While the pandemic has caused a lot of challenges and shifting priorities for the food and beverage industry, one front burner matter is constant, and that’s food safety.
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ushers in its New Era of Food Safety, some of its main intents are to increase digitalization of traceability and modernize and create food safety cultures within each processing plant.
The food safety leaders I spoke with for this month’s cover story are committed to producing the highest quality and safe foods, while training and empowering their staffs to do the same. This is certainly not a new approach. The difference is now processors will be rated on how well they create a food safety culture. But here lies the rub. A qualified and experienced workforce has remained elusive over the past two decades.
One bit of good news is that the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has become The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Coalition of Action on Food Safety. The coalition recently announced its goal to operate with more agility and increased transparency. It will be led by CGF board members Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International, and Danny Wegman, chairman of Wegmans Food Markets.
The coalition’s aim is to address food safety systems in supply chains, help raise the bar on food safety globally, strengthen and harmonize food safety systems to feed a growing global population, and develop markets that can deliver food safely worldwide.
As our industry unites to produce safe, high-quality food and beverages, here’s hoping 2021 will also be the year our entire planet becomes a safer place, free of COVID-19. Some additional good news is that PMMI is gearing up for the safe return of PACK EXPO Las Vegas on Sept. 27-29, including the return of The Processing Zone. Attendee registration opens in May. Visit packexpolasvegas.com for more information.
PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO (Sept. 27-29, Las Vegas Convention Center) will reunite the packaging and processing community, offering new products, technologies and solutions, while implementing up-to-date protocols for a safe and successful in-person event. Attendee registration opens in May.
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