ROSEMONT, IL (February 22, 2011 - Business Wire)—U.S. Foodservice further solidified its commitment to food safety by participating in the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) Global Food Safety Conference in London from February 16-18.
Jorge Hernandez, senior vice president of food safety and quality assurance, U.S. Foodservice, presented “The Impact of Food Safety GFSI-Recognized Schemes to the Business—A Case Study,” which discussed the results of a recent survey of food processing safety, quality assurance and sales professionals showing the challenges and benefits of achieving GFSI food safety certification. GFSI certification helps ensure a supplier's food safety and quality management system goes beyond compliance with international and domestic food safety regulations to further protect the safety of the food supply.
“It’s essential that suppliers recognize the important role they play in the safety of our food supply,” Hernandez said. “At U.S. Foodservice, we require our private label food suppliers to apply the GFSI standards. The survey results helped us identify areas of concern or difficulty among suppliers in implementing the critical GFSI food safety guidelines in their day-to-day operations.”
Hernandez said food processors that have begun working towards compliance with GFSI standards reported improved food safety, quality and a reduction in third-party audit requests from customers.
“Today, food comes from all over the globe,” Hernandez added. “It is essential to create standardized food safety practices to ensure the health and safety of our food supply. U.S. Foodservice is confident the GFSI certifications provide the framework for enhanced consumer protection.”
The annual Global Food Safety Conference is a unique food industry event that brings together over 750 food safety specialists from more than 55 countries. Participants, including food retailers, manufacturers, government officials and public authorities, discussed food safety best practices and other issues to ensure the quality of the world’s food supply.
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