Future-shaping: Five insights from Food Integrity Global 2024
After a month has gone since Food Integrity Global, Grace Galler discusses the main lessons learned from the two-day event and how the industry got together to talk about some of the most pressing issues facing the business at the moment.
Experts from the food industry convened at Food Integrity Global, a two-day event held in the heart of London. They brought a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight to the discussion of some of the major issues and problems facing our business.
With speakers from all over the world, Food Integrity Global enabled the industry to seize the stage and use the event as a worldwide platform for conversation, problem solving, and inspiration. As a result, no information was kept under wraps at the New Food event.
“This conference is amazing because it brings together a wide range of individuals and players in the food supply chain. Chris Elliott, a world-renowned specialist on food fraud and professor of food safety at Queen’s University Belfast, said, “People from academia, people from industry, and regulators are coming together.”
A month has gone since the event, so it’s a good idea to review five of the main points that were brought up in Kensington, the capital, to share with people who were unable to attend this year the insights that are still on the minds of those who were present.
Food fraud
The annual cost of food fraud to the global food business is estimated to be €30 billion, with examples garnering international attention and raising significant concerns. However, the industry is not avoiding this issue; rather, it is actively addressing it behind the scenes and making every effort to prevent fraudsters from obtaining our food.
Ten years after the horse meat controversy, New Food invited Professor Chris Elliott to speak on multiple occasions on food crime and the progress the sector has made since the historic case. Speakers from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland, Sainsbury’s, 2 Sisters Food Group, the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), Oritain UK, Culture Compass, and the European Commission joined Elliott on stage for multiple sessions devoted to the topic of food crime.
The audience the members notebooks were overflowing with progress notes and questions for the panelists, whether they were asking about the steps Sainsbury’s has taken since the horsemeat scandal or probing regulatory bodies like the FSA and FSS about how they have been proactively implementing measures to combat concerns through enhanced surveillance and monitoring.
It was a great chance to draw attention to the various strategies used to mislead customers about the possible threats to public health and safety. The speakers were also able to analyze how fraudulent activities are changing and plan cooperative ways to strengthen the integrity of our international food networks.
The effects of artificial intelligence
In the food business, artificial intelligence (AI) has completely changed the way we work. Panelists from Barilla, the University of Piemont Orientale, SGS DIGICOMPLY, and Mars Incorporated spoke at Food Integrity Global about the advances AI has made in the last few years alone. Each panelist brought a distinct perspective to the constantly changing field of AI integration in the food industry.
These experts discussed how the food industry has seen remarkable breakthroughs due to AI’s rapid evolution, which has redefined operating paradigms and sparked innovation in a variety of areas including supply chain management, quality assurance, and food manufacturing. Their combined views were evident in how they emphasized the revolutionary potential of AI, highlighting how it can optimize workflows, guarantee strict adherence to safety regulations, and propel sustainability activities within the global food ecosystem.
The various points of view demonstrated the broad influence of AI on the food sector and signaled the beginning of a new era in which technological aptitude combines with subject-matter knowledge, morality, and customer-focused strategies to create a future of improved food sustainability and integrity.
The fragility of the food system
Fragility was another topic covered in-depth at Food Integrity Global. This included the food industry’s struggles with food inflation, the cost-of-living dilemma, the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftereffects, and the war’s extensive effects in Ukraine.
Speakers from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Mars Incorporated, Tate & Lyle, The Clean Label Project, and The Trussell Trust examined the effects of these worldwide issues on the food industry throughout their presentations on this subject.
The vulnerability of the world food system became a major topic of debate at Food Integrity Global, prompting serious considerations among business executives. The conference acted as a spark for analyzing the complex issues related to inflationary pressures, food security, and the need for sustainable practices in the food business.
Stakeholders and experts emphasized how these interrelated problems have increased susceptibilities and forced a critical reassessment of our food systems’ sustainability and resilience in the face of shocks.
Furthermore, the conference clarified the increased hazards that marginalized populations confront, highlighting the necessity of all-encompassing initiatives to guarantee access to wholesome food.
Leaders in the sector also emphasized the importance of sustainable agricultural methods and responsible resource management as the cornerstones of a more resilient food system, and they talked about the need for creative solutions to handle these inflationary pressures.
Sustainability: it’s either now or never
Sustainability is more than simply a catchphrase. That was the general agreement reached throughout this year’s Food Integrity Global discussions. More than that, though, speakers described in detail how different industry participants continue to prioritize it.
Several panels centered on sustainability were held during the conference, including “COP-out,” which featured speakers from the Sustainable Foods Trust, Tirlán Ltd., Nomad Foods, and EIT Food. Another included Grace and Josh discussing sustainability and the misunderstandings and even animosity that exist between some trading blocs with visitors from the US on stage at New Food’s very first live recording of our podcast, “Food To Go.”
The conversation didn’t end there. John Powell, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Head of Agricultural Services, and Joshua Minchin, the editor of New Food, had a meeting to discuss the value of working together with the agricultural sector to support and direct best practices, particularly those that lead to sustainability.
The Food Integrity Global conference looked at food sustainability from a variety of angles and acknowledged that it plays a crucial role in preserving food integrity. Presenters and attendees engaged in lengthy conversations to examine the relationships among sustainability, food safety, quality, and ethical manufacturing.
In order to protect the environment and meet the nutritional needs of both the present and the future generations, stakeholders from a variety of industries emphasized how important it is to incorporate sustainable practices into every facet of the food industry.
Emphasis on food safety
A New Food event wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t address the important subject of food safety and recognize the outstanding work being done in the industry. The industry’s unwavering dedication to ensuring that the production of safe, wholesome food is prioritized along the whole supply chain on a daily basis was celebrated in these conversations.
Food safety was an issue that was bound to come up at Food Integrity Global, and for good reason. It constituted the core of many of the conversations. From farm to fork, maintaining the safety of our food system is crucial, and it was clear from the event that all businesses take food safety very seriously.
Speakers covered a wide range of subjects related to this theme, such as new hazards, the industry’s progress in risk management, the application of AI, whether humans will always be required to examine food safety standards, and whether pest monitoring is progressing quickly enough.
The discussions amongst speakers, who included regulators, retailers, academics, researchers, and consultants, were wide-ranging, in-depth, and insightful.
The incident demonstrated how the supply chain as a whole is resolutely committed to maintaining the integrity of our food systems, demonstrating that everyone’s commitment to safety is constant throughout the year.
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One last thing
Seeing representatives from the food and beverage industry travel great distances to voice their opinions on some of the most important issues facing the business at the moment was encouraging.
The New Food team, presenters, sponsors, and participants made it possible for two jam-packed days of discussion about what the sector is doing well and where changes need to be made. But one thing is for sure: creativity and teamwork are not uncommon in the food industry.
The conversations revealed a common dedication to ongoing development and a desire to push limits, guaranteeing that the food industry stays at the forefront of advancement and progress.
One of the best things about Food Integrity Global was being able to talk to people in person and shake hands with LinkedIn connections you may not have met otherwise. New Food is honored to have facilitated so many significant contacts and moments of appreciation, in addition to honoring with an Apple Award some of the inspirational people who have been genuinely changing the business.
If you were with us in London last month, please share your comments with us and make sure the dialogue continues. Remember to register your interest here if you plan to attend the Food Integrity Global conference in Amsterdam next year.