By: Leslie G. Sarasin, President and CEO, Food Marketing Institute
Consumer confidence is an inherent factor in any food retailer’s business model,and thus safety is our industry’s number-one priority. This commitment to our food supply took me to Mexico on August 14 to participate in an historic summit that acknowledged the food sector is facing increasing trade barriers due to lack of technical resources. The goal of my visit was to ratify common trade standards that address the demand of customers, consumers and regulatory agencies for food quality and safety.
FMI and representation from the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) joined in partnership with Mexico Calidad Suprema (MCS), a non-profit association formed by producers, packers and its organizations, in order to formally bridge our complementary food safety and quality assurance programs. While I’m confident in our food supply system, the U.S. Government oversight is just part of the equation. Traceability and transparent business relationships are critical to the integrity of the food supply, which will only grow stronger under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the most comprehensive piece of food safety legislation in more than 40 years.
SQFI, a division of FMI, owns a third-party food safety and quality certification program. Its standards are used by certification bodies to provide an independent assessment of a supplier's food safety and quality management system. The goal is to help ensure retailers and consumers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain. SQFI is designed as a food safety program, but it also covers product quality, a feature that is unique to a certification program of this type.
Both FMI and MCS presented parallel benefits to their programs at the summit and signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines 13 clauses on cooperative intent between our countries to further safeguard the food supply. Through this agreement, we recognize the marketing process for agrifood in Mexico should be successful and profitable, and it is necessary to undertake programs and strategic actions that promote international food safety and quality programs for the benefit of the consumer.
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