In today’s world, food safety is a complex puzzle. As food systems grow and change, collaboration among different sectors is crucial. However, many leaders agree that working together isn’t always easy. At the upcoming Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, Illinois, there will be an important session discussing why collaboration often doesn’t meet expectations and how to improve it.
Breaking Silos, Breaking Bias: Real Collaboration in Food Safety will explore the challenges of sharing information openly. This session, led by Drew McDonald from Taylor Fresh Foods, features experts from various backgrounds, including regulators from the FDA, researchers, and corporate leaders. They all understand the real-world challenges in food safety.
A key issue is that collaboration stalls when groups only share “safe” data—information that is fully verified and polished. This tendency can slow down responses during food safety incidents. With outbreaks escalating quickly and supply chains stretching worldwide, waiting for perfect data is impractical.
The session will encourage participants to rethink how they share information. It will ask challenging questions: What if early signs of trouble are ignored because they don’t align with common views? How many valuable insights are missing because they seem too informal or incomplete? How can organizations create a culture where uncertainty leads to deeper exploration?
Trust is another major theme of the discussion. Building spaces where stakeholders can share early results and differing opinions is vital. In many organizations, food safety has long focused on precision and validation. While these are important, they can create barriers to open communication.
Panelists will share strategies to build trust, such as:
- Encouraging data-sharing without fear of reputation damage.
- Balancing different goals between regulators and businesses.
- Maintaining accountability amid uncertainty.
- Forming teams that challenge common assumptions.
Participants will learn how successful organizations are moving towards more transparent ways of working.
The session will also confront biases—both personal and systemic—that affect decision-making in food safety. Whether it’s clinging to old data or ignoring new perspectives, biases can lead to poor risk assessments. The panel will show how diverse viewpoints can lead to better, more timely decisions, supported by real-world examples.
While discussing overarching issues, the session will focus on practical solutions. Attendees will come away with models for collaboration that can be applied in their workplaces. These models are designed to fit real-life challenges, where decisions need to be made quickly, often with incomplete information.
Given the increasing complexity of food systems and the rapidly changing nature of risks, the need for quick and effective collaboration is more pressing than ever. Events from recent years highlight the importance of fast information sharing and teamwork.
This session, “Breaking Silos, Breaking Bias,” goes beyond usual best practices. It delves into the behaviors and mindsets that impact collaboration. For professionals in retail, production, and various sectors, it offers a chance to discuss what it truly means to work together in today’s food safety landscape.
If you’re in the field—whether as a regulator, industry leader, researcher, or frontline worker—this session is designed to challenge your ideas and help you collaborate more effectively.
In an industry where public health and brand trust are at stake, openness and cooperation aren’t just beneficial—they’re essential.
For more details on this event, you can check out the Food Safety Summit here.
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Food Safety Summit,events,collaboration,data sharing,professional development
