News | April 28, 2006

NSF International Announces Winners Of The 2006 Food Safety Leadership Awards

Ann Arbor, MI - NSF International (NSF) announced the six winners of its Third Annual Food Safety Leadership Awards, a program designed to recognize groundbreaking achievements throughout the food industry. The awards will be presented on Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 2:00 PM (CT) at McCormick Place Convention Center (Booth #3438) during the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

As part of its ongoing commitment to help protect the public from foodborne illness, NSF's Food Safety Leadership Awards Program recognizes individuals and organizations for demonstrating excellence in food safety to benefit the consuming public. After a comprehensive review of all nominations, an independent panel of leaders in the food industry identified the following winners for their groundbreaking achievements:

Technology Breakthroughs
Hormel Foodservice will receive a food safety leadership award for being the first national manufacturer in the sliced meat category to commercialize High-Pressure Processing (HPP). Unlike chemical anti-microbial growth inhibitors, HPP provides an effective pasteurization process for sliced meats by killing Listeria monocytogenes and other foodborne pathogens. HPP applies hydrostatic pressure after the deli meat is packaged, which eliminates the critical threat for contamination between the processor and customer. The process does not affect flavor or texture common with other antimicrobial processes.

Research Advances
Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., a leading Canadian food processor based in Toronto, Canada, will be recognized with a food safety leadership award for research. Using DNA traceability, Maple Leaf Foods is developing a system that can be used to accurately and rapidly trace pork products from a consumer's plate back to the farm of origin. Currently in the development process, Maple Leaf Foods plans to implement and provide training for the new DNA-based marker tracking system when the process and comprehensive testing of the system is completed.

Equipment Design
H&K International, manufacturer of Safe-T-Shroud, will be recognized with a food safety leadership award for developing the first cold pan accessory. Also a winner of the NRA Kitchen Innovations Award, Safe-T-Shroud safely holds perishable food in an open condiment rail. Safe-T-Shroud uses a design that satisfies the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code temperature holding requirements, and it also prevents the products from either freezing or drying out.

Systems Improvement
NSF is honored to award Sodexho, Inc. the food safety leadership award for systems improvement. Sodexho is the nation's leading food and facilities management company and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Responding to today's food safety challenges, Sodexho has improved its Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) program by integrating new technology. Improvements and upgrades to their program include: electronic food safety communication, expanded food safety training, food safety zone support, expanded verification process, brand protection index measurement, custom electronic recordkeeping, product quality assurance and food security.

This year NSF is also honored to present two lifetime achievement awards - one for education and one for research:

  • Lifetime Achievement in Research Advancements
    • Dr. Ranzell "Nick" Nickelson II, Chief Executive for Science & Health for Standard Meat Company/Cargill/CTI Foods, will be honored for his many contributions in research advancement. Throughout his career, he has been involved in the development of many breakthroughs, including the dramatic reduction in the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in beef and apple juice and Listeria monocytogenes in cooked ready-to-eat meats. Dr. Nickelson's thesis at Texas A&M was responsible for the first isolation of Vibrio parahemolyticus, bacteria commonly affecting seafood from shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. He has also established many food safety controls that are standard practice today.

  • Lifetime Achievement in Food Safety Education
    • Hospitality Institute of Technology & Management President Dr. Peter Snyder, Jr., will be recognized for his lifetime commitment to food safety education. For over fifty years, Dr. Snyder has provided food technology and management education to the hospitality industry and government personnel. After retiring from the U.S. Army as food service R&D coordinator and Lt. Col., he began helping food companies implement HACCP-based Total Quality Management Programs. Some of his most noted HACCP food safety work has been with the Denny's Corporation.

"I am honored to recognize all of this year's winners for their tremendous commitment to improving food safety throughout the foodservice industry," said William Fisher, NSF International Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President. "Please join me in congratulating this year's winners on their outstanding efforts at the upcoming NRA show in May."

SOURCE: NSF International