Food Safety, Technology and Regulatory Decision Making at the FDA

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

who frontpage

member frontpage

Join a Community that Champions, Connects, and Elevates!

Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

At this year’s biennial FDA Science Forum, scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and academia shared cutting-edge food safety research to update the general public on important work being conducted to protect public health. The forum showcased the agency’s research and how it is being used to develop scientific tools and technologies to advance food safety and inform regulatory decision making.

By Adam Friedlander, MS, Manager, Food Safety and Technical Services, Food Marketing Institute <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/fda-science-forum.tmb-large-350-.png?sfvrsn=a2f4536e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="FDA Science Forum" title="FDA Science Forum" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;" />At this year’s biennial <a href="https://www.fda.gov/science-research/about-science-research-fda/fda-science-forum">FDA Science Forum</a>, scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and academia shared cutting-edge food safety research to update the general public on important work being conducted to protect public health. The forum showcased the agency’s research and how it is being used to develop scientific tools and technologies to advance food safety and inform regulatory decision making. All <a href="https://www.fda.gov/science-research/fda-science-forum/2019-fda-science-forum-agenda">presentations and panel discussions</a> from this forum are free and available to watch through the website’s webcast. The food safety topics discussed are important and valuable for FMI members because developing the next generation of retail food safety leaders is a <a href="https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2019/02/14/fmi-food-safety-2019-initiatives">top priority</a> for the FMI Food Protection Committee (FPC). The following presentations provided insight into current FDA scientific initiatives and can help future food safety leaders develop stronger critical thinking, technical science and regulatory skills.  <ol> <li>Keynote Address - FDA and NIH: Partners in Transformation - Francis Collins, MD, PhD, Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)</li> <li>MetagenomeTrakr Pilot Program for Rapid Foodborne Pathogen Detection– Paul Morin, PhD, FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA)</li> <li>The Promise of Microbial Genomics: How Microbiology is Standing Up to the Many Challenges of a 21stCentury Food Supply – Marc Allard, PhD, FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)</li> <li>Editing the Genome without DNA Breaks – Jakob Reiser, PhD, FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)</li> <li>Violent Non-State Actor Use of Food as a Delivery System: Comparing Ideological and Non-Ideological Perpetrators – Markus Binder, MS, University of Maryland</li> <li>Bio-Terrorism Regulations and Food Security – Desmond Brown, MS, FDA’s ORA</li> <li>FDA Food Defense Efforts: A Preventive Approach to Food Terrorism – Ryan Newkirk, PhD, FDA’s CFSAN</li> <li>Innovation in Science: Protecting People from Emerging Infectious Disease Threats – Christopher R. Braden, MD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)</li> <li>Foodborne Outbreak Investigations in the Whole Genome Sequencing Era – Jennifer Beal, MPH, FDA’s CFSAN</li> <li>Tracking antibiotic resistance in Salmonella: The role of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System – Patrick McDermott, PhD, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)</li> <li>Emerging & Pandemic Threat Preparedness – Jerry Weir, PhD, FDA’s CBER</li> <li>Consumers’ Use of Personal Electronic Devices in the Kitchen – Amy Lando, MPP, FDA’s CFSAN and Michael Bazaco, PhD, FDA’s CFSAN</li> <li>AI at FDA: Potential Utility and Regulatory Challenges – Panel of FDA Scientific Experts</li> </ol> Engaging with federal government scientists is a valuable experience to keep up with the latest scientific innovations and a great opportunity to maintain a relationship with regulatory agencies. FMI is proud to work on behalf of our members to build strong relationships with local, state and federal regulators and scientists.  To watch presentations and panel discussions from the 2019 FDA Science Forum, click <a href="https://www.fda.gov/science-research/fda-science-forum/2019-fda-science-forum-agenda">here</a>. For more information on advancing retail food safety programs, please visit <a href="http://www.fmi.org/safemark">www.fmi.org/safemark</a>.

Read full article on FMI

Menus

Some of the main menus of the template are now set via the template parameters saving you having to set up menu modules for each menu. From this section you can choose what menus you would like connected with these pre assigned menu areas of the template.

Copyright Information

Enter the copyright information that will appear in the footer area of your template.

Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.