By:  Kimberly Bukowski

The annual SQF International Conference was held in Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 5-7, 2013. Many current topics were covered including, an update on the Food Safety Modernization Act, top 10 SQF nonconformances, Supplier management, internal auditing, allergens, workforce training, environmental positives, validation versus, verification, and foreign material programs, along with many other interesting food safety topics.

An added feature this year was the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation, in partnership with the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), awarded scholarships to three food science majors for their academic pursuits to improve food safety and protect public health. These competitive FMI Foundation scholarships are based on academic ability; leadership potential; motivation and initiative; and passion for the food industry and the auditing profession. For more information about the scholarship program, visit the FMI Foundation website www.fmifoundation.org.

Also SQF has posted on their website a comparison between SQF Level 2 (module7) and the proposed Produce Rule for FSMA.