Global Food Safety Initiative launches 2018 awards

The second edition will recognise companies worldwide that have used GFSI’s Global Markets Programme as part of their food safety system.

Award winners will be honoured at GFSI’s Global Food Safety Conference and benefit from travel and attendance for the event and Discovery Tours in Tokyo, Japan from 5-8 March 2018.

The Global Markets Awards highlight the efforts of operations to scale up capabilities to produce safe food.

GFSI’s Global Markets Programme sets out how companies who lack or have underdeveloped food safety systems can meet the challenge of providing safe food, reducing hazards in global supply chains and working towards market access.

It provides an unaccredited entry point for these companies with its step-by-step programme designed to build capacity within production and manufacturing operations and implement a routine of continuous improvement.

Food companies, farms or facilities can apply for the awards, sponsored by Greenfence, which have categories for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the rest of the world as well as one for Japan.

A Steering and Selection Committee formed for the awards are composed of representatives from the public and private sector in four continents.

Mike Taylor, former deputy commissioner to the US Food and Drug Administration, chairs the Selection Committee.

Applications close on 1 December at 6pm Central European time. To apply go here http://awards.mygfsi.com/​​

Meanwhile, GFSI has rescheduled a Focus Day planned for 8 November in Mexico City after an earthquake in the country last month.

The Focus Day will now take place in Mexico City on 3 May 2018.

“Mexico remains an important country for GFSI's regional development and we believe there are opportunities to support collaborative food safety advancement in this area. To that end, we have decided not to cancel the event, rather to reschedule,​” said the organisation.