Over 500 food safety experts from more than 40 countries will meet in Washington, DC next week for the Global Food Safety Conference, an event planned by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

The conference, which will be held February 3 through 5, a few blocks from the White House, will host food retailers and manufacturers, public health officials, and academics to discuss a wide variety of food safety issues.

The event is created by the GFSI board “as a platform for discussion on top-of-mind issues and to bring knowledge and networking to food safety specialists from around the world.”

Issues on the agenda include: improving public and private sector collaboration, restoring consumer confidence in food, understanding the role of 3rd party certifications, and converging food safety standards.

According to GFSI, “To succeed in business, connectivity is more important than ever. In food safety, too, it’s imperative to join up the dots: between farm and fork, between science, industry and regulators; between standards, auditors and suppliers.”

The group’s mission is “continuous improvement in food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers.” 

The group pursues its mission by working to converge food safety standards and by facilitating networking and knowledge exchange on best food safety practices.

The initiative, which was launched in 2000, is coordinated by The Consumer Goods Forum, an international organization with strong ties to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) in the U.S.