NSF International, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting and improving public health, announces the first call for nominations for the 2011 Food Safety Leadership Awards (FSLA) Program. Now in its eighth year, this program recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding food safety leadership in the food industry.

Nominated participants will be recognized in one of eight categories: education, training, equipment design, packaging innovation, product development, research advances, system improvement and technology breakthroughs. Nominations for a special lifetime achievement award are also being accepted. The program guidelines are available on NSF's Web site.

Foodservice operators, food and equipment manufacturers, researchers, regulators and members of academia, are encouraged to submit nominations.

The 2011 FSLA award recipients will be announced on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, during the opening keynote address at the Food Safety Summit at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. This will be the fourth year the awards are presented at the Food Safety Summit, a conference focused entirely on food safety, complementing the overarching goal of the awards program.

Nomination information is available on NSF's website or by calling Cristin Colling at 800.NSF.MARK ext. 5627 or 734.827.5627. Nominations must be received by February 1, 2011. Nominators can submit their forms online or by mail to: Ms. Cristin Colling, Marketing Manager, NSF International, P.O. Box 130140, Ann Arbor MI 48113-0140; e-mail ccolling@nsf.org
An independent panel of food safety experts will select the winners. Nominations will be evaluated based on creativity, innovation, design, contribution to the advancement of food safety and overall quality of contributions made.