Whole genome sequencing, Listeria outbreaks, FSMA deadlines, allergen recalls: the list of emerging issues and regulatory requirements seem to go on-and-on. What does all this mean and how does this impact suppliers, brands, and food safety?

To this day, I can still hear my mom scold, “Make sure you wash your hands before you come to the dinner table.” It’s easy to say the age-old rule of “wash your hands before you eat” has been engrained in many of us. But, what if I told you there’s a bigger lesson to be learned about the benefits of clean hands?

The startup mentality is calculated when it comes to risk taking; it’s this confidence that gives a startup a scrappy persona and an optimism that doesn’t appear afraid to fail. Trend spotters suggest that food startups are on the rise, which the grocery industry can attest to firsthand, but speed-to-market is arguably an attribute that has never been at the fingertips of many food retailers. Still, if our industry can keep pace with the demand for ecommerce, then it stands to reason that we can in turn keep pace with the behavior of our shoppers and create a more startup-like culture and attitude.

If I had to pick one MIT team to shadow for the day, I’d probably follow Skylar Tibbits, co-director of the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT, TED fellow and speaker at this year’s Global Sustainability Summit August 9 – 11 in Nashville, TN.