Mock Outbreak Trial Cross Examination - When You're in the Hot Seat

At the Food Safety Consortium and Food Quality Symposium this past month, we shared some time with Shawn Stevens of Food Industry Counsel. Food Industry Counsel is the only law firm in the world that exclusively represents the food industry. Through our discussions, Shawn and the ClorDiSys team conceived a fun and unique session to include at our upcoming Food Safety and Microbiology Conference.

Taking up a scenario where a company has to defend the food safety decisions it has made post-foodborne illness outbreak, Shawn Stevens will perform a mock cross examination. This session will illustrate how important your everyday decisions can be by taking a look at the consequences that can arise in the event of a foodborne outbreak.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
As a food industry consultant and lawyer, Shawn Stevens works throughout the U.S. and abroad with food industry clients (including the world’s largest growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors and grocers) helping them protect their brand by reducing food safety risk, complying with FDA and USDA food safety regulations, managing recalls, and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims.

5 Reasons You CANNOT Miss the 2018 Food Safety & Microbiology Conference

 

REASON #1: LEARN FROM FOOD SAFETY EXPERTS & INDUSTRY LEADERS

You'll be able to meet, listen to, and learn from world class speakers including:

Shawn K. Stevens, Food Industry Counsel

Dave Blomquist, DFB Consulting, LLC

Gary Acuff, Ph.D, Texas A&M

Diane Walker, Center for Biofilm Engineering

Mickey Parish, Ph.D, FDA

All speakers will be available outside of their presentation times for introductions and additional questions.

REASON #2: WORLD CLASS CONTENT
The agenda uniquely blends a mix of regulatory information, microbiological tips and tricks, as well as solutions straight from industry.  Presentations will deliver a well-rounded set of information to guide you and your company through the changes coming from FSMA as well as technological advances.  Upon leaving, you'll have clear takeaways which will help improve your environmental monitoring programs and limit your risk of contamination and recall.

VIEW THE COMPLETE PROGRAM HERE.

REASON #3: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Discover why they say everything is bigger, and better, in Texas! The conference will take place at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Just 30 minutes outside Dallas, you will never find yourself looking for something to do with beautiful Lake Grapevine, 4.5 acres of lush indoor gardens and Riverwalk, an elegant spa, and your choice of 10 restaurants, bars, and cafes.

REASON #4: A ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCE

We’re excited to announce the addition of a very unique session to our program.  Taking up a scenario where a company has to defend the food safety decisions it has made post-foodborne illness outbreak, Shawn Stevens of Food Industry Counsel will perform a mock deposition.  The mock deposition will illustrate how important your everyday decisions and regulatory compliance can be, by taking a look at the consequences that can arise in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak.

REASON #5: HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FOOD INDUSTRY PEERS

This annual conference is a lot of learning packed into a short amount of time, but you'll also have opportunities to relax and get to know your peers. Our speakers and attendees are highly skilled and experienced professionals. During breakfast, lunch, and evening cocktail receptions, you have an opportunity to collaborate, hear new ideas, and validate or change your perspectives.

PPM-Hrs: Chlorine Dioxide Gas Treatment by Dosage

Previously, accurate measurement of other decontaminating agents was not consistent or reliable.  During large facility decontamination, it is not uncommon that the target concentration cannot be reached.  This may be due to loss, consumption, absorption or reaction with organic load. Since chlorine dioxide gas has a visible color, it is easily and accurately measured. This allows us to monitor the overall dosage accumulated during the decontamination and only complete the process once the correct dosage has been met.

To test this, ClorDiSys performed tests at different concentrations (0.3, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 & 20 mg/L) all with the same dosage. Dosage is described as an exposure at a concentration (parts per million) multiplied by an amount of time, typically hours (Hrs). For CD, this is referred to as PPM-Hrs. To determine the PPM-Hrs, the concentration in PPM is accumulated every minute. This accumulation then accrues PPM-Hrs. 6-log biological indicators were used to test the efficacy of chlorine dioxide gas when the overall dosage is held constant, but the concentration and contact times are varied. All of the varied chlorine dioxide gas concentrations (0.3, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 & 20 mg/L) with BI’s exposed to various exposure times with each cycle having a fixed target dosage of 720PPM-Hrs exhibited complete decontamination. The 20 mg/L run had the shortest gas time (14 minutes), and 0.3mg/L had the longest gas time (355 minutes). 

Data shows that the concentration of chlorine dioxide gas used does not affect the overall efficacy of the sterilization cycle as long as the overall exposure dosage of 720 ppm-hr has been met. Therefore, when the target concentration cannot be reached due to loss, consumption, or absorption, the cycle can still be successful. This confirms that the overall goal of an exposure is to achieve a certain dosage (720ppm-hrs) regardless of the concentration or exposure time.