Convenience retailers are delivering exceptional and high-quality foods that are changing the entire perspective of the industry—both operationally and among the 160 million consumers who frequent a convenience store on a daily basis.
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Convenience retail is also one of the fastest growing food segments, representing an impressive 25.6% of inside sales and 36.1% of inside gross margin in 2022, according to NACS State of the Industry data. With more labor intensive and sophisticated foodservice programs being developed and executed within our industry, food safety is not an option—it’s an imperative.
Now in its second year, join food safety, foodservice, quality and assurance and risk management professionals for the NACS Food Safety Forum—the only industry-specific event of its kind for the global convenience retail community.
The agenda is packed with renowned food safety professionals and academia who are experts in their field. This event is tailored to global convenience retailers who are leading their company’s food safety and safe food handling procedures and protocols.
Forum content will be guided by four food safety and foodservice principles:
- Consumer safety
- Clean and quality experiences
- Protecting our brands
- Empowering our teams to do the right thing
Participants can expect to achieve the following objectives:
- Understand how food safety culture can support, align and contribute to your company’s vision and mission.
- Learn how to communicate the why behind food safety protocols and how certain behaviors can enhance and protect your people, your customers and your brand.
- Discover collaborative solutions to today’s—and future—safe food handling challenges
Food safety is not a competitive advantage—it’s how foodservice will continue to elevate the industry. Join your colleagues at the NACS Food Safety Forum.
Updated as of July 10, 2023, content subject to change.
8:00–8:30 am
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Doors open; networking (light breakfast, coffee)
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8:30–8:45 am
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Welcome Remarks
Dr. Jay Ellingson, Chief Scientific Officer, Kwik Trip Inc.
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8:45–9:45 am
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Keynote: The Herculean Efforts of Food Safety Leaders
Dr. Darin Detwiler, LP.D., Professor of Food Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility, Northeastern University; Founder and CEO of Detwiler Consulting Group LLC
Join us for an inspiring keynote that will leave you feeling motivated to make a difference in the challenges faced by food safety leaders. Dr. Detwiler will take you on a journey through real-life cases that will make you realize the importance of food safety like never before. Discover the pivotal role that media coverage plays in driving workforce change and raising consumer awareness. Learn why swift reactions are crucial in the event of a food safety incident. You will hear how legacy approaches are evolving to meet new challenges and be inspired by the Herculean efforts of the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to protect our food supply.
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9:45–10:00 am
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Networking Break
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10:00–11:00 am
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Hot Topics in the World of Retail Food Safety
Dr. Ben Chapman, Professor, Food Safety Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University
Lisa A. Shelley, Ph.D., Research Scholar, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, North Carolina State University
Drs. Ben Chapman and Lisa Shelly from the Safe Plates program at NC State University will provide updates on new and emerging food safety issues related to retail settings. They will discuss the potential for U.S. Model Food Code changes, FDA retail risk factors, research into hand washing and sanitizer use, temperature control for convenience foods and norovirus as a primary pathogen of concern for NACS members.
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11:00–11:45 am
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The Future of Food in Convenience Retail
Amy Costello, Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance, Casey’s
Nancy Wilson, Director of Quality Assurance, Risk Management and Safety, Wawa Inc.
Jeremy Zenlea, Director, Head of Health and Safety, EG America (moderator)
Prepared food was the No. 1 sales and gross profit contributor across all in-store merchandise categories on a per store, per month basis in 2022. As foodservice grows, so must our industry’s food safety and safe food handling programs and protocols. Combined, Wawa and Casey’s have nearly 3,500 stores in more than 20 states and Washington, DC. Millions of customers rely on these c-stores for food, fountain drinks and hot dispensed beverages. Amy and Nancy will talk about their approaches to food safety, how Casey’s and Wawa support their store teams, and the movement toward food safety culture.
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11:45 am–12:15 pm
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Lunch
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12:15 pm - 1:00 pm |
What's Really Going On With Food Safety Culture & FSMS in Retail Food Establishments?
Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
A comprehensive survey of national restaurant, grocery and convenience stores, developed by AFDO as part of the Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaborative, revealed ample opportunities for the retail food industry to foster food safety culture and improve food safety protocols through food safety management systems and active managerial control. Further examining opportunities for improvement in violations frequently found in the convenience store segment, Steve will share what the data reveals for convenience retailers.
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1:00–2:15 pm
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A Single Supplier Failure: What You Don’t Know Can and Will Hurt You
Shawn Stevens, Founder and Food Industry Lawyer, Food Industry Counsel LLC
Suppliers routinely face significant food safety challenges that are often invisible to their customers—until it’s too late. Unfortunately, your suppliers’ own challenges can get your company into trouble with significant civil (or even criminal) exposure if you are not effectively supervising your suppliers and routinely asking the right questions. In this session, we’ll tap into today’s complex supply chain issues, and explore best practices to:
- Select and approve new suppliers,
- Identify the right questions you should be asking of your suppliers to reduce risk, and
- Appropriately respond to supplier issues (such as food safety failures or recalls) when they occur.
Ultimately, these conversations will lead to stronger relationships built on trust and transparency, and will serve to better protect your brand and public health.
