These preferences also change over time. For producers and other food businesses, this translates into the need for a tailored product, service and marketing strategy. Why food integrity is important In the marketplace, the reality is that the future competitiveness and profitability of our food businesses will depend how we understand, adjust to, and satisfy global demands for food integrity. Let s consider food safety. This is the non-negotiable component of food integrity.
Consumers expect food to be safe.
Food safety incidents have both a high human and economic cost. Events such as the BSE crisis in the United Kingdom, the dioxin scare in Belgium, the E.coli outbreak in Japan, and orange juice contamination in Australia last year, have only served to reinforce the seriousness of the food safety issue. The very public response to these issues internationally highlights the importance. Consumers worldwide want to be confident in the safety of their food supply. Economically, nations recognise the potential for food safety incidents to damage a country s international trade.