012 - Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), the world’s leading professional society dedicated to advancing the flexographic printing process is pleased to announce that on June 14 from 3:00pm to 4:00pm EDT, it will host a free webinar for its members, “Food Safety & Sanitation – What You Need to Know” presented by Peter Cicero, Capjem Consulting, Inc. Attendees will gain insight into the Safe Quality Food (SQF) and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certifications that are fast becoming a must for the modern food contact packager.

Today’s consumers are more educated about the food they’re providing their families and, more than ever, they’re taking charge and demanding safer, healthier food. They expect more from their retailers and food service providers, who in turn, expect more of their suppliers.

Doreen Monteleone, FTA director of EHS and special projects commented, “Because of the heightened demand for food safety assurance, flexo printers today are being asked to provide verifiable proof that robust food safety control systems have been effectively implemented and validated. FTA is proud to help its members who currently print food packaging, or for those looking to enter the field, learn about what certification programs are out there and how they work.”

“As manufacturers of printed packaging for the food industry, flexo printers are being asked to embrace new and revised food safety standards. This is being driven by the retail stores to the food processors and more recently to printer/converters,” said Dan Doherty, executive vice president of operations/principal, Prairie State Group and chair of FTA’s task force on the Global Food Safety Initiative and Safe Quality Food (GFSI/SQF). He added, “As an industry we need to understand the various certification options available to us and how they will be received by our clients now and in the future. Understanding the role of the GFSI  and SQF certification is a good start.”

Attendees will learn about the tools, resources and relationships that can help them manage their food safety initiatives, specifically:

The webinar presenter, Cicero, is a senior consulting engineer with Capjem and has more than 20 years of experience in food safety, quality and operations management. He is an ACS chemist, possesses a BS in Chemistry, an MBA, and is a certified lean/six sigma black belt. Mr. Cicero is the #1 ranked certified SQF consultant in the world with 26 food process category certifications.

The webinar is free for FTA members and $99.00 for non-members. Register here or for more information contact Doreen Monteleone, FTA director of EHS and special projects at 631-737-6020 ext. 30.

 

About FTA/FFTA: Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), chartered in 1958, is a professional society dedicated to bringing all members of the flexographic printing community—printers, suppliers, consumer product companies, institutions, prepress houses and others--together by providing opportunities for the free exchange of technical ideas and discussion of mutual concerns. It is a proponent of maintaining and advancing quality standards and includes 1,650 member sites that represent more than 1,400 companies and 60,000 individuals. Foundation of FTA, founded in 1974, is the educational arm of FTA and is dedicated to supporting and advancing the flexographic printing industry.