Insights from global public health and safety organization NSF International’s food industry survey, which covers food fraud, international trade, food safety, regulations, innovation, and social responsibility, will be shared at SIAL Canada in Montreal on April 14.
The survey, of more than 10,000 food experts from industry, academia and the regulatory arena, looked at key issues and challenges facing the Canadian food industry including food fraud, safety, and quality.
NSF International Global Managing Director, Consulting and Technical Services, Serban Teodoresco, said they gathered these insights to learn more about the Canadian food industry from industry experts and leaders.
“The NSF International survey covers important issues such as food fraud, social responsibility, international trade, social media, innovation, food safety, and regulations,” Teodoresco said. “The results pinpoint trends to help guide organizations eager to learn what they should be prepared for to protect consumers and limit brand risk.”
Important issues revealed in the survey include:*
- When asked “who bears the most responsibility for addressing food fraud risks,” 39 percent of respondents listed the ingredient suppliers, and 26 percent listed the manufacturer.
- When asked “what is the Canadian food industry’s ability to respond to social media crisis?” 30 percent of respondents indicated they can respond to a social media crisis within the first hour, and 26 percent indicated they cannot respond within 12 hours, or at all.
In response to these findings, NSF said: “Manufacturers must take an active role to understand where they are vulnerable, develop a systematic plan to addresses the vulnerabilities, and implement monitoring, verification and testing programs. Consistent use of these systems across the supply chain is necessary to reduce or eliminate the potential for fraudulent activities within the supply chain.
“To ensure customer confidence, reduce brand risk and maintain a competitive edge, food industry companies need to have a crisis response system in place, especially given the 24-7 news cycle and the fast-moving world of social media. Poor responsiveness can reduce confidence and trust in a company.”
*Final survey results may vary.