PARIS, FRANCE — The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a worldwide project to advance food safety and improve consumer trust, is holding its 18th annual conference Feb. 25-28 in Nice, France. Over 1,000 of the most influential actors in the global food industry from more than 50 countries will be in attendance, including top-tier retailers, manufacturers and service providers as well as academics, regulators and consumer advocates.

The theme of the conference — “Emerging Challenges & The Future of Food Safety” — gives delegates the opportunity to discuss solutions for the most pressing new concerns and determine the face of the industry’s future.

The roster of speakers includes leaders like Emmanuel Faber, chairman and chief executive officer of Danone.

“Food safety is a foundation for any type of food business,” he said. “For Danone and its mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, food safety is all the more important. Our ambition to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices would be meaningless if we did not start with safe food. The GFSI annual conference is the perfect moment to meet with the global food safety community to align, share and learn. We are honored to welcome the GFSI Conference back to France — the cplace where it was first initiated.”

This year’s conference program will address existing and emerging challenges from across the food supply chain, as well as food safety innovations and solutions for the future. From high-level talks to in-depth discussions, topics will include supply chain integrity, capability building in developing markets, innovations in technology and data management, creative solutions for allergen management, the changing face of the global retail marketplace and the accelerating growth of third-party certification. Delegates will come away understanding the necessary steps that all actors in the food industry must take towards building a cohesive food safety culture in the years to come.

The GFSI stage welcomes renowned innovators and academics, business leaders and public authorities, multinational CEOs and grassroots players. It is a unique forum to learn from those at the forefront of food safety who share real life case studies — success stories and lessons learned — with peers, adopting the GFSI approach of collaboration for safe food for consumers everywhere.

Dirk van de Put, CEO of Mondelez International, emphasized stakeholders’ responsibility to prepare for the future in the face of a rapidly-changing present.

“At a time of technological advancement, increasing sustainability pressures, and changing consumer demographics, the food industry is experiencing pivotal change,” he said. “In mind of this, the GFSI conference seeks to equip industry leaders with the necessary insights to stay one step ahead of the curve, facilitating the largest collaborative conversation on food safety advancement worldwide.”

Since the GFSI conference was created in 2001, the event has enabled the connections of thousands of senior industry members and sparked perennial global conversations, while creating a bridge across sectors and geographies. Up to 80% of GFSI attendees report that they return to the GFSI conference every year, citing opportunities as varied as the wealth of networking opportunities to the display of cutting-edge technological innovations.

For more information about the conference, visit www.mygfsi.com.