Thursday October 16- Friday October 17, 2025
Washington, D.C
Food Contact Conference US is the key event to attend if you're looking for the latest information on regulatory requirements, innovations and emerging opportunities, and market trends impacting the food contact industry.
This event brings together the entire food contact supply chain, including suppliers, manufacturers, researchers, government agencies, academics, end users, and more. Unlike other events in this sector, food contact conference US focuses on direct communication through the supply chain, breaking down barriers and leading to crucial networking and education that will push the industry forward. The face-to-face networking offered can't be replicated from the office - form relationships that will be beneficial to you during the conference and beyond.
Bio Coming Soon!
Ruud Overbeek, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and Strategic Relationships at FoodChain ID. He is responsible for FoodChain ID’s strategic growth through mergers and acquisitions as well as maintaining the foundational relationships with FoodChain ID’s key customers and partners. Dr. Overbeek also leads the company’s high priority sustainability initiatives, including programs that support the industry through regenerative certification and carbon footprint assessments.
Dr. Overbeek joined FoodChain ID through the acquisition of Decernis LLC in June 2019, where he was strategically leading their expansion of market position and outreach, in addition to serving on the Decernis Board of Directors. Previously Dr. Overbeek held the positions of Global Vice President at Intertek, Vice President at Avantium, and Technology Development Manager at ABB. He is also a Non-Executive Director at Edloomio BV.
Dr. Overbeek holds a Doctorate, Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Utrecht University.
Andrea began her career working in labs, first as a research assistant with the Institute for Genomic Research and then with Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. Her undergraduate degree is in Biology from University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia. After attending law school at George Washington University, she was an attorney for many years with Emord & Associates PC in the Washington, D.C. area, representing clients regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (and related agencies). After leaving private practice, Andrea was Legal Counsel with Celltex Therapeutics, a ground-breaking stem cell company in Houston, TX. Next, Andrea was Regulatory Director, Associate General Counsel with Innophos, Inc, a manufacturing company supplying ingredients to the food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical and technical industries around the globe. Currently Andrea is Food Law Counsel with Campbell Soup Company working primarily with its Quality, Regulatory, R&D, and Marketing teams on some of the most iconic brands in the United States.
Bio Coming Soon!
Dr. Greg Curtzwiler is an Assistant Professor in the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University and a partner in Ideopak, LLC. His research is focused on developing new sustainable materials for adhesives, coatings, and polymers in the packaging and automotive industries including bio-based, compostable, and recycled polymers. He has expertise in polymers and coatings and surface analysis using a variety of instrumentation. Greg has 40+ publications and nine patents to his credit regarding food packaging, sustainable polymers, and nanotechnology.
Dr. Pearson received his B.S. in Chemistry from Montana State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Dr. Pearson joined Aspen Research in 1997 from a post-doctoral position at the University of Minnesota. His prior professional experience includes positions as a Research Chemist and Production Superintendent for Celanese Chemical Corporation. Dr. Pearson has extensive experience in gas chromatographic analysis of volatile and semi-volatile compounds, has coordinated many studies of off gassing phenomena at elevated process temperatures, and is an expert at coupling analytical results back to their process chemistry. He is an industry recognized expert in Extractables and Leachables techniques whose studies have been instrumental in assisting risk professionals in providing guidance for companies navigating in various regulatory arenas.
Daniel Rubenstein provides strategic counseling to industry regarding regulatory compliance requirements for food packaging materials and food ingredients across the globe.
As an Industrial Engineer with a background in medical device manufacturing, Daniel recognizes the importance of providing clients with timely and actionable advice regarding critical regulatory decisions that drive product innovation, marketing, and promotion. Daniel leverages this experience to assist companies in proactively establishing compliance for products under the laws and regulations administered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He also is familiar with food contact material regimes in the European Union (EU) and jurisdictions throughout Asia and South America.
Daniel regularly speaks to professional organizations and trade associations about developing, implementing, and promoting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) strategies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for regulated facilities, and has authored a number of publications on this topic. He also uses his technical background and internal auditing experience to assist clients to prevent and – when necessary – respond to product contamination and recall situations.
BETHANY WOODS is a passionate and accomplished leader in the field of consumer product safety, particularly focusing on food compliance. Currently, she holds a pivotal role at BASF, where she oversees food contact compliance specifically for the dispersions and resins business unit. Bethany's diverse experience spans various stages of the value chain, from raw material suppliers to brand owners, allowing her to bring a comprehensive understanding of the industry's intricacies to her role.
Her approach is distinctly customer-centric, and she has a reputation for creating and implementing innovative tools that bridge the gap between regulatory compliance and business objectives. This unique ability not only aligns with immediate business needs but also fosters long-term profitability and sustainability for her organization. Beyond her role at BASF, Bethany actively participates in industry groups such as the Food Safety Alliance for Packaging, the National Association for Printing Inks Manufacturers, and PLASTICS, where she utilizes her voice to advocate for best practices and collaborative solutions.
Bethany's academic credentials include a degree in Chemistry and Marketing from Clemson University, complemented by a Master’s in Business Administration from Strayer University.
Biography coming soon.
Kim is an accomplished regulatory affairs professional with Masters in Biochemistry and 10 years of experience in food contact material safety and compliance. In her current role at Mars, she manages the global food packaging regulatory program for Mars Wrigley and serves as the company’s subject matter expert in global food contact regulations. Prior to Mars, Kim held a similar role in global packaging regulatory at McCormick & Company but gained most of her experience as a consultant delivering global food contact regulatory compliance strategies and risk mitigation solutions for clients across the supply chain. She continues her engagement in the industry by accepting speaking opportunities at various industry forums and serving on the executive board of IOPP’s Food Safety Alliance for Packaging a technical committee. Earlier this year, Kim was honored as one of PMMI’s Women of the Year in Packaging & Processing.
• Alistair is a subject matter expert in the Food Contact Safety Team at Smithers. This involves advising clients on the safety legislation which applies to food packaging in a wide range of different countries throughout the world and coordinating work programmes to ensure that clients' products meet these requirements.
• His expertise spans all the EU countries, USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Russia and South America.
