Food Industry Virtual Office Hours to Address Questions Concerning COVID-19
- Tuesday, June 2, 2020, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
- Thursday, June 4, 2020, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Tuesday, June 9, 2020, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
- Thursday, June 18, 2020, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
June 1st:
Food Industry Virtual Office Hours to Address Questions Concerning COVID-19
Join the Cornell University Department of Food Science's Extension Team and invited panelists for weekly Q&A and facilitated discussions during Food Industry Virtual Office Hours. Upcoming sessions will focus on the produce industry, the general food industry (which is applicable to fruit and vegetable growers and packers, packinghouses, dairy foods processors, fruit and vegetable processors, food and beverage processors, regulators, association representatives, and educators) and the dairy foods industry.
Speak directly to subject matter experts in sanitation, epidemiology, microbiology, virology, food safety culture, business continuity and the food safety of dairy foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and processed foods and beverages. Virtual Office Hours are free and open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Do you have a question for the panel but do not want to ask it live? You can submit questions in advance:
1) When you register,
2) Anonymously on the IFS@CU website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/content/submit-question-virtual-office-hours), or
3) Via email (mail to: foodsafety@cornell.edu).
See below for dates/times and information on how to register or visit the IFS@CU's website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/virtual-office-hours) to learn more about upcoming sessions.
Dairy Foods Industry Virtual Office Hours
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (EDT)
Cornell University dairy foods safety faculty will facilitate this session in collaboration with the Dairy Foods Research Centers, the National Dairy Council and the New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence to address questions on COVID-19.
Intended audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Cost: Free
Registration required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsde2pqTkiG91R4sfIRl787frvRhNeO8H4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.
Subject matter experts on the panel
Cornell University:
Dr. Sam Alcaine,
Assistant Professor in Food Science
Mr. Rob Ralyea, M.S.,
Senior Dairy Extension Associate
Dr. Aljosa Trmcic,
Dairy Extension Associate
Dr. Martin Wiedmann, Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety
Oregon State University:
Dr. Jovana Kovacevic, Assistant Professor in Food Safety
University of Delaware:
Dr. Kalmia Kniel, Professor of Animal and Food Sciences
University of Wisconsin, Madison:
Ms. Marianne Smukowski, Outreach Program Manager, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research
Utah State University:
Dr. Taylor Oberg,
Assistant Professor in Food Safety
Dairy Management Inc.:
Mr. Tim Stubbs, CFS, Vice President Product Research and Food Safety
Ecolab, Inc.:
Dr. Ruth Petran,
Senior Corporate Scientist in Food Safety & Public Health
Matrix Sciences International, Inc.:
Ms. Melanie Neumann, J.D., M.S.,
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Food Industry Resources on COVID-19
Looking for more information on COVID-19 as it relates to your food business?
We are keeping the IFS@CU's website (
instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources) updated with current information and resources on COVID-19 for the food industry.
What is COVID-19?
In collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, we have created short (~ 5 minute) videos that outline information about the virus that causes COVID-19 and strategies employees can adopt to protect themselves and others. We encourage the industry to utilize these videos by displaying them on their closed circuit video systems in the workplace, or through other outlets. You can find the videos on YouTube in English ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NXhZ3V-VMQ&feature=youtu.be) and Spanish (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmGuPXiKkWg&feature=youtu.be).
Validation, Verification and Development of a COVID-19 Control "Culture"
We recently co-hosted a webinar and facilitated Q&A with Matrix Sciences International, Inc. titled Validation, Verification and Development of a COVID-19 Control "Culture." The webinar discusses key mitigation strategies, including the need to validate and verify the effectiveness and execution of these controls, and how to develop and foster a company culture that focuses on COVID-19 control both within and outside the workplace. The recording is available to view on YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFoWiRU-E3M).
Need assistance finding resources on the IFS@CU website?
Reach out to us directly at foodsafety@cornell.edu.
COVID-19 What We've Learned - Best Practices for the Food
Industry: Overview and Industry Panel
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (EDT)
Joined by colleagues from universities and organizations across the U.S., the IFS@CU has hosted 25 sessions of Virtual Office Hours to address food industry questions on COVID-19 since the end of March. This webinar will provide an overview of what we have learned, reviewing the best practices for the food industry. A facilitated discussion with an industry panel will address how best practices are being implemented.
Intended audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Cost: Free
Registration required: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vzGVlpygT8-0J1-7KerQdw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.
Produce Industry Virtual Office Hours
Thursday, June 18, 2020 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm (EDT)
Joined by colleagues from Rutgers University, United Fresh Produce Association, the University of Delaware, and the University of Florida, this session for the Produce Industry to address questions related to COVID-19 will be led by Cornell University produce safety professionals including members of the Produce Safety Alliance, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Department of Food Science.
Intended audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
Cost: Free
Registration required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sfuqtpzIpGtwwkkAZYUR9CPwISo0jqvYO
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.
Subject matter experts on the panel
Cornell Cooperative Extension:
Dr. Chris Watkins, Professor and Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension
Cornell University:
Dr. Laura Acuna-Maldonado, Extension Associate
Dr. Sam Alcaine, Assistant Professor
Dr. Elizabeth Bihn, Senior Extension Associate
Ms. Donna Clements, M.S., Extension Associate
Dr. Connie Fisk, Extension Associate
Mr. Tommy Saunders, M.S., Extension Associate
Dr. Don Stoeckel, Extension Associate
Dr. Aljosa Trmcic, Extension Associate
Ms. Gretchen Wall, M.S., Extension Associate
Rutgers University:
Dr. Don Schaffner, Extension Specialist in Food Science and Distinguished Professor
University of Delaware:
Dr. Kalmia Kniel, Professor of Animal and Food Sciences
University of Florida:
Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Professor of Food Science
Ecolab, Inc.:
Dr. Ruth Petran, Senior Corporate Scientist in Food Safety & Public Health
United Fresh Produce Association:
Dr. Jennifer McEntire, Vice President, Food Safety & Technology
Food Industry Resources on COVID-19
Looking for more information on COVID-19 as it relates to your food business?
We are keeping our website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-industry-resources) updated with current information and resources on COVID-19 for the food industry.
Need assistance finding resources on the IFS@CU website? Reach out to us directly at foodsafety@cornell.edu.
Consumer Resources on COVID-19
As a follow-up to the webinar and Q&A Dispelling Consumer Myths and Learning the Facts about COVID-19 , the IFS@CU in collaboration with CCE hosted a special session of Virtual Office Hours to address consumer questions on COVID-19. Topics covered include:
- Measures implemented in meat packing operations to reduce transmission of COVID-19;
- Guidance for grocery shopping and food handling;
- Impacts on the food supply chain and why they differ across commodities;
- Effectiveness of cloth face coverings;
- Transmission and activity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19; and
- The safety of takeout and delivery foods.
You can view the session in full on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_PszXV2oZc
Additional consumer resources are also available on the IFS@CU's website ( instituteforfoodsafety.cornell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19/food-safety-recommendation-consumer).
Last updated June 8, 2020