CDC Update on COVID-19 Best Practices for the Food Industry
Speaker: Jessica G. Ramsey, MS, CPE, Industrial Hygienist/Ergonomist, Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch, Division Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Jessica Ramsey works with the CDC Worker Safety and Health Team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She will present on CDC guidance for critical infrastructure workers in the food sector.

California Prop 65 Update
Speaker: Will Wagner, Associate, Greenberg Traurig
California’s Proposition 65 requires cancer and reproductive harm warnings on products that cause violating exposures to any of about 900 substances. Will Wagner, of Greenberg Traurig, will discuss compliance with Prop 65 as it relates to spices and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. He will provide an in-depth discussion and analysis of Prop 65, focusing on recent changes regarding warning requirements, an overview of safe harbor exposure levels, and how to determine whether a product is compliant. This session will address how Prop 65 requirements impact the spice industry and what spice companies can do to be compliant and mitigate liability.

Regulatory Policies for Heavy Metals in Spices – A New York Approach
Speaker: Jon Greenberg, Division of Food Safety & Inspection, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSAGM) has seen a significant rise over the last decade in the prevalence of heavy metal contamination of imported spices through its routine food surveillance program, however, no federal action limit for heavy metals in spices currently exists. In 2014, New York State created state action limits of 1 and 25 part per million (ppm), for Class 2 and 1 recalls respectively for lead. With public health and safety as its priority mission, and absent federal action limits for heavy metals in spices, NYSAGM will lower the state’s Class 2 recall action limit in spices and update its recall policy. In order to successfully implement the State’s new recall policy and subsequent enforcement activities, NYSAGM will take a phased approach to educate its stakeholders which will be implemented within 18 months of the public announcement of the NYSAGM updated recall policy.

Navigating Trade Requirements: Focus on Organic and Pesticide MRLs
Speaker: Maile Hermida, ASTA General Counsel, Hogan Lovells
This session will focus on how to navigate pesticide requirements within organic equivalency agreements. Although a food can be certified organic and imported into the US under an organic equivalency agreement, the same food may also contain a pesticide that does not have a US approved tolerance, and so the food is considered adulterated in the US and cannot be imported. This session will provide tips on how to make sense of seemingly conflicting regulations.

Cross-Border Trade:  Updates & Trends Impacting US & Global Supply Chains
Speaker: Shawn Jarosz, TradeMoves LLC
This presentation will encompass an overview of cross-border trade issues impacting the spice industry, as well as trends and a look ahead. What are the opportunities and challenges resulting from US trade policy and actions including GSP, US-EU trade disputes, Section 301 tariffs from China, USMCA and other free trade agreements in negotiations and on the horizon.

Virtual Networking Break – 5:00pm-5:45pm ET
Join your colleagues, ASTA Staff and ASTA Board of Directors representatives to chat about what’s going on in the world and the new normal for the spice industry.

Speakers:
Laura Shumow, ASTA Executive Director
Larry Lichter, ASTA President, McCormick & Co.
Chris Stevenson, ASTA GR Committee Chair, McCormick & Co.

Join ASTA’s Executive Director, Board President and Government Relations Committee chair to hear an update on the latest from ASTA. Hear about ASTA’s latest activity and accomplishments on regulatory and technical advocacy. This update is for members only.

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