How did Covid-19 impact the Food sector? [Food Safety Interview Part 1]

The pandemic has put the global food supply under immense stress due to disruptions related to transport, labor and reduced production capacity, to name a few. The increased risks for the food supply chain are currently adding more pressure on food businesses. Compliance and certification audits have been used as a ticket to trade, and as a way to enable trust in the safety and sourcing of the products supplied.

Those audits and assessments were traditionally performed face-to-face. How to conduct them in our currently challenging times is a topic that has been widely discussed among several food supply stakeholders in the last months. Using remote technologies by qualified auditors has demonstrated that adequate insights can be provided and consequently some assurance may be achieved. This may be the triggering point for how to conduct audits and assessments in the “new normal”.

Despite the possibility of providing some assurance by using remote methods, some of the “vigilance” mechanisms are not as active and the food supply chain is at risk of facing fraud more easily. However, one challenge remains the same and the biggest for all stakeholders including farms, logistic companies, retailers, caterers and restaurants: knowledge. The best way to minimize the risk is to ensure that this knowledge is shared with the food handlers and that they understand the importance of their role.

This video series has 4 parts:

#Foodsafety #foodsupplychain #covid19