Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of being part of something truly impactful: the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Services Provision Technical Working Group. This group is tasked with developing benchmarking requirements for food industry service providers, a critical but often overlooked area in food safety standards.
GFSI is a visionary initiative aimed at fostering continuous improvement in food safety management systems worldwide. It was established in 2000 by food industry leaders who wanted to address shared challenges such as reducing food safety risks, eliminating audit duplication, and lowering costs while enhancing trust across the entire supply chain. Their goal? Safe food for everyone, everywhere.
As someone who has worn multiple hats in the food safety space—working both in food manufacturing and as a hygiene specialist—I was thrilled to join this team. It’s not every day you get to contribute to setting global benchmarks that shape how businesses operate. The group I’m part of includes representatives from organizations like ANSI, BSI, Ecolab, Dole, CampdenBRI, Rentokil-Initial, Eurofins, Control Union, and more. We bring diverse perspectives and expertise, ensuring our recommendations are comprehensive and practical.
Our focus is on defining clear scopes and services within the realm of food safety services (GFSI Scope I). We’re reviewing existing certifications relevant to these areas, establishing benchmarking requirements for key parameters, and updating the glossary to reflect this new scope. So far, we’ve met twice—once in France and once in China—and have been making solid progress. Our next meeting is scheduled for February 24-25 in Seattle, just ahead of the 2020 GFSI Conference, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year under the theme “One Connected World. One Safe Food Supply.†You can learn more about the event at [mygfsi.com/events/gfsi-conference](https://mygfsi.com/events/gfsi-conference).
On a side note, I wanted to share some recent blog posts that highlight important aspects of food safety. Amit M. Kheradia wrote about the importance of food handling utensils in food safety—a topic that’s often taken for granted. Stine Lønnerup Bislev discussed why color coding cleaning tools is essential for maintaining hygiene standards. And Debra Smith offered insights into minimizing foreign body contamination from cleaning equipment. Each post underscores the complexity and significance of food safety practices in daily operations.
It’s been an inspiring journey so far, and I look forward to seeing how our efforts will help shape the future of food safety. If you’re interested in learning more or following along with the latest developments, feel free to reach out or check out the resources available on the GFSI website. There’s always something new to discover in this ever-evolving field!
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