June 4, 2026 | Chicago, IL
An industry-driven discussion on foreign material prevention, detection, and real-world challenges in food manufacturing.
Foreign material contamination remains one of the least discussed challenges in food safety—despite being a leading driver of U.S. food recalls. The Foreign Material Forum was created to bring this critical issue to the forefront and give it the focused attention it deserves.
Designed for food safety leaders and practitioners, the Forum provides a dedicated venue for candid discussion, shared best practices, and fresh approaches to preventing, detecting, and managing foreign material risks—filling a gap that’s often overlooked at traditional food safety events.
2026 Forum Agenda
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Networking Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Keynote: Beyond the Incident
Ken Forster, Chief Executive Officer at FlexXray
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Panel: Foreign Material Management & Lookouts
Kerry Fohner, Senior Director of Quality Assurance – Prepared Foods at Wayne Sanderson Farms
Shannon Harrison, VP Food Safety & Quality at Simmons Foods
Peter Begg, Chief Quality & Food Safety Officer at Lyons Magnus
10:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Morning Break
10:15 – 11 a.m.
Technology Considerations & Applications
Kye Luker, Chief Product Officer at FlexXray
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Alternative Inspection Technologies: The Future of Foreign Material Detection
Andreas Lood, Application Engineer & Business Developer at Food Radar Systems
Brian Green, CEO, GreyscaleAI
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Internal Rework vs. Third Party Foreign Material Inspection ROI Considerations
Tabatha Milligan, Director of Food Safety and Quality at Peco Foods
12:00–1:15 PM
Networking Lunch
1:15–2:15 PM
Crisis Impact and Interactive Exercise
Melanie Neumann, President at Neumann Advisory Services
Ignacio Duran, Director of Claims at Euclid Crisis Management
2:15–2:45 PM
Tactical Case Studies Related to Foreign Material Management Processes
Ben Stellmacher, Sr. Director of Global FSQ, Johnsonville
2:45–3:15 PM
Fireside Chat: Foreign Material Management: How Our Practices Have Evolved
Gale Beard, Director, Operations Food Safety at Grande Cheese
Kurt Westmoreland, Chief Commercial Officer at FlexXray
3:15–3:30 PM
Afternoon Break
3:30–4:00 PM
Case Study: Navigating Decisions during a Foreign Material Supplier-Related Event
Brian Perry, President & General Manager at Select Services
Kurt Westmoreland, Chief Commercial Officer at FlexXray
4:00 – 4:15 p.m.
Q&A – Kurt Westmoreland, Chief Commercial Officer at FlexXray
4:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Closing Comments – Ken Forster, Chief Executive Officer at FlexXray
4:30 p.m.
End of Event
5:00 p.m.
Networking Reception – City Winery Chicago Riverwalk
2026 Speakers
Ben Stellmacher
Sr. Director of Global FSQ, Johnsonville
Brian Perry
President & General Manager at Select Services
Kerry Fohner
Senior Director of Quality Assurance – Prepared Foods at Wayne Sanderson Farms
Tabatha Milligan
Director of Food Safety and Quality at Peco Foods
Melanie Neumann
President at Neumann Advisory Services
Ken Forster
Chief Executive Officer at FlexXray
Kurt Westmoreland
Chief Commercial Officer at FlexXray
Kye Luker
Chief Product Officer at FlexXray
Gale Beard
Director, Operations Food Safety at Grande Cheese
Andreas Lood
Application Engineer & Business Developer, Food Radar Systems
Ignacio Duran
Director of Claims, Euclid Crisis Management
Brian Green
CEO, GreyscaleAI
Shannon Harrison
VP Food Safety & Quality at Simmons Foods
Peter Begg
Chief Quality & Food Safety Officer at Lyons Magnus
Venue & Accommodations
theWit Chicago, a Hilton Hotel
201 N. State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60601
Note: This event is open only to food safety industry practitioners. If you do not meet this critieria, FlexXray reserves the right to remove you from the registered attendees.
