Shoptalk’s third iteration in March is expected to draw 7,500 attendees, and a number of them will be focused on Grocerytalk, a first-ever event in which the food retailing community can engage with each other on topics as timely as “Disruptive Technologies and Pioneering Brands” and “New Direct-to-Consumer Startups Disrupting CPG and Grocery.”

Last month, Matt Grizzard, director of member services, and a handful of food retailers visited northern Italy to see and experience food production from the other side of the world.

With the 2017 SQF International Conference right around the corner this is a good time to reflect on the fact that food safety has no borders. In today’s world people are migrating rapidly, requiring more diverse products in their diet, and obtaining their food through a variety of different vehicles. Protecting the supply chain has never been more crucial than it is today, and with regulatory and government rules and regulations increasing, implementing the SQF Program has never been more important to your business.

We’ve moved from an era where there was a dearth of nutrition facts to the present-day challenge of health-information overload.