The National Restaurant Association and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), managed by CIES - The Food Business Forum, have announced a new strategic alliance to provide harmonised best food-safety practices and the use of common food safety standards worldwide.

The two organisations will now work closely together to strengthen food-safety systems and increase consumer confidence.

Working together, the restaurant industry and food retailers will be stronger and have better traction working towards shared goals and objectives of convergence between food safety standards. A benchmarking process for food-safety management schemes will be maintained, improving cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain through the common acceptance of GFSI recognised standards around the world. The alliance will provide a unique international stakeholder platform for networking, knowledge exchange and sharing of best food-safety practice and information.

The GFSI continues to grow in importance in the world of food safety internationally, with the alignment in 2007 of four major food-safety management schemes with its guidance document (BRC, Dutch HACCP, IFS and SQF) and the common acceptance of these standards by seven major international retailers (Carrefour, Delhaize, Metro, Migros, Royal Ahold, Tesco and Wal-Mart).

The current chairman of GFSI, Roland Vaxelaire, director of risk, responsibility and quality for the Carrefour Group, said: “Through this alliance, we are well on track to achieving the GFSI goal of developing and maintaining one common framework of internationally recognised standards. This will go a long way to helping to provide consistent products which are safe for both the retail and foodservice sector customers worldwide.”

Dawn Sweeney, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association, said: “Food safety is one of the restaurant industry’s highest priorities, and we believe the goals and objectives of the GFSI provide a consistent framework to strengthen food-safety systems along the foodservice supply chain and increase consumer confidence.”

The National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry in the US. The Global Food Safety Initiative, managed by CIES - The Food Business Forum, was set up by international food retailers in 2000 to pursue continuous improvement in food-safety systems, cost efficiency in the supply chain, and above all safer food for consumers worldwide.