FDA began intermittently publishing Conversations with Experts on Food Topics in 2017.  The feature introduces FDA subject area experts who answer questions about various topics in the areas regulated by FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). 

A May 2, 2023 conversation titled, International Collaboration on Food Safety is a Top Priority for FDA, authored by Julie Moss, Director of CFSAN’s Office of International Engagement (OIE), and OIE policy analysts Eric Stevens and Kelly McCormick, focuses on FDA’s work to ensure safe and fair trade in food, and to encourage the harmonization of science-based food safety standards initiatives with international organizations.  The authors note that FDA has current initiatives with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization’s Standards and Trade Development Facility (WTO STDF), and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC), Food Safety Cooperation Forum (FSCF), to strengthen the global food safety system. 

FDA’s leadership in APEC’ FSCF is highlighted.  Specifically, the authors discuss upcoming food safety meetings in Detroit, Michigan on May 15-19 that, among other topics, will include Whole Genome Sequencing and FDA’s work to promote the adoption of international standards and important areas of food safety modernization, such as outbreak prevention, innovation, and traceability.