A letter from Sara Mortimore, Vice President of Walmart Global Food Safety, on the World Food Safety Day 2022
That we are celebrating World Food Safety Day 2022 hardly seems possible, but it is also hard to believe that 2022 is almost halfway done!
So much has been happening in the world at large and in the world of food safety. Of course, they are closely linked, and this is very evident as we think of all those who have been recently impacted by food shortages brought on by – for example – drought, climate change, and conflict.
“Safe food, better health” is the theme for the 2022 World Food Safety Day celebration. Food is meant to nurture and sustain, not make us sick. Whilst every day is a day to celebrate when we have a safe and secure supply of food, today I want to celebrate all those who work tirelessly to make that happen. I want to say thank you to those who grow, process, distribute, or sell safe and nutritious food. I want to acknowledge the millions of people who are part of the vast global food supply chain that connects us. This year has been challenging for so many, and I find myself thankful and in awe as I think of all that the industry and its many stakeholders are doing to ensure that millions of people throughout the world have enough food to put on the table. We can eat confidently (and, I hope, enjoyably) without worrying if it is safe for us and our loved ones to do so.
The customer and member are never far from our thoughts in the Walmart Global Food Safety Team. With those we serve in mind, we are rolling out our new supplier food safety program in conjunction with our business partners. The approach that we are taking will bring us closer to our suppliers through a new process of Product Design Hazard Analysis (PDHA) that focuses on the specifics of hazard control at the item level. I appreciate all those who provided input as we went through a test-and-learn phase this past year, refining the tool until we got to a stage where we felt ready to go live.
The new supplier program is just one of the areas that the teams have been working on. Updating our store and distribution food safety programs and increasingly leveraging technology within our operations are also exciting areas to see coming to life. The food safety community has a mindset of continuous improvement and will always look for ways to move food safety forward. At Walmart, we encourage a culture of candor, promote curiosity and innovative thought, and celebrate our work as one global team to strengthen and build on all that has gone before. I am so proud to work with the awesome Walmart Food Safety Team and all our global partners.
Today, especially, it seems fitting to say a huge “thank you” for all that everyone in this industry is doing to ensure an ever-safer food supply for us all.
The right way, every day #foodsafety @Walmart!