ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Marketing Institute here has established The Center of Excellence for Food Safety and Protection to serve as a resource for food safety and protection information and programs.
The Center of Excellence will bring together food safety experts and professionals from government relations, asset protection, food defense, supply chain management, health and wellness, sustainability and industry relations to address all aspects of food safety. They will generate information on the safety of the food supply from farm to table, focusing on support, services and tools to help FMI members address food safety and protection; their work will encompass prevention programs, enhanced public/private partnerships, strengthened collaborations, crisis management, and stronger response and recovery plans.
“The center will serve as a resource to consolidate our knowledge of food safety and strengthen our commitment to ensuring that the food we sell is as safe as possible,” said FMI President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie G. Sarasin.
“All of us in the food industry hold the same expectation as our customers — that the food we bring home to our families is safe,” said Danny Wegman, CEO of Wegmans Food Markets and chairman of the FMI Board Food Safety Committee. “The Center of Excellence for Food Safety and Protection will provide us with access to the most timely information and resources related to food safety so we can maintain our goal of providing safe food in our stores.”
Jill Hollingsworth has been promoted to FMI's senior vice president and will lead the Center of Excellence for Food Safety and Protection. She previously served as FMI's group vice president of food safety programs. Prior to joining FMI, Hollingsworth worked for 15 years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she was responsible for a wide variety of scientific activities including outbreak investigations, recalls and public health policy.
