While the global beverage industry continues to display an enviable microbiological safety record, it faces difficult challenges in defining methods and criteria for microbiological safety validation and verification, particularly for chilled extended-shelf-life (ESL) and high-acid products. These challenges are compounded by new regulatory requirements promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as the Draft Guidance Document for Acidified Foods (released in September, 2010) and the impending Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)-driven requirements (final rule due July, 2012) pertaining to hazard analysis and preventive controls. The draft guidance document will likely force reclassification of many beverages into the acidified-foods category, which is governed by FDA regulations under the provisions of 21CFR114, and which requires application of a thermal process. As part of these requirements, many processors currently using ambient-fill technology will be forced to conduct rigorous challenge studies to demonstrate that microbial pathogens of significance die quickly if present in the final product. The FSMA regulation will impose mandatory preventative controls, with written implementation plans, on food facilities. This roundtable will address the new U.S. regulatory requirements impacting domestic and international beverage manufacturers, as well as scientific strategies that could be employed to assure microbial safety and satisfy regulatory requirements. Subject matter experts will offer their perspectives on microbiological safety issues, including: verification of adequate hermetic seal on plastic beverage bottles; impact of acidification procedures on the survival of pathogens in high-acid environments at different storage temperatures; and thermal process and filler validations (for high-acid, refrigerated, and low-acid beverages), including proper identification of target microbial pathogens and potential surrogates to be used in validation strategies.