The concept of Social Responsibility has saturated social media over the last few years and, finally, crept into our corporate/organizational pillars.  In its infancy, green/responsibility initiatives were often placed with the quality leaders; though today, many large companies have their own CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Departments.  CSR encompasses a variety of facets: environmental conservation, community outreach/volunteerism, sustainable sourcing/animal welfare, good labor practices, etc.

Does social responsibility have any effect on food safety and quality, beyond a need to “do the right thing"?  Together, we will examine several examples where these responsibility facets have a direct connection to vital food safety and quality concerns in the food industry, today.

This session will, directly, address:  (1) animal Welfare initiatives, which have a significant effect on quality of the final products; (2) responsible sourcing in developing countries, which is vital to food safety of exotic raw materials; (3) whether shelf-life dates really necessary or the biggest contributor to food waste; (4) whether we are using too much water during sanitation; and (5) whether water conservation initiatives lead to a cleaner facility.  Each speaker will briefly introduce their Social Responsibility topic and, then, explore the relationship between it and food safety or quality outcomes.

Presentations