U.S. FDA Food Safety Visionary Frank Yiannas to Deliver Opening Keynote Speech at GS1 Connect 2020

EWING, N.J., Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will deliver the opening keynote speech at GS1 Connect 2020, a conference and exhibition hosted by GS1 US® June 16-18 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

During the keynote speech, Yiannas will share his vision and blueprint for the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety designed to promote industry collaboration and the adoption of technology and other modern tools to create a digital, traceable and safer food system by 2021. Specifically, he will discuss the Agency's focus on four key pillars: tech-enabled traceability and outbreak response; smarter tools and approaches for prevention; new business models and retail modernization; and food safety culture – created to advance the FDA's implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Since joining the FDA in 2018, Yiannas has led multiple food safety priorities, such as outbreak response, traceback investigations, product recall activities and supply chain innovation across the full spectrum of FDA-regulated products. He is the chief ambassador to reduce food safety risks and achieve high rates of compliance with FDA food safety standards, working to develop innovative collaborations with external partners and stakeholders and effective relationships with government and industry leaders as well as consumer groups.

Prior to his appointment at the FDA, Yiannas was vice president for food safety at Walmart, where he led the effort to make Walmart the first U.S. retailer to require suppliers to achieve certification against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked food safety schemes. More recently, he's become a globally recognized pioneer in using blockchain technology and other emerging technology to create a more digital and transparent food system.

"With food safety awareness at an all-time high and the critical need for traceability improvements and regulation, Frank's perspective about shaping a better future will be invaluable," said Bob Carpenter, president and CEO, GS1 US. "Additionally, given his long history overseeing GS1 Standards implementations at Walmart, attendees will hear firsthand his view about how a common set of standards can help scale traceability across our global supply chain."

In addition to the opening keynote speech, GS1 Connect 2020 will offer unlimited learning opportunities, including a keynote presentation by Rohit Bhargava, innovation and marketing expert and bestselling author; industry sessions across grocery, foodservice, retail and healthcare sectors; innovation and tech tracks showcasing the latest topics and solutions, respectively; GS1 US University education and training; and an opportunity to connect with trading partners through Trading Partner Roundtables and "How to Do Business With" sessions.

To learn more about GS1 Connect 2020, visit https://gs1connect.gs1us.org/.

About GS1 US

GS1 US®, a member of GS1 global, is a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. Nearly 300,000 businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading partner collaboration that optimizes their supply chains, drives cost performance and revenue growth, while also enabling regulatory compliance. They achieve these benefits through solutions based on GS1 global unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic Product Code (EPC®)-based RFID, data synchronization and electronic information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code® (UNSPSC®). www.gs1us.org

SOURCE GS1 US

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