Advancing Dry Sanitation

This event is being hosted by Kerry at their North American Headquarters in Beloit, WI, located 1 hr outside Chicago.
The Advancing Dry Sanitation forum is designed for professional sanitarians, food safety leaders, hygienic design specialists, and managers working in low-moisture food manufacturing who want to help shape the future of dry sanitation.

This event is focused on advancing science-based, practical approaches to dry sanitation. Join us for a day and a half to engage with industry peers and subject matter experts. We will discuss emerging challenges, share best practices, evaluate new technologies, and explore strategies for validation, hygienic design, and allergen control.

The goal is to create industry alignment and promote effective dry sanitation. The forum provides an opportunity for both companies and individuals to influence the direction of industry best practices and contribute to the future of low-moisture food safety.

Forum Details

Agenda

October 26, 2026
11:00 am Registration open -vendor showroom, lunch, and coffee available
12:30 pm Welcome
12:45 pm Keynote: Ben Warren, Senior Science Advisor for Food Safety, U.S. FDA
1:30 pm Session 1: The hidden cost of water in dry facilities
Chair: Yuqian Lou, Director of Food Safety, Sanitation, and Sustainability, PepsiCo
3:00 pm Break
3:30 pm Session 2: What’s next in dry sanitation? Emerging technologies with real-world utility
Chair: Neil Bogart, Assoc. Director of Sanitation, Post Consumer Brands
5:00 pm Reception

October 27, 2026
8:00 am Breakfast
8:50 am Welcome
9:00 am Session 3: Allergen control in dry environments
Chair: Joe Baumert, Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Co-convener: Jakob Baker, Cornell University
10:30 am Break
10:45 am Session 4: Designing for dry sanitation: Hygienic principles in low moisture food facilities
Chair: Nathan Mirdamadi, Global Director of Sanitation, Kerry
12:15 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Session 5: Defining and defending the “sanitation break”
Chair: Abby Snyder, Associate Professor, Cornell University
3:00 pm Session 6: Leading the future of dry sanitation
Chair: Justin Larsen, Director of Sanitation and Food Safety, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Co-convener: Chad Galer (DMI)
4:00 pm Closing
4:15 pm Departures