Recent high-profile cases of food-borne illness and supply contamination have reinvigorated federal oversight of the safety of the food supply, and the finalized regulations of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act have been released and are now under interpretation and being integrated throughout the industry. At the same time, progressive organizations representing the meat, poultry and egg industries have, in conjunction with the USDA FSIS, integrated high level standards to reduce food-borne pathogens, increasing the quality and safety of the food supply through the use of enhanced technologies and validation systems. As regulations continue to evolve, requiring additional safeguards, quality measures, documentation and validation, organizations require insightful processes and procedures that will ultimately mitigate risks, streamline operating procedures and ensure the safety of food products throughout the supply chain.

Throughout the food and beverage industry, packaging executives are continually looking to enhance the overall design and durability of product packaging, with the triple aims of attracting consumers, reducing damage to product, as well as extending the life of products. All the while, pressure on margins is resulting in a need to reduce the overall cost of packaging along with the weight of the total product in order to streamline transportation and delivery costs, which have increased substantially over the past several years. In order to meet these demands, as well as demands from consumers for more environmentally friendly packaging that reduces waste, is recyclable or biodegradable, packaging executives are continually searching for enhanced materials and technologies to streamline packaging operations.

As interest in nutrition continues to grow, and illnesses such as diabetes and obesity continue to challenge health systems around the world, food manufacturers are being challenged with updating labels to provide consumers with a more accurate picture of the contents of food items. The 2nd Annual Q1 Food Labeling Conference will build on the success of the 2015 program, providing updates to many of the issues addressed previously, but building on the science behind policy decisions, to support the need for updated label regulations. FDA & USDA proposed label changes are the most wide-spread and far reaching in 20 years and will affect all food manufacturers as well as influence consumer food choices. With regulatory bodies represented including the USDA and FTC, executives will have an unrivalled opportunity to discuss the ongoing evolution of label regulations and the impact these changes will have on manufacturers as well as consumers.