Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a business-driven initiative for the continuous improvement of food safety management systems, with the ambition to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide. GFSI provides a platform for collaboration between some of the world's leading food safety experts from retailer, manufacturer, and food service companies, service providers associated with the food supply chain, international organizations, academia, and government.
GFSI was founded in 2000 by a group of leading food retailers and manufacturers who were concerned about the increasing number of food safety incidents. The group recognized that there was a need for a more coordinated approach to food safety, and GFSI was created to address this need.
GFSI works by developing a set of food safety standards that are recognized by the global food industry. These standards are based on the best practices in food safety, and they are updated on a regular basis to reflect new scientific knowledge and industry developments.
GFSI has been very successful in improving food safety around the world. For retailers, the reduction of product recalls delivers immediate savings. Walmart has seen a 31 percent reduction in product recalls, and Cargill benefited from $5 million per year in savings due to a reduction in redundant audit costs—with an anticipated $15 million per year in savings when fully implemented (1). GFSI has also helped to improve the efficiency of the global food supply chain, and it has saved the global food industry billions of dollars.
Benefits of GFSI Benchmarked Standards
- Increased confidence from customers and consumers
- Reduced risk of food safety incidents
- Improved efficiency of the food supply chain
- Cost savings
- Increased market access
Achieve GFSI Benchmarked Standards
To achieve GFSI Benchmarked Standards, you will need to choose a GFSI-recognized body, like SQF. The certification body will assess your food safety management system against the GFSI standards. If your system meets the standards, you will be certified.
The certification process can be complex and time-consuming, but it is worth it to improve your food safety practices and gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Conclusion
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a valuable resource for the global food industry. GFSI is playing a vital role in ensuring the safety of the food that we eat. If you are a food company, GFSI can help you to improve your food safety practices and gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Source:
1. https://www.food-safety.com/articles/2466-transitioning-to-gfsi-recognized-standards
