At Issue: Worldwide Communication, Distribution, Regulation

In early September, the QA Media staff held a teleconference with our QA Advisory Board members. Because of the busy schedules of people in this industry, we rarely can get more than half the board together on a call or at an event, but no matter how many of the industry leaders are able to join in, the discussion is always incredibly interesting and enlightening.

As the participants provided updates on their industry segments and areas they see as being of key industry interest, challenge, or recommended focus for QA coverage, a few focal points tended to be raised repeatedly, including:

• Communication and Education.
In an age of immediate distribution of information—by anyone at anytime regardless of expertise, science, or facts (consider the emotion-laden, zero-tolerance, zero-risk push of activist groups, or the equating of local foods as the only truly safe foods), it is critical that the industry band together to bring reason and sound judgment to the debates. The activists are being heard loud and clear not only by consumers but also by regulators … are you being heard?

• The Global Chain.
While the ever-expanding global nature of the industry brings an increase in opportunity, it also carries with it an increasing number of challenges. From dealing with food fraud vulnerabilities to country-by-country diversity in culture and regulation, accepted standards or actionable levels of contamination, pending FSMA rules on imports and importers, and consumers’ desire for exotic and foreign foods and ingredients, today’s food processors must understand and deal with international issues and considerations as never before.

• The Food Safety Modernization Act.
FSMA is the beat-dead horse that just doesn’t go away. But if the courts have their say and expert expectations are met (see the view of Dr. David Acheson in Legislative Update, page 10), the comment periods will actually close, and FDA will begin work on the final rules. But what the long-term impact will be on the industry—particularly small companies and those that are on just the other side of any exemptions—is yet to be seen.

These are, of course, not the only hot topics and challenges facing the industry, but it seems that just about anything currently at issue in food safety can fit into at least one—if not more—of these buckets.

Through the remainder of 2013 and throughout 2014, we will be addressing these and other key industry issues in the profiles, features, and columns of QA, as well as online. And, as always, we welcome your input and feedback. Let us know about areas, issues, challenges you are facing? Tell us what you’d like to see covered in QA? Or provide us with comments on those you read.

The author is Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.