FEATURE event report
In August, I travelled to Sydney to attend the International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium 2024. This is something I look forward to as food safety gets the spotlight in the context of horticulture and importantly, I learn a lot from the consolidation of experts sharing their knowledge. Here are my insights:
Words Joel Dinsdale, Quality Assurance Coordinator, vegetablesWA
THIS event was a bit different to previous Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia and New Zealand (FPSC-ANZ) conferences in that it spanned two days instead of a busy single day event. This allowed for more content and discussions.
The International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium (IFPSS) 2024 bought together producers, experts, researchers, and industry leaders from around the globe to discuss the latest advancements in fresh produce food safety.
The symposium focused on the pressing challenges and emerging solutions in the world of horticultural food safety. Attendees explored topics including microbial contamination/prevention strategies, brand management, PPP roll-out activities, supply chain transparency, and innovative technologies for pathogen detection/reduction.
The symposium featured familiar industry figures such as Dr SP Singh (NSW DPI), Jane Siebum (Freshcare CEO), and Tristan Kitchener (HARPS). We heard from producers on the frontline such as Lynley Van Lathum (Rugby Farms) and Wade Mann (Family Fresh Farms) to get their perspectives. There were also panel discussions, and workshop activities, offering a platform to share knowledge, research findings, and best practices.
Focus was given to evolving regulations, and how these affect growers, processors, and distributors across different regions. Representing WA was Elizabeth Frankish PhD who provided insights into the activities currently being undertaken in WA to support the industry to adopt the FANZ PPP standards.
Elizabeth Frankish PhD (right) discussing WA’s PPP activities to date at the IFPSS.
The standards are set to be mandatory (for melon, leafy vegetable and berry producers) from 12 February 2024 and the activities are being led by vegetablesWA in conjunction with the WA Department of Health. As it stands, WA is leading the way towards achieving the roll-out, so the symposium was keen to hear about the WA insights from Elizabeth.
With foodborne illness outbreaks continuing to pose significant risks to horticulture, the symposium emphasised the importance of proactive measures and cutting-edge solutions to safeguard public health and enhance consumer trust.
For me, the event keynote speaker Frank Yiannas from the USA was a highlight. You may have seen him on the Netflix Documentary Poisoned – The Dirty Truth About Food. (It was referenced a few times across both days).
LEFT: The future of a safer, smarter and more sustainable produce system is people led, science based, and tech enabled – Frank Yiannas at the IFPSS 2024. RIGHT: Food for thought? WA producers need to continue to promote food safety in their businesses.
Frank is a leading expert in food safety and public health, known for his roles as Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response at the FDA and Vice President of Food Safety at Walmart. Frank also worked in food safety at the Disney Company. During his career, he has pioneered initiatives in traceability, technology, and transparency to improve global food safety standards. He is also a published author on food safety.
Frank provided thought-provoking facts and key insights into the state-of-play in Fresh Produce Food Safety. He outlined what has been happening across the globe (in fresh produce food safety) and discussed some food safety incidents that are currently being played out in the US for context. Industry needed to hear these stories and facts as we must manage the number of incidents/outbreaks as they impact industry performance and capacity.
During his closing session address, Frank challenged the room to take the learnings from the conference and proactively continue to support industry to adopt smarter produce safety systems.
He echoed the thoughts of the University of NSW Associate Dean Julian Cox, who suggested that industry must improve its food safety literacy to get positive public health outcomes. This resonated with me, as we need to ensure that learnings permeate from the top of organisations down.
The IFPSS has helped to foster collaboration between industry stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, and support businesses.
“Fresh produce safety must remain a noncompetitive global priority, as the world expects food safety assurances.”
I would encourage WA producers to follow the FPSC-ANZ on the usual social media platforms as they are an independent, not-for-profit organisation that can assist businesses to achieve their food safety goals. For those interested, the conference is annual, and all are encouraged to attend to hear food safety insights. The next symposium will be held at the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach from 29–30 July 2025.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to know more about the Symposium or fresh produce food safety, contact Joel Dinsdale (joel.dinsdale@vegetableswa.com.au).