IDFA has developed a one-day workshop that will be held in conjunction with the annual Ice Cream Technology Conference to help ice cream professionals prepare for possible product recalls. Legal and public relations experts will cover the fundamentals of a product recall, review a company’s rights and responsibilities, and outline strategies for limiting liability and managing customer expectations.

The Ice Cream Tech Conference will be held April 12-13 in Bonita Springs, Fla., and the workshop, “Recall Ready? Managing Recalls and Protecting Your Brand,” will take place April 11, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Ice cream professionals will need to register separately for each event.

“The workshop will use a combination of presentations and exercises to help attendees benchmark their product recall protocols and enhance communications management principles,” said Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “They’ll also receive tools that will encourage technical food safety staff members and communication and marketing professionals to work together more effectively and efficiently during the recall process.”

The sessions will cover:

  • Understanding the Fundamentals of a Product Recall;
  • Protecting Your Reputation and Brand;
  • Limiting Your Liability in a Recall;
  • Understanding the Role of FDA and State Regulators and How to Work with Them; and
  • Building a Crisis Management Plan.

Speakers will include:

  • Gene Grabowski, a communications counselor, former journalist partner at KGlobal, a communications services firms. He earned the PR News Crisis Manager of the Year Award for his work on a variety of campaigns, including the global recall involving toys with lead paint and a North American recall of pet foods.
  • Joseph Levitt, a partner at Hogan Lovells US, LLP, who is a 25-year veteran of the Food and Drug Administration. Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, he served as director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) for six years. He now counsels numerous food companies and trade associations in food safety, labeling and compliance matters; how to work effectively with the FDA; and on regulatory aspects of federal, state and private litigation.

Registration is now available online for the Ice Cream Technology Conference and the “Recall Ready? Managing Recalls and Protecting Your Brand” workshop.

For more information, contact Frye, IDFA vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, at cfrye@idfa.org.