Fortrex Food Safety Workshop 2026 Highlights

Over a day and a half, food safety professionals from across the industry gathered in New Orleans at the Commercial Food Sanitation (CFS) Institute to dig into the science of sanitation.

Day one focused on the WHY of food safety. Sessions on “knowing thy enemy,” from foodborne pathogens to biofilms, and on the microbial control equation set the foundation. Day two turned to the HOW, covering sanitation chemistry, including selecting the right chemical for the job and how test methods support label claims. Validation and verification best practices and new solutions to old hygienic design problems rounded out the program. Because the CFS Institute is built for collaboration, attendees also took part in multiple hands-on breakout sessions.

Sanitation only looks like a checklist from the outside. Underneath, layers of science line up every time: the microbiology of what you’re fighting, the chemistry of the tools you’re fighting with, and the process that puts both to work in the right order. The workshop gave attendees a practical understanding of that science, equipping them to defend, adjust, and improve their sanitation programs with evidence, all in pursuit of a clean, microbiologically-safe surface for food production.