Call for applications to join GFSI’s Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG)

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), an Industry Solution of the Consumer Goods Forum, is inviting independent scientific and academic experts to join our Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG).

STAG provides GFSI with an independent scientific lens. It brings together scientific specialists from across academia and research to evaluate emerging developments and to provide the objective, data-driven foresight we need to guide our global food safety decisions.

What STAG does

STAG offers a multi-disciplinary perspective on scientific and technological developments across the global food system. In this role, its members help to:

• Provide strategic foresight: Identify emerging trends, risks, and technological breakthroughs.
• Guide research priorities: Frame scientific inquiries and help fill crucial data gaps in food safety management.
• Build consensus: Develop evidence-based recommendations that inform GFSI’s benchmarking standards and industry guidance.
• Inform leadership: Coauthor updates and brief insights for GFSI leadership and global stakeholders.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from academics, researchers, and scientific specialists employed by universities, research institutes, or public sector bodies who bring deep knowledge and a passion for advancing food safety.

We encourage applications across a broad range of traditional and emerging fields:

• Core food safety sciences: Microbiology, toxicology, food chemistry, hygiene engineering, and risk assessment.
• Emerging technology and data: Artificial intelligence in food safety, predictive analytics, big data, blockchain, and supply chain traceability.
• Environmental and food systems science: Climate impacts on food systems, agronomy, and novel foods or alternative proteins.
• Social and behavioural sciences: Food safety culture, behavioural economics, public health policy, and risk communication.

Independence and eligibility

To maintain scientific objectivity and public trust, STAG operates with clear expectations around independence:

• Employment: Candidates should be employed by an academic institution, research organisation, or government body, rather than holding full-time employment with a commercial food business.
• Transparency: Applicants complete the STAG Declaration of Interest Form, detailing any direct employment, consultancies, research funding, or commercial ties with food industry members or service providers over the past 5 years. Declaring a potential interest does not automatically exclude you; it simply allows us to review all applications with full visibility.
• Governance: STAG members commit to the GFSI Governance Rules (specifically Article IX for STAG and Article XI on Ethical Conduct).

What is the commitment?

• STAG convenes four times a year, including at least one face-to-face meeting.
• Members contribute to discussions and review occasional materials between meetings according to a manageable annual work plan.

How to apply?

To apply, please email the following documents by 23 October 2026:

1. Curriculum vitae: Highlighting your scientific background, primary areas of expertise, and key publications.
2. Motivation letter: Outlining your interest in joining STAG and the unique perspective you bring.
3. Completed declaration form: Download and fill in the  STAG Declaration of Interest Form.