A new scope published to the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI’s) Benchmarking Requirements enables the providers of services that impact food safety to become recognized by a GFSI-recognized certification program.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vendor certification has been top of mind for the food industry given the increased requirements and oversight of third-party audits and FDA regulations to better accommodate public health. This article will give a baseline understanding of the regulatory requirements between U.S. federal bodies (FDA, USDA) in comparison to widely known GFSI standards (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22200). Additionally, it will provide insight into key control areas for mitigating risk and adapting business in accordance with the growing emphasis on the importance of food safety culture.

Hundreds of delegates from 50 nations convened to discuss food safety sustainability and technology at the 2022 Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Conference, which took place in Barcelona on March 29–31.

Dr. Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), spoke with Food Safety Magazine during the GFSI conference on the collaborative work that FAO, GFSI, and other organizations are doing to strengthen food safety and sustainability worldwide.

At the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) 2022 conference in Barcelona, a panel discussion examined GFSI's plans for reshaping its Global Markets Program, as well as its new model for auditor training and professional development.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) will survey the food safety community on the action needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) linked to food safety. 

To address the changing landscape of food safety, GSFI Director Erica Sheward explains how the world must shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well as make food systems less fragile and unequal; all while combatting food fraud and managing the impacts of climate change.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) will launch a pilot program for Food Safety Auditor qualifications to increase recruitment by eliminating repeat auditor checks in GFSI-recognized certification programs.

GFSI is focused on creating a pathway to professional development and for the recognition of food safety auditors as a way to improve the attractiveness of the profession. GFSI's new model of auditor qualification introduces a Professional Recognition Body to conduct the first auditor qualification program.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is seeking stakeholder consultation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) Harmonized GAP Plus+ version 3.0.