WCMA Dairy Food Safety Alliance Tour & Meeting at Kerry (Hybrid) - May 2026

Join us for the Dairy Food Safety Alliance meeting on Wednesday, May 27, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (CT). Attendees are offered two ways to participate: in-person with a tour of Kerry in Beloit, Wisconsin or online via Zoom. 

The Dairy Food Safety Alliance is a key gathering for dairy processors, suppliers, and food safety professionals to share insights and best practices that strengthen our industry. These meetings are hosted in a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA). 

Participation in Dairy Food Safety Alliance meetings is open to all dairy manufacturers, processors, and related suppliers.

All registrants are asked to pay a $35 fee to attend.
In-person registration includes the tour of Kerry, a catered lunch, and the meeting. 
Virtual attendees will receive an individual Zoom link and are welcome to join the online programming beginning at 12:30 p.m. (CT). 

Registration for the tour is limited to the first 30 registrants. Registration for in-person attendees will close on Wednesday, May 20.

Agenda at a Glance

• 10:00 a.m.: Kerry Tour
  
  
• 12:00 p.m.: Networking Lunch 
  
  
• 12:30 p.m.: Meeting Begins - Presentations include:
   

• • Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection Updates
    
    
  • Culture Shock - Micro Tests on Trial - Who Created Them, Why They Matter, and What Needs to Change
    Speaker: Neil Bogart, Principal Scientist, Post Consumer Brands
    Attendees will learn how to distinguish legacy testing from meaningful verification, identify opportunities to modernize programs, and ask the most important question in microbiology: Why are we running this test? 
    
    
  • Sanitation Validation
    Speaker: Alex O'Brien, Food Safety/Quality Coordinator, Center for Dairy Research
    
    
  • Food Safety Updates & Resources
    
    
  • 2:30 p.m.: Event Concludes 

Have questions?  Please contact WCMA's Kirsten Strohmenger.