Hi, I’m Alex. I’ve worked in the food industry for 20 years, with the past five focused on food safety auditing.
Every New Year brings a chance to reflect, reset, and refocus. As a food safety auditor, I see the start of 2025 not just as another year of audits and reports but as an opportunity to raise the bar—both for myself and the organizations I work with.
Food safety isn’t just a job for me; it’s a responsibility to protect the integrity of our food systems and, ultimately, the health of people around the world. With this in mind, I’ve set some clear resolutions for the year ahead.
- Committing to Lifelong Learning
Food safety is a dynamic field, and staying ahead of emerging risks and regulations, as well as food safety scheme changes, is critical. My resolution for 2025 is never to stop learning. Here are some steps I will take:
- Perform a self-assessment or seek a 360-degree review to define my learning objectives.
- Regularly review updates from global food safety organizations like the FDA, GFSI, and Codex Alimentarius.
- Join professional groups and forums to exchange insights and best practices with fellow auditors.
- Allocate time for industry webinars, conferences, and technical workshops.
- Understanding Technology
Technology is reshaping every aspect of our industry. In 2025, I’m committed to gaining a better understanding of manufacturing technologies and using the tools available to improve how I conduct audits and deliver insights. Here are some actions I consider:
- Search which technologies are being used and are in the pipeline of use in manufacturing and learn the associated food safety hazards and risks as well as the control measures.
- Understand how IoT devices are used to offer real-time data on critical parameters like temperature and humidity and how to use the data to deepen my assessment on those.
- Incorporate AI-based tools into my risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities faster and with greater precision.
- Dedicate time to attending tech-focused training sessions and staying up to date on the latest innovations in the food industry and food safety.
- Improving Communication to Drive Action
Auditing isn’t just about finding gaps; it’s about helping teams understand and address them effectively. This year, I’m focused on making my communication as clear, actionable, and impactful as possible. Here is the list of items I have in mind:
- Translate complex food safety jargon into relatable terms for non-technical teams, using visuals and examples where needed.
- Attend communication workshops to improve how I deliver feedback—balancing honesty with encouragement.
- Build stronger relationships across functions, from R&D to marketing, so food safety becomes a shared priority rather than a siloed responsibility.
- Use active listening during audits to ensure I fully understand operational challenges before making recommendations.
- Strengthening Food Safety Resilience
The last few years have taught us that unexpected challenges -whether pandemics, supply chain disruptions, or climate-related issues- shake even the most robust systems. In 2025, I aim to help organizations to understand the impact of building resilience in their food safety practices. Here is my to-do list:
- Stay informed about global trends that could impact food safety, from geopolitical shifts to climate change.
- Identify the gaps within organizations in understanding their supply chains’ weaknesses and strengths.
- Understand where the crisis management plans fail to address the issues once and for all.
- Look for sustainable practices that align with both food safety goals and environmental stewardship, such as reducing food waste.
- Advocating Food Safety by Design
One of the most significant shifts in my approach is emphasizing food safety by design—embedding safety into every stage of product development. It’s no longer enough to fix issues at the end of the process; we must prevent them from occurring in the first place. What I can do differently is as follows:
- Explore real-world examples of how proactive food safety measures have either prevented costly recalls and enhanced brand trust or, conversely, how their absence has led to significant challenges.
- Look to have more conversations with R&D teams during assessments to understand what control measures are in place during early product development stages and identify potential safety risks.
- Check other industries and how they manage the principles of product safety by design, identify the good practices, and understand how those can be adopted in our industry.
- Engage in discussions with other professionals to advocate for the impact of robust food safety by-design process.
- Mentoring the Next Generation
As someone who’s benefitted from great mentors in my career, I know how valuable it is to have someone guide and support you. This year, I want to pay it forward by mentoring others who are starting their journey in food safety. Here is what I plan to do:
- Offer one-to-one sessions so that newer professionals have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from my experience.
- Create learning materials and resources to share insights from my experience.
- Provide constructive feedback to junior colleagues to help them grow their skills.
- Encourage mentees to pursue professional development, just as I’ve committed to doing myself.
As a food safety auditor, my role goes beyond ensuring compliance—it’s about protecting the trust placed in the food we consume and the systems behind its production. My 2025 resolutions emphasize dedication to continuous growth, collaboration, and innovative practices. Through these efforts, I aim to create a meaningful impact, not just within the scope of my audits but across the entire industry.
What additional ideas or perspectives do you think I should explore?
By Tülay Kahraman
January 01, 2025
