NSF International Announces Recipients
of the 2007 Food Safety Leadership Awards
WHAT:
NSF International (NSF) today announced
the 2007 recipients of its Fourth Annual
Food Safety Leadership Awards. NSF's Food
Safety Leadership Awards Program recognizes
groundbreaking food safety achievements
throughout the foodservice industry.
WHEN/WHERE:
The awards will be presented on Saturday,
May 19, 2007 at 2:00 PM (CT) at McCormick
Place Convention Center (Booth #3438)
during the National Restaurant Association
Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago.
WHY:
As part of its ongoing commitment to help
protect the public from foodborne illness,
each year NSF's Food Safety Leadership
Awards Program recognizes true leaders
that demonstrate excellence in foodservice
safety. Due to the overwhelming number
of nominations this year, NSF will present
two awards for the lifetime achievement,
education and systems improvement categories.
WHO:
After reviewing all nominations, an independent
panel of food safety experts identified
the following recipients for their groundbreaking
achievements:
Jeannie
Sneed, PhD, RD, SNS, CFSP, Iowa State
University
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award
Lifetime Achievement for Education &
Research
Jeannie Sneed, PhD, RD, SNS, CFSP, has
over twenty years of commitment in developing
retail and non-commercial foodservice
food safety programs. She has served as
the Principal Investigator on three large
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
grants, two of which developed Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
initiatives for foodservice operations
and training purposes. Dr. Sneed's primary
area of research has focused on mitigating
cross contamination in retail foodservice
establishments, which has resulted in
the development of new technology for
the foodservice industry. She has also
developed an on-line HACCP graduate level
course for foodservice and is assisting
with the development of an on-line course
for food industry practitioners.
Mr.
Frank Yiannas, Walt Disney World
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award
Lifetime Achievement in Food Safety Leadership
President of the International Association
of Food Protection, Frank Yiannas has
been a leader in food safety for eighteen
years. His many contributions include
progressive microbial detection methods,
developing hand-held computer audit technology
and vendor food safety monitoring systems.
He is also responsible for creating International
Food Safety Icons, which represent important
food safety tasks that can be recognized
in multiple languages.
Susan
D. Conley, USDA/Food Safety and Inspection
Service
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award for Education
Susan D. Conley, USDA/Food Safety Education
Staff Director for the Food Safety and
Inspection Service, has played a key role
in protecting public health through the
development of consumer education outreach
programs. Ms. Conley oversees the agency's
consumer education activities including
the Meat and Poultry Hotline and notable
programs, such as "Be Food Safe,"
ThermyT and "Is It Done Yet"?
Shelley
Feist, Partnership for Food Safety Education
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award for Education
Shelley Feist, Executive Director of the
Partnership for Food Safety Education
(PFSE), is committed to educating consumers
on the four simple practices to fight
foodborne bacteria -- clean, separate,
cook and chill -- to ultimately reduce
the risk of getting sick. Ms. Feist's
coordination and outreach efforts, such
as the Fight BAC!® campaign, continue
to emphasize the importance of food safety
practices to consumers.
Rasheed
Ahmed, M.Ed, CPHI(C), DAAS, FRSH, Royal
Commission Jubail
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award for System Improvement
In 1986, Jubail Industrial City, one of
the largest industrial complexes in Saudi
Arabia with over thirty major petrochemical
industries, experienced several foodborne
incidents. As Environmental Health Supervisor
to the Royal Commission, Rasheed Ahmed,
M.Ed, CPHI(C), DAAS, FRSH took immediate
action, spearheading the development and
implementation of a Public Health Code
as well as a HACCP plan for both the city
and its industries. Mr. Ahmed's efforts
also included the establishment of an
Environmental Health Training Center and
the screening of 4,000 food handler's
health certificates.
Nelson
Taylor, Sonic Industries, Inc.
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award for System Improvement
Nelson Taylor, Senior Director of Quality
Assurance and Food Safety, Sonic Industries,
Inc., will be recognized for creating
and implementing a comprehensive food
safety program for Sonic based on FDA's
food code and systems. Utilized by its
3,200 drive-in franchisees and operators
in the chain, Sonic's food safety program
has maintained a consistent scoring performance
by implementing stringent standards and
unannounced third-party audits. Mr. Taylor
exemplifies leadership in food safety
and serves as a role model for resource
managers, franchisees and corporate colleagues
alike. For more information about Sonic,
please visit www.sonicind.com.
Carol
P. Wallace, Cooper-Atkins
2007 NSF Food Safety
Leadership Award for Product Development
Carol P. Wallace is Chairman, President
and CEO of Cooper-Atkins, a leading manufacturer
of temperature, time and humidity instruments
for global foodservice. Ms. Wallace has
raised food safety to new levels by converting
simple, inexpensive traditional products
into state-of-the-art wireless monitoring
systems. These innovative products quickly
and accurately report temperatures for
foodservice applications insuring safer
food preparation. For more information,
visit www.cooper-atkins.com.
"NSF
International is very pleased to once
again present the food safety leadership
awards. I look forward to congratulating
this year's winners for their outstanding
achievement and advancement in areas directly
impacting food safety," said William
Fisher, NSF International Chief Marketing
Officer and Vice President.
About
NSF International: NSF International,
an independent, not-for-profit organization,
helps protect you by certifying products
and writing standards for food, water,
air and consumer goods (www.nsf.org).
Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting
public health and safety worldwide. NSF
is a World Health Organization Collaborating
Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor
Environment. Additional services include
safety audits for the food and water industries,
management systems registrations delivered
through NSF International Strategic Registrations,
organic certification provided by Quality
Assurance International and education
through the NSF Center for Public Health
Education.