Foodborne illness litigation once again is the focus of the American Conference Institute’s annual conference scheduled this year for Nov. 30 at the Doubletree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile in Chicago.

According to the ACI, this year’s agenda has been “restructured to minimize time spent out of the office while still providing you the high-level content you have come to expect” from the annual event.

New sessions on government expectations for recalls will feature insights from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Oregon Public Health Division and the Food and Drug Administration.

Opportunities to network and hear strategies for managing and settling high-profile foodborne illness claims, tackling the underlying science behind the claims, and minimizing corporate liability exposure are also on tap.

Sessions include:

— Assessing the Food Safety Modernization Act’s new authority to inspect records and its impact on a litigation paper trail – knowing what, when and how to document.

— Understanding how foodborne illnesses are transmitted, how various types of diseases are investigated and how liability is assessed from the plaintiff’s perspective.

— Crisis communication, controlling the message and preserving a brand during an outbreak.

— Preparing for increased government enforcement and understanding how government builds a criminal case under the Park Doctrine.

— Effective recall management – understanding how to prevent recall mistakes that lead to litigation.

— Settlement strategies – how to assess the value of a claim and negotiate a long-term solution.

— Insurance claims, exclusions and limitations: Things you need to know about your coverage for foodborne illness incidents.

— What effect international incidents such as the 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany may have on the future of foodborne illness claims and what sectors within the food industry are most susceptible to claims.

More information about the agenda and speakers, cost and registration is available on the American Conference Institute website.

The conference is sponsored by Faegre & Benson, LLP, along with media partners Food Safety News and NMA (The National Meat Association).