IDFA and Morningstar Foods, a business segment of Dean Foods Company, last week demonstrated the industry's strict attention to food safety systems to a group of junior professionals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The group of 15 employees, representing a cross-section of FAS program areas, toured Morningstar's aseptic milk processing facility in Fredrick, Md.
FAS works to facilitate trade and enhance export opportunities for U.S. food and agriculture. With a global network of 98 offices covering 162 countries, the agency plays a key role in identifying and resolving trade issues affecting dairy products.
“Given the increasing importance of export markets to our industry and the complex international regulatory issues that come with this growth, it is important to help educate and inform these future USDA leaders about our industry,” said John Kelly, IDFA manager of international affairs, who worked for FAS before joining IDFA and organized the visit. “We believe the U.S. dairy industry’s safety practices and systems are among the best in the world, and many of these employees will be involved in reinforcing this message to our trading partners.”
The plant tour was part of a larger trip that included a visit to the University of Maryland's Dairy Extension Center. These trips are designed to help the professionals gain a better understanding of the U.S. dairy regulatory system, supply chain, and dairy production and processing systems in practice.
For more information, contact Kelly at jkelly@idfa.org.