Birko's Dr. Elis Owens Named Panelist At PMA Tech Knowledge Conference

HENDERSON, Colo. – Birko, a leading provider of food safety solutions to the meat, produce and beverage industries, today announced that Senior Microbiologist/Chemist, Dr. Elis Owens, will participate as a panelist at the PMA Tech Knowledge Conference, Wednesday, May 18.

Owens will be joining industry leaders on the Pathogens in our Production Environments panel to address the impact of produce-related illness outbreaks traced to pathogen contamination in packinghouses and processing plants. The panel will examine emerging technologies in equipment, facility design, and sanitation practices that will help improve the safety of these environments.

The panel is scheduled for 2:15-3:15 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, located at the Convention Center in Santa Clara, California.

Owens earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wales in Cardiff, and conducted postdoctoral research at Michigan State University’s Center for Microbial Ecology. Elis has been a presenter at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit, the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) and the North American Meat Association. He has also been a workshop instructor for the Post Harvest Technology Center at the University of California / Davis. Elis is a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee, the Produce Marketing Association’s Science and Technology Committee, the United Fresh Produce Association’s Food Safety and Technology Council, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA), the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) and the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC).

About Birko

Birko is a leading provider of food safety solutions to the meat, produce and beverage industries. Birko manufactures concentrated chemical formulations used in plant cleaning and sanitation, as well as antimicrobial interventions used to reduce pathogens in the food manufacturing process. Birko’s equipment division, Chad Equipment, LLC, designs and manufactures chemical dispensing systems and state-of-the-art washing systems as well as equipment used for food safety protection. Founded in 1953, Birko is ISO 9001 certified, and is also a WBENC Certified Women’s Business Enterprise. www.birkocorp.com

Source: Birko