Food Safety Matters

Ep. 90. Phil Kafarakis: Pandemic-Inspired Innovations

Phil Kafarakis is president of the Specialty Food Association, where he is an advocate and spokesman for the $140 billion U.S. specialty food industry. Prior to his appointment in 2016, he served as the Chief Innovation & Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association. He has held positions at Kraft, McCormick & Co., Cargill, and Jones Dairy Farm. He received an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

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In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Phil [14:59] about:

Effects of politics on the food supply chain: Trade and tariffs and regulatory environment
Leadership changes in our federal food agencies
Important topics to watch for in 2021: FSMA compliance, genetically modified foods, climate issues, and
country of origin labeling
Changes in import and export regulations
The future of foodservice
Effects of the pandemic on the food industry: Stimulus payments, lock downs, and transportation
Third-party delivery: Lack of regulations, packaging and temperature challenges, and who’s responsible for food safety?
Pandemic-inspired innovations

Bob Ferguson: Food Safety Insights [5:35]

2021: What Changes of the Past Year Are Likely to Stick?

News and Resources:

FDA Publishes Information from Food Traceability Public Meetings, Including Supply Chain Example

FDA's Core Response Teams Releases List of Outbreak Investigations

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