News Release
September 16, 2009

Panel explores food safety vs. food freedom issues at UW conference

A panel of food-related business people, educators and government health experts will address food safety versus food freedom during the 2009 Consumer Issues Conference Thursday and Friday, Sept. 24-25, at the University of Wyoming.

The conference, “Food Safety, Security and Sources – A recipe for tough times,” is at the Wyoming Union.

The food safety panel, which will discuss “Local Foods: Safety, Freedom and Other Values in Conflict,” begins 9 a.m. Friday.  “Many people are interested in buying local foods, but are they always safe?” asks Dee Pridgen, an organizer of the conference and a distinguished professor and associate dean in the UW College of Law. “Are current food safety regulations appropriate or necessary for locally grown foods from relatively small producers?  These are some of the questions to be discussed by the panel.”

Panelists include Warrie Means, associate professor in the Department of Animal Science in the UW College of Agriculture; Dean Finkenbinder, program manager for the Consumer Health Services division of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture; Dr. Tracy Murphy, state epidemiologist and deputy state health officer in the Wyoming Department of Health; Deb Paulson, cofounder of Laramie Local Foods; Marla Petersen, founder of Big Hollow Food Co-op in Laramie; Renee King, meat and food science instructor and manager of the Meat Lab at Sheridan College; and Jill Klawonn, co-owner/operator of High Point Bison near Pine Bluffs.

The panel convenes from 9-11:10 a.m.

Other speakers will present on various subjects in other tracks that morning. Topics for the Friday morning session include community supported agriculture, vegetarian diets and marketing of weight-loss products and dietary supplements.

For information about issues, speakers and tours at the conference, please visit www.uwyo.edu/consumerconference/default.htm. Updates, news about the conference and notes from those interested in the conference are available at its Facebook page. If a Facebook member, type UW Consumer Issues Conference in the search function. If not a member, type ‘UW Consumer Issues Conference Facebook’ into a search engine to see a listing.

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Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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