Food Safety Regulation Discussion Forums this month

Small food processors, producers and food entrepreneurs are invited to participate in a series of forum discussions on Michigan food safety regulations. As the Michigan Food Law is improved and revised, these forums provide an opportunity for small and medium size farm operators and food entrepreneurs to provide input on food safety and how regulations affect them.

The forums are hosted by Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) with funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture in order to learn more about perceptions and experiences of food safety regulations and discover if and how regulations have constrained the viability of small food businesses. Pre-registration is requested; you can register by clicking the "Register now" links below or at www.miffs.org/foodsafetyforums.asp.

These forums will take place throughout the month of March at the following locations:

·         March 2, 2011 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the NEW Center,1100 N. Main St., Ann Arbor

o    Register now

·         March 9, 2011 from 6 – 8 p.m.  at the Portage Public Library, 300 Library Lane, Portage

o    Register now

·         March 15, 2011 from 9 – 11 a.m. at Michigan State University (MSU) Extension - Bay County, 515 Center Ave., Bay City

o    Register now

·         March 25, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at MSU Extension - Mecosta County, 14485 Northland Dr., Big Rapids

o    Register now

·         March 30, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 1201 W. Main St., Gaylord

o    Register now

For further details, contact Jenifer Buckley, Project Manager, at jbuckley@msu.edu or (517) 355-5962. 

Do You Spend Time Keeping Your Files in Sync?

Syncing files from one computer to another used to be a constant task in my work flow. Sometimes it created annoying workflow bottlenecks. 

If you need to have copies of the same files on different computers,you simply have to try out DropBox.com. This amazing free service lets you keep multiple computers in sync so seamlessly that you will forget about it.

I used to move files back and forth with USB drives. I have a drawerful of USB drives and a couple of portable hard drives that are obsolete. Instead, Dropbox creates a special folder called "Dropbox." Anything put in that folder gets magically synchronized to Dropbox's servers, and then downloaded to the other selected machines automatically. It is not intended as a backup service, but the files are stored on the Dropbox server and the multiple machines. Even better, it is cross-platform and works on PCs, Macs, iPads, and even smartphones.

Dropbox totally changed my workflow for the better. Try it out. If you use my affiliate code by using this link, you'll get an extra 250Mb of DropBox storage for free: nealfortin_dropbox_link. The 2GB account is free. Give it a shot. It is awesome!

"Food Safety Research in FDA: Collected Stories" Seminar on February 16, 2011

Mary Lou Tortorello, Ph.D., Chief, Food Technology Branch, NCFST/FDA will be presenting a seminar on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 4:00 p.m. in 1135 S. Anthony Hall, Michigan State University.  Her presentation "Food Safety Research in FDA:  Collected Stories" is part of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Spring Seminar Series.

Food Labeling: Where Science, Health, and Policy Meet

On February 9, Barbara Schneeman,Ph.D. Director, Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, CFSAN-FDA, will present the lecture, "Food Labeling: Where Science, Health, and Policy Meet." The location is 105 East Fee Hall, Michigan State University. The time is 4:00 pm.

AFDO Scholarship Awards

Applications are being sought for the AFDO Scholarship Awards. The George M. Burditt Scholarship, the Betsy B. Woodward Scholarship and the Denise C. Rooney Scholarship in the amounts of $1500.00 each are awarded annually to three worthy recipients, who are in their third year of college. The following qualifications have been established for the award recipients: The recipients should have demonstrated a desire to serve in a career of research, regulatory work, quality control, or teaching in an area related to some aspect of food, drugs, or consumer product safety; should have demonstrated leadership capabilities; and must have at least a 3.0 grade average during the first two years of undergraduate study on a scale of 4.0. To apply, in addition to completing an application, an official and complete college transcript must be submitted along with letters of recommendation from two faculty members.  It is necessary to use the official AFDO Scholarship Award application. This form is available on AFDO's Scholarship Award Web page. The applications must be returned to the Awards Chair by February 1, 2011, to be considered.

Foodie Movies in the Middle” film series

What: An MSU film series all about FOOD!  

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 noon – 12:45 pm, January-April (between the 2 sections of HNF150).  A tentative schedule, which will be updated, is listed below.

Where: 1281 Anthony Hall

Jan 18 (T): Super Size Me (first half)

Jan 20 (Th): Super Size Me (second half)

Jan 25 (T):  King Corn (first half)

Jan 27 (Th): King Corn (second half)

Feb 1 (T): Asparagus – Stalking the American Life (first half)

Feb 3 (Th): Asparagus – Stalking the American Life (second half) &

    What will we Eat: The Search for Healthy Local Food 

Feb 8: NO FILM

This series is free and open to the MSU community. 

(Future dates will be posted)

Searching to learn about food laws?

Michigan Sea Grant Fellowships

Applicants for three fellowship programs are being accepted from graduate students with a wide range of backgrounds (science, policy, law) and strong interest in Great Lakes, coastal or marine issues. The deadline is February 1, 2011. Web Site: www.miseagrant.umich.edu/research/fellowships

Applications now being accepted for the 2011 IFPTI food safety fellows

The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) Applied Science, Law, and Policy: Fellowship in Food Protection program is designed to provide experienced food regulatory professionals, from all areas of food protection, with critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills, within the framework of Food Regulatory science, law, and policy. This program is a series of three training sessions that are held in Battle Creek, Michigan over the course of one year. The sessions are divided in the following seminars style classes. 1) Law, 2) Policies, Strategies, and Tools, 3) Labeling, 4) Evolving Science of Food Protection, 5) Food Systems Control Applications and 6) Prevention, Intervention, and Response.


