In today’s complex food landscape, compliance with standards like FSSC 22000 is just the starting point. In this episode, we explore how food industry professionals can move beyond meeting requirements to building a truly proactive food safety culture.

Join Necat Kirkil, FSSC Representative for Türkiye and The Middle East, and Sheik Peer, SGS Technical Manager for Food in the Gulf Region, as they share practical insights into shifting from a reactive to a preventive mindset. Discover how systems thinking and continuous improvement can help reduce non-conformities, strengthen internal processes, and foster a culture that prioritizes safety at every level.

Whether you're responsible for food safety, quality management, or operational excellence, this conversation offers a clear and credible perspective on how to future-proof your food safety systems in a rapidly evolving industry.

(00:00:11)- Introduction

(00:02:14)- How your experience feeds into this topic of food safety?

(00:04:56)- Question for listeners: Are your companies represented in the audience certified to any GFSI standards? A quick 'yes' or 'no' in the comments.

(00:05:39)- What are the most common food safety challenges businesses face today?

(00:09:54)- How are standards evolving in response to global supply chain pressures and new risks (e.g., climate, cross-border recalls)?

(00:15:28)- Core principles of FSSC 22000 and how it aligns with GFSI

(00:19:28)- What is risk-based thinking and why do it and documentation matter?

(00:28:47)- Question for listeners: What’s the biggest food safety challenge in your organization today?

(00:29:14)- What does a proactive food safety system look like?

(00:34:37)- How can companies shift from “firefighting” to foresight?

(00:37:33)- What makes 'food safety culture' more than a slogan?

(00:42:00)- Roles of leadership, training, and employee engagement in this area and if they are important(00:47:15)- Q&A

(00:49:47)- Final thoughts