ANN ARBOR, MI – NSF International will be hosting a webinar in conjunction with Supermarket News on the future of a safe global food supply.

When:  The webinar will take place on Thursday, August 21st at 2:00 pm EST.
 
Who:  Speakers will include Kari Barrett, Senior Advisor, FDA Office of Food Protection; Frank Yiannas, Vice President, Food Safety & Quality for Wal-Mart; Tom Chestnut, Vice President, Food Safety & Quality for NSF International.
 
Why:  The increasing number of foodborne illness outbreaks being reported is prompting action by many sectors of the industry, as well as the federal government.  This webinar will focus on what major retailers can do to ensure a safer food supply and keep pace with the changing regulations.  Topics will include:
Why global standards are critical to food safety
What your company should do to ensure food safety
What to look for in third-party certifiers, as well as what auditors are evaluating to ensure food safety
FDA’s role and commitment in ensuring a safe food supply, and
What the industry can do to further protect the U.S. food supply.
How to participate: To sign up for the webinar, visit http://supermarketnews.com/webinar/0821_food_safety_nsf/
 
Additional background: Food retailers and suppliers around the U.S. and abroad are taking a closer look at the global supply chain to determine compliance with food safety standards. Companies are focusing on more comprehensive audits to prevent food contamination, better traceability procedures and better recall mechanisms while reaching out to industry stakeholders to partner in this movement. Retailers are also requiring suppliers of its private-label and other food products to have their production and processing facilities certified by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards.
 
The role of the third-party certifiers is also evolving as the federal government undertakes major initiatives to coordinate the FDA’s food safety and defense assignments.  In addition, the federal government is undertaking a major initiative to coordinate the FDA’s food safety and defense assignments and commitments, including a potential move to third-party audits. This is creating even further changes in the role of third-party certifiers as they evolve from the traditional second-party audits that have been used in the United States.
 
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.