Press Releases

December 31, 2009

NJ Food Processors to Discuss Critical Industry Issues

Bridgeton, NJ - The New Jersey Food Processors Association will hold its 2010 Annual Meeting and Seminar on January 21 at the at the Buena Vista Country Club in Buena, NJ. The meeting will provide networking and educational opportunities for New Jersey companies representing all facets of the food processing industry. This Year's Conference Theme is State and Federal Partners to Strengthen New Jersey's Food Industry.

The New Jersey Food Processors Association (NJFPA) is an organization of manufacturers of food and agricultural products, and suppliers of materials and services to this industry, joined together to promote best practices, share information and expand the industry in the Garden State, said Sam Pipitone, president of the NJFPA, and president of F&S Produce in Rosenhayn, NJ. This year's annual conference agenda is jam-packed with information on food safety and other critical issues.

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher, keynote speaker at the conference, will give a talk entitled Processing New Jersey's Farm Gate: The Secretary's View. Other speakers include Richard Ritota, program manager of the Food and Drug Safety Program at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, who will speak about food safety issues and priorities; and Vijay Juneja, Ph.D., lead scientist, predictive microbiology at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, who will talk about emerging technologies for controlling food-borne pathogens. Luncheon speakers Brian Schilling, Ph.D., associate director of the Rutgers Food Policy Institute, and David Brogan, vice president of environmental policy at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association will give updates from their respective organizations.

We expect this year's attendance to be the largest that we've ever had at a NJFPA conference, said Lou Cooperhouse, president-elect of the NJFPA, and director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center. 'The association's board has been working aggressively to provide more value and programs to members - and potential members - throughout the state. The association has been updated with a new logo, website and bylaws, and we will be offering new programs and services in 2010 that will provide significant benefits to the state's food processing industry.

The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and allows ample time for networking among industry leaders. The cost to the conference is $50 per person. Space is limited and cannot be confirmed until payment has been received online or by check. Associate-member registrants may also reserve display tables for $150. For additional information, visit the association's web site at http://www.njfoodprocessors.org/, or call Kelly Tondo at (856) 391-7111 or Dianne Carbonetta at (856)459-1900 ext. 4517.