The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) applauded the leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum for launching the APEC Partnership Training Institute Network for food safety (PTIN). The APEC PTIN represents a new and innovative initiative, designed to unite public and private sector representatives, as well as scientific experts, around a common purpose: improving food safety in the Asia Pacific region by increasing regulatory capacity.

“Food safety is a key concern for GMA and its member companies, and we are pleased to see that APEC has taken such a constructive and practical approach to the issue,” said GMA Senior Vice President and Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Officer Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D.

The APEC PTIN is critically important as concerns about food safety in the Asia Pacific region have risen sharply in recent months and years, a fact reinforced by the initiative’s high-level endorsement by APEC heads of government. This multi-year initiative will provide assistance to APEC member economies to improve regulator and manufacturer technical competence and understanding of food safety management, and thus will substantially improve food safety in the APEC community and beyond.

The APEC PTIN is not intended to be an actual “bricks and mortar” facility, but instead will serve as a focal point for coordinating the many food-safety training institutes across the Asia Pacific region. In this context, the APEC PTIN will design and implement various training programs every year, develop a core curriculum for food safety training for use across APEC and assist APEC member economies in developing food safety strategies.