Click here for more information.

Celebrating the EU risk regulation paradigm for decision-making

On December 22 2010, the European Courts delivered their most important risk regulation judgment since Pfizer. It is not possible to do justice to the reasoning of the Court in a few lines, but Alberto Alemanno has brought this important judgment to our attention, The Gowan judgment: celebrating the EU risk regulation paradigm for decision-making.

Alberto Alemanno is an instructor in the International Food Law course with the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University.

Happy Holidays

Summer Academy on Global Food Law & Policy

The academy will be held from 25 until 29 July, 2011, at the historical Villa La Collina, Lake Como, Italy. The academy will offer scientific reflection and discourse on key legal and policy issues in European and world food law as well as information and updates on the latest developments. Neal Fortin, Director of the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) at Michigan State University, and IFLR instructors Alberto Alemmano,  and Gretchen Stanton are among the note faculty. For more information, click here.

Job Openings

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey, is seeking a public health law intern for Summer 2011. The intern will assist with research, field scans, and other work to assist in efforts to build the field of public health law. For more details on this opportunity and to apply, visit job opportunities on http://www.rwjf.org/employment.

The O'Neill Institute is seeking an exceptionally qualified candidate to serve as an O'Neill Institute Law Fellow. The candidate should have a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and research interests in health law related areas such as public health law, global health law, domestic health care law, empirical studies, regulatory impacts of health law, and/or health and human rights. This Fellowship term will be January to August 2011, and the application deadline is December 30, 2010. For more information, visithttp://www.law.georgetown.edu/oneillinstitute/index.cfm.

Congratulations to Ralph Blanchfield on receiving IUFoST Lifetime Achievement Award

The Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR) congratulates J. Ralph Blanchfield on receiving the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.  

Ralph Blanchfield is an adjunct professor and an instructor in IFLR's International Food Law course. We thank him for a lifetime of service to food science, food safety worldwide, and for his contributions teaching at IFLR.

Congratulations, Ralph!

Dean a finalist for Calif. university presidency

Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is one of three finalists for the presidency of California Polytechnic State University. More of the story is available here.

Food Safety Instructors Wanted

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI), in support of a Nationally Integrated Food Safety System and FDA's Training Vision, have begun an effort to identify qualified instructors for various food protection training courses.   IFPTI is surveying to identify existing or potential food safety training instructors within the food protection community. This includes current or former employees of agencies, industry, or academia having expertise in food protection. Content areas of expertise include food, dairy, feed, produce, laboratory, epidemiology, shellfish, meat, egg, or any other related areas.   A National Food Protection Training Curriculum is being developed and IFPTI is collecting this pool of instructors in order to identify opportunities to expand the delivery of existing as well as yet-to-be-developed training courses across the country.  Interested individuals may be contacted about attending instructor training, auditing course deliveries, performing actual training, or assisting on course and curriculum development activities.       Please open the link below, complete the "Instructor Assessment Preference" form and check those courses listed that you are qualified and have an interest in teaching.  You are encouraged to identify other courses not listed for which you are also qualified.  Instructor Assessment Preference Form

Government Perspectives and Consumer Insights on Label Claims (webcast slide presentation posted)

A Web cast hosted by the International Food Information Council Foundation featured speakers to discuss the rules and regulations that support the use of label claims and research into how people use the food label when choosing foods and beverages. Click here to view Web cast slides (PDF).

The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) Seeks Authors and Peer Reviewers

The inaugural issue of JAFSCD is now online. The first issue of this international, peer-reviewed journal of applied research and policy analysis is available free to view at www.AgDevJournal.com. JAFSCD is for agencies, organizations, and academics interested in expanding local and regional food systems. 

MSU Student Wins FDLI Writing Award

Jason Murdey, an MSU College of Law Candidate for Juris Doctor May 2011, recently was honored with First Place Award in the short paper category of the Thomas H. Auden Memorial Writing Competition at the Institute for Food and Drug Law. His article,Preemption of the "Fraud on the FDA" Exception to Michigan's Tort Immunity Statute for Drug Manufacturers: Reconsidering Garcia and Desiano after Levine, will appear in the February 2011 issue of the Food & Drug Law Journal. The journal is the most widely read and referenced journal in the field. Most of the previous winners who have won in past years have been Harvard Law students. Jason's other activities include: Law Review Associate Editor; President, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund; Student Bar Association Liaison to the Ingham County Bar Association.

Interested in a Research Position?

Laboratory Assistant Position

A six months to one year position is currently available; ~10-20 hrs per week; $10 per hour

Qualifications and skills

Sound knowledge of biological science; enthusiasm and aptitude to participate as a team member in a US EPA funded project; previous hands-on experience required (preparing buffers, pH measurements, mouse work)

You will have opportunity to get training in Immunology; learn ELISA, Western, cell culture, non-invasive cardiovascular measurements etc.

Research Area: Food Allergy and Immunology

For more information

Please contact ASAP with your resume

Venu Gangur, DVM, MVS, PhD

Associate Professor,

302-B GM Trout Bldg, MSU

gangur@msu.edu

517-355-8474x134