GFSI / One connected world, one safe food supply
Over 1 000 food safety stakeholders from around the world gathered in Seattle, USA this week for the 2020 Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Conference, which also marked the 20th anniversary for the GFSI.
Action is more urgent than ever.
Addressing the conference, Peter Freedman, Managing Director of the Consumer Goods Forum said 2020 marked a moment of change in governance and strategy for GFSI. “Action is more urgent than ever”, he said, citing the climate advocate Greta Thunberg. “Our agenda remains one of positive change, but we’re trying to increase the urgency with which we enact that change”.
GFSI Director Erica Sheward
GFSI Director Erica Sheward echoed this urgency, asking delegates to leave their commercial interests at the door and work purely towards “a world where all food is safe” for the duration of the event. “This week is not about us as individuals, it’s about how we come together as a collective of brilliant minds to provide solutions”, she said, inviting the audience to stand in recognition of this commitment. Everyone in a packed auditorium took to their feet in a striking visual reminder of the shared mission.
Senior Food Standards Officer Hilde Kruse of the Codex Secretariat presented the Codex standard setting process in a session on “Setting expectations: How to develop food safety specifications”, explaining how Codex standards are science-based and developed through a robust, inclusive, transparent and consensus-driven process. Other speakers showcased the importance of Codex standards as a basis for food safety specifications in the food industry.
Hilde Kruse, Codex Secretariat
World Food Safety Day 2020
Kruse also highlighted the upcoming World Food Safety Day as an opportunity for awareness raising on food safety referring to the slogan for the WFSD: “Food safety, everyone’s business”! “All stakeholders throughout the food chain continuum are invited to engage“, she said encouraging participants to use the WFSD to raise awareness and urge action. “Let’s celebrate together”, she added.
Read more
Follow the twitter hashtag #gfsi20
Photo credit: © GFSI
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
GFSI / One connected world, one safe food supply
Over 1 000 food safety stakeholders from around the world gathered in Seattle, USA this week for the 2020 Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Conference, which also marked the 20th anniversary for the GFSI.
Action is more urgent than ever.
Addressing the conference, Peter Freedman, Managing Director of the Consumer Goods Forum said 2020 marked a moment of change in governance and strategy for GFSI. “Action is more urgent than ever”, he said, citing the climate advocate Greta Thunberg. “Our agenda remains one of positive change, but we’re trying to increase the urgency with which we enact that change”.
GFSI Director Erica Sheward
GFSI Director Erica Sheward echoed this urgency, asking delegates to leave their commercial interests at the door and work purely towards “a world where all food is safe” for the duration of the event. “This week is not about us as individuals, it’s about how we come together as a collective of brilliant minds to provide solutions”, she said, inviting the audience to stand in recognition of this commitment. Everyone in a packed auditorium took to their feet in a striking visual reminder of the shared mission.
Senior Food Standards Officer Hilde Kruse of the Codex Secretariat presented the Codex standard setting process in a session on “Setting expectations: How to develop food safety specifications”, explaining how Codex standards are science-based and developed through a robust, inclusive, transparent and consensus-driven process. Other speakers showcased the importance of Codex standards as a basis for food safety specifications in the food industry.
Hilde Kruse, Codex Secretariat
World Food Safety Day 2020
Kruse also highlighted the upcoming World Food Safety Day as an opportunity for awareness raising on food safety referring to the slogan for the WFSD: “Food safety, everyone’s business”! “All stakeholders throughout the food chain continuum are invited to engage“, she said encouraging participants to use the WFSD to raise awareness and urge action. “Let’s celebrate together”, she added.
Read more
Follow the twitter hashtag #gfsi20
Photo credit: © GFSI
Codex and Observer
around the world since ancient times.
We might not always know where it comes from,
but we expect it to be available, safe and of good quality.
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