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2:15–2:30 pm
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Networking Break
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2:30–3:50 pm
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Workshop: Leadership Tools for Food Safety Heroes
Dr. Darin Detwiler, LP.D., Professor of Food Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility, Northeastern University; Founder and CEO of Detwiler Consulting Group LLC
Following up on his keynote presentation’s call to action for the Herculean efforts of food safety leadership, Dr. Detwiler will highlight his research and graduate-level lessons on how to align food safety concerns with industry goals. Clarity is key to communicating leadership decisions and next steps in response to indicators. Dr. Detwiler also will share a tool to organize defined steps in this process and facilitate a hands-on activity with participants sharing their ideas. Audience members will take with them a convenient resource to fit their needs.
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3:50–4:00 pm
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Closing Remarks/Conclusion
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Show Bio
Chapman’s interest in pathogens and public health began as a teenager while watching the movie “Outbreak.” With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, he investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers, the gatekeepers of safe food. Chapman co-hosts a bi-weekly podcast Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
Show Bio
Costello has been a Casey’s team member for 7 years and moved to her current role as the director of food safety and quality assurance in early 2022. Before moving to her current position, she served as legal counsel and then assistant general counsel in the Casey’s Legal Department. Prior to joining the Casey’s team, she clerked for the Iowa Supreme Court before moving to private practice with a focus on litigation. She received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and her J.D. from Drake Law School. Costello is a member of the International Association for Food Protection and the Iowa State Bar Association.
Show Bio
For three decades Detwiler has played a unique role in preventing foodborne illness. He has twice been appointed to advisory positions to the USDA’s Secretary of Agriculture, represented consumers with NGOs, served on Conference for Food Protection councils, and supported the FDA’s implementation of FSMA. Detwiler is the current chairman of NEHA’s Food Safety Program Committee. He is a recipient of IAFP’s 2022 Control of Foodborne Illness Award as well as IAFP’s 2018 Distinguished Service Award.
Show Bio
Ellingson has been with La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip Inc. for nearly two decades and leads the food safety sciences behind the company’s food protection system. In 1995, he received his Ph.D. in molecular microbiology from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He did his postdoctoral fellowship training was with the USDA, Agriculture Research Service, National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, where he developed and patented a molecular diagnostic method for the detection of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle. As the director of Marshfield Clinic Laboratories–Food Safety Services in Marshfield, Wisconsin, Ellingson developed and patented a molecular diagnostic method for detection of E. coli 0157:H7. He is an adjunct professor in the Microbiology Department of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and has mentored and graduated several Masters of Science students in the Microbiology program.
Show Bio
Steven Mandernach (MAWN-dur-knock) is the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, he was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. He is a past president of AFDO, and also served as the chair and co-chair for the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance. Steven has co-authored many articles related to retail food safety, foodborne illness detection, and the integrated food safety system, and he’s a frequent contributor to food trade publications including Food Safety Magazine, New Food Magazine, and Quality Assurance and Food Safety Magazine. He has a J.D. from Drake University Law School, and completed graduate work in Food Safety at Michigan State University.
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Dr. Lisa Shelley directs research activities for the Safe Plates program at NCSU. She has worked on a variety of research projects related to food safety and labeling, consumer food handling behaviors, and foods ordered online and delivered directly to consumers.
Show Bio
Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, the only law firm in the United States that represents the food industry exclusively. As a food industry consultant and lawyer, he works with food industry clients (growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors, grocers) helping them protect their brand by complying with FDA and USDA regulations, reducing risk, managing recalls and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims. He also speaks regularly to national and international audiences on a wide variety of emerging scientific, regulatory and food safety legal trends.
Show Bio
Wilson has been an associate of Wawa Inc. for nearly two decades and has been the director of quality assurance, risk management and safety for more than a decade. Prior to her current role, she served in different management positions within risk management and human resources. In addition to her role today, Wilson is a member of the Food Policy Leadership group at Wawa and helps facilitate the company’s external Food Policy Council. She also sits on many internal committees to support Wawa’s strategic plan and vision; act as a servant leader within the company and provide guidance and direction in her areas of expertise. She helped lead the COVID-19 Crisis Team and work for Wawa. Outside She is a member of Risk and Insurance Management Society, Philadelphia Area Risk Managers Association and president of the Philadelphia Chapter of Central Atlantic Association of Food and Drug Officials.
Show Bio
Zenlea oversees all aspects of food safety at EG America, including international and domestic regulatory compliance, retail and commissary food safety operations, and supply chain integrity. He has worked with a variety of different product categories, including refrigerated, high-risk ready-to-eat foods (meat, poultry, pork, and fresh-cut produce), chocolate and confectioneries. He is an expert in constructing, implementing and managing complex food safety, food fraud and food defense systems for large domestic and international food manufacturers. He is also a lecturer at Northeastern University and received a B.Sc. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an MBA from Northeastern University.
2023 Pricing:
$329 for NACS retail members
$499 for NACS supplier member companies
Registration for the NACS Food Safety Forum is now open. Reserve your seat today!
Register Now
The 2023 NACS Food Safety Forum is collocated with the 2023 NACS Show in Atlanta. If you choose to also attend the NACS Show, please register for the NACS Show after you complete your registration for the Food Safety Forum.
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