The Food Safety Summit, which will take place April 8-10 in Baltimore, will focus this year on the importance of industry regulators in the foodservice industry. To support this theme, Troy, Mich.-based BNP Media, owner and host of the show and parent company of Beverage Industry, will offer several informational sessions and open discussions about important regulatory issues facing the industry.

In addition to other half-day workshops about various aspects of food safety, five featured seminars will focus specifically on regulation.

Also under the regulatory umbrella, a welcome reception on April 8 will give attendees the opportunity to meet and network with state and local regulators from the Association of Food and Drug Officials. In addition, at a town hall meeting on April 10, speakers will further address pressing issues in regard to regulatory agencies and the private sector and answer questions from the audience. Questions can be submitted to the panel in advance via the Food Safety Summit website.

Attendees who need food safety training, certification and recertification can arrive early to participate in various Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) training and certification programs beginning April 7.

Keynote speakers Ed Lonegran, chief executive officer of Chiquita Brands, and Don Zietlow, president and chief executive officer of Kwik Trip Inc., will kick off the exhibit hall portion of the Food Safety Summit on April 9. In their joint address, the two chief executive officers will share their commitments to food safety and provide insights into how they work with food safety professionals to ensure that the products they ship to their customers and consumers are safe.

The exhibit hall will feature extended hours this year, including seven tradeshow-dedicated hours that do not overlap with educational sessions. The extra time will offer more opportunities for attendees to network with food safety professionals from nearly 150 companies across the entire supply chain and take advantage of free showcase presentations by various companies, it says.

 For more information or to register, visit foodsafetysummit.com.