Food Industry Virtual Office Hours

This session will focus on Heavy Metals as a food safety hazard, including FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative. The session will start with presentations from two experts in the field: 

1. Dr. De Ann Davis (Western Growers) will present on the presence of heavy metals in soils and how atmospheric deposition, natural occurrence, and also some soil amendments add to the problem. Her presentation will focus specifically on cadmium and how the fresh produce industry can approach this problem, including introducing some of the pragmatic and cost-effective cadmium mitigation strategies.
2. Dr. Tom Neltner (Unleaded Kids) will review the risks posed by lead, cadmium, and inorganic arsenic and why baby food has become the priority. He will provide an update on FDA's Closer to Zero program and complementary California laws as well as FDA's legislative proposals. Finally, he will summarize opportunities for best practices to reduce contamination. 

Following the presentations, the speakers will join an expert panel to address questions during a moderated Q&A.

Food Industry Virtual Office Hours are hosted in collaboration with the New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence and the IFS@CU.

• Intended Audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
• Cost: Free
• Registration required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJApcOuvqjMvGNHvt7NhBAtGEkSlaJ45mE5N
  • After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.