The 2017 Global Food Safety Conference, which brings together food safety specialists with industry counterparts had a record-breaking number of attendees, with 1,200 delegates from 54 countries.
The 16th annual rendition, which ran from 27 February to 2 March, was held by the Consumer Goods Forum in Houston, Texas.
Dubbed food safety's version of the 'G30' summit, the event held discussions about food safety topics and the 'pursuit of international harmonisation' with governments from 30 countries.
Executives from major food companies spoke about creating change in their company culture and food safety programmes. Industry issues such as listeria control and regulatory implementation were addressed.
"The call to action for those who attended was resounding — we must partner to grow. Collaboration is key to succeeding in this new era of a growing globalised supply chain, demand for more information, increased regulation and greater liability exposure than ever before, " conference organisers said in a post-event communication.
'Trust and transparency' were some of the key threads running through the conference. The importance of food safety auditors' competence and credibility was also discussed, in regards to the recent implementation of the Global Food Safety Initiative's certification programme which aims to improve and optimise auditor performance and maintain confidence in the GFSI programme.
The GFSI is an 'industry-driven initiative providing thought leadership and guidance on food safety management systems necessary for safety along the supply chain', according to its website.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
