Food safety in the Western world has historically focused on areas such as foodborne pathogens and allergens; however, the rest of the world has additional concerns. Some include the availability of food, economic adulteration, polluted water supplies, etc.  The assessment of risk is hugely impacted by having enough food to feed a population.  This disconnect within the food trading countries is an interesting area to reflect upon, especially now as we move into the FSMA era.

The objective of the proposed roundtable is to understand philosophies and the focus that different regions place on food safety in their food systems and culture. Some of the topics of discussion will include:

• The hazards of concern and typical control measures (including GMPs)  in various regions of the world
• The prevalence of food fraud in the global supply chain
• To what extent do national/regional/local cultural differences affect food safety systems and decisions? 
• How do locally based auditors help or hinder (influence) the development of common standards, such as GFSI?
• The differing approach to governmental regulations and enforcement
• To what extent do judicial and liability concerns affect the food industry in your area of the world?
• How are different regions preparing for FSMA Foreign Supplier Verification rule and do all countries know (or care) about it?
• How does the transparency and the complexity of supply chains vary by region?

In a truly international fashion, this roundtable will raise awareness among the food industry about the food safety perspectives of various countries/regions of the world. It will initiate dialogue and create collaborations to strengthen food safety.