Freshconex 2012 Business Forum, which takes place on 8-10 February alongside Fruit Logistica as part of the Freshconex trade fair, will present the latest trends and innovations in the fresh produce convenience sector, with food safety one of the main topics on the second day of the event.
According to Freshconex organiser Messe Berlin, the German market and international suppliers are still feeling the impact of the last summer's E coli crisis, which underlined the importance of food safety and traceability.
Frédéric Rosseneu, policy advisor at Freshfel Europe, will take the opportunity at this year's forum to explain what lessons can and must be learned and what special challenges the convenience sector faces.
Harmonising food safety audits represents another key challenge for the business. To that end, Dr David Gombas, food safety expert at the United Fresh Produce Association, and Dr Kristian Moeller, managing director of GlobalGAP, will also be on hand to discuss the current situation and assess the steps needed to achieve a more concerted auditing approach.
Meanwhile, the forum will also focus on information and available communication channels, which are crucial in the debate about food safety.
Highlighting the fact that close cooperation with the media makes good sense when it comes to ensuring public awareness, international experts will discuss the role of the press and social media, considering also the issue of whether they should be more involved in the information flow.
New technologies, which can play an important role in improving food safety by extending shelf-life and product preservation, as well as washing and cleaning, will also feature.
The forum's session on the role of new technologies in food safety will focuses on how such tools can support food safety for fresh produce convenience products.
The main theme on the first day of the Freshconex 2012 Business Forum is 'New opportunities in marketing for fresh produce convenience', while on Friday 10 February the focus will be on 'Technology and new product development'.
'On all three days, the Business Forum offers excellent opportunities to share in-depth information and exchange ideas with guest speakers and international industry representatives,' said a spokesperson for Messe Berlin.
The Freshconex 2012 Business Forum is held in Hall 7.2b, within the exhibition area itself, and will offer translation into English and German.
Entry to the forum sessions is included in the Freshconex general admission price.
Organised by Messe Berlin, the Business Forum is presented by Eurofruit's sister title Fresh Convenience Magazine and the United Fresh Produce Association.
Further information is available at the official Freshconex website.
