The people Nebraskans trust to keep their food safe from the grocery store to the hot dog stand were among those attending the Mid-Continental Association of Food and Drug Officials conference in Nebraska City Wednesday.
Topics at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center included illness outbreaks, bovine tuberculosis and new catfish regulations.
George Hanssen, food division manager with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and this year’s association president, said the Association of Food and Drug Officials has become a recognized voice in the shaping of federal policies intended to guard food safety.
Among those attending the conference were association officers from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Ron Klein of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation told conference participants that the association continues to have a significant impact on federal and local regulations by advancing more efficient regulations that result in less confusion among industry in the marketplace.
The conference opened Tuesday with presentations on the trends for bringing local foods to local markets. Jill Gifford of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln food processing center offered help for food entrepreneurs starting food companies.
An investigation into the alfalfa sprout illness and the Nebraska response to bovine tuberculosis were also discussed.
