A taste of the future: What’s next for safety and quality testing in the food industry?

Safeguarding public health is a top priority in the food sector to prevent physical, biological, or chemical contamination from harming the consumer.

Chemical contaminants introduced by various sources before, during, and after production, also affect food quality and can lead to negative consumer perception. Rigorous monitoring, quality control, and global regulation are essential to ensure chemical levels in food remain within safe limits.

Regulatory bodies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), establish maximum allowable levels for chemical residues in foodstuffs based on scientific assessments of potential health risks associated with exposure. But what about emerging contaminants, such as ethylene oxide or PFAS, where no single method is stipulated or even developed?

Furthermore, with the added pressures of becoming more sustainable from farm to fork, one way to address the biggest issue of our time - climate change - as well as its role in affecting food quality, is to use greener sample analysis strategies – but what are the barriers to adoption in the food industry?

Upholding food quality and safety requires a combination of research and development, regulatory oversight, industry responsibility, and consumer awareness. In this forum, our panel of experts discuss the latest topics in food safety, authenticity, and regulatory testing, and address audience questions.

By attending this forum, you will:

• Learn about emerging trends in the food industry, research, and development to ensure safety and quality for the consumer

• Hear about new analytical challenges that are being addressed through research and development

• Understand how advanced analytical techniques are being used and their adoption into routine industry workflows to comply with regulations

Presenter: Elia Psillakis (Professor, Aquatic Chemistry Laboratory, Technical University of Crete)

Presenter: Kieran Kilcawley (Principal Research Officer, Food Quality & Sensory Science, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark and Adjunct Professor, University College Cork, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences)

Presenter: Kaushik Banerjee (Director of ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, India)

Presenter: Bert Popping (Chief Executive Officer and Principal Consultant, FOCOS GmbH, Alzenau, Germany)