The one constant across the global food safety landscape is that it is ever-changing. New pathogens emerge, the supply chains gains complexity, and regulatory and environmental systems continue to influence and affect consumer perception, health, and safety.

Traditional approaches are quickly becoming dwarved by volumes of data, the speed of emerging threats, and a pressing need for innovative solutions to unprecedented problems. We need to augment human creativity with powerful new tools to think differently and act faster.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn't here to replace food safety professionals because it can't. AI isn't creative. It has no feelings or experiences. It only has data; events and measurements that happened in the past and that it averages to make a best guess. But data is where it excels and where humans don't.

By contrast, what is it distinctly human is our ability to think critically and creatively - synthesizing notions and concepts that are seemingly disparate, and to come up with solutions so novel that a machine could never imagine.

Therefore, we collectively need to move theoretical discussions of "AI good/AI bad" to provide a hands-on, practical experience demonstrating how these readily available tools can accelerate our creative processes and meet impending food safety challenges.

LAB AGENDA

Attendees get an accelerated introduction to the foundations of creative problem solving. Using popular tools like Gemini and ChatGPT, they learn what stages of the creative process energize them, and which drain, and how to use AI to minimize those that sap them of enthusiasm.

Participants work on realistic food safety scenarios, individually and in small groups. The groups will share insights, surprises, and potential applications through facilitated post-discussions.

In this way, we move beyond debates over hype and get practical, hands-on experience with AI tools relevant to their job roles and daily challenges.

This workshop is ideal for food safety directors, quality assurance (QA) managers, auditors, regulators, researchers, plant managers, and supply chain specialists, and gives them the opportunity to address lingering or unspoken concerns. There are questions they've been too afraid to ask or too confused about how to properly research it, such as "Will AI replace me," "Is it too complex for me," and "How reliable is the data?"

Finally, there will be resources that include a curated list of accessible AI tools, prompt engineering tips for food safety applications, and key considerations for implementation.

Attendees will gain confidence and practical skills to make AI a collaborative, creative partner, and improve their ability to protect consumers and advance the integrity of the global food supply chain.

LAB FACILITATOR

Richard Fleming from Sage Media, a certified FourSight expert in creative innovation who has designed food safety culture programs that have solved complex issues for companies like Hershey, Starbucks, and Costco.

Food companies understand the critical role of a robust food safety culture, yet many struggle with where to begin and how to effectively invest their resources. How do you bridge the gap between abstract safety goals and tangible, actionable strategies that resonate with both leadership and frontline teams?

The Food Safety Culture Design Workshop is a dynamic, 4-hour virtual session designed to provide you with a clear roadmap. This hands-on experience will guide you through the essential dimensions of your business that are crucial for cultivating a strong food safety culture:

• Mission & Vision: Define a compelling purpose for food safety within your organization.
• People: Learn how to motivate, incentivize, train, and reward your employees and vendors effectively.
• Consistency: Establish repeatable processes that ensure high food safety standards.
• Adaptability: Develop the agility to painlessly adjust to evolving regulatory requirements, new technologies, and scientific advancements.
• Hazards & Risk Awareness: Proactively anticipate and mitigate potential risks and catastrophic events.

What You'll Achieve:

By the end of this workshop, your team will have:

• A clearly defined mission and vision for your company's food safety culture.
• Strategies to anticipate risks and prevent potential catastrophes.
• The ability to painlessly adjust to changes in regulatory requirements, technology, and scientific advancements.
• Methods to effectively motivate, incentivize, train, and reward employees and vendors.
• A personalized, actionable strategy to avoid painful recalls and publicity nightmares.

Workshop Details:

We recommend limiting team size to 20 participants to ensure an interactive and impactful session. Each participant will receive a comprehensive workbook that becomes your personalized guide to implementing your new food safety culture strategy.

Your facilitator, Richard Fleming, is a renowned food safety culture consultant and creative innovation expert. Richard's science-backed approaches have driven improvements in safety, efficiency, and profit for industry leaders such as Starbucks, Costco, Hershey, and Kerry Foods.

Ready to Build a Stronger Food Safety Future?

Once you purchase the workshop, you'll receive a scheduler to easily coordinate the best day and timeframe for your virtual session.

1. A "Speak-Up Survey" that lets managers gauge the likelihood employees will intervene when needed.
2. 20 minutes of short-form videos that teach managers why employees don't speak up (and how to fix it).
3. An email series with on-the-job activities that will convert knowledge into skill within 10-20 minutes per week.
4. A post assessment to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program and show how much your team has improved.

• New managers (store managers, plant managers, district managers)
• Supervisors
• QA directors
• Team leads
• Other front-line and mid-line leadership positions

What Do I Get?