Food Safety Talk festival returns: how next-gen professionals are securing Japan’s food safety future

Japan is known for its emphasis on hygiene, consumer protection, and trust in governance, making it a global reference point in food safety governance.

However, the Japanese food industry faces mounting modern pressures: adapting to stricter domestic and international regulatory reforms, navigating a more complex supply chain, and continuously working to earn and maintain consumer trust. Managing these challenges demands a highly skilled and resilient workforce.  

To address this, on 30 June 2026 the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)  Japan Local Group hosted a full day of workshops and networking for young to mid-career employees in the food safety industry. Following the success of last year’s event in September, 29 participants from over 19 companies gathered with a shared goal: to foster greater pride and a sense of fulfilment in food safety work for employees in Japan.

Building consumer trust with Aeon 

During the first half of the day, participants engaged in interactive, Japanese-language workshops. Through both individual reflection and group collaboration, they analysed the complex challenges facing the global food safety landscape today. 

A key highlight was an interactive session with major retailer Aeon, a Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) member company. Aeon shared its practical, rigorous measures for ensuring customer confidence and food safety excellence—specifically highlighting its protocols for sourcing and testing seafood products from the Fukushima region. 

Peer-to-peer dialogue 

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to peer-to-peer collaboration. Participants broke into dedicated working groups based on shared operational challenges to discuss mutual food safety priorities. The final session allowed participants to freely discuss their personal concerns and questions they wished to pose to other companies. 

The energy was high from the start with attendees actively engaging with one another, and conversations flourished throughout the event. The beverages and snacks generously donated by many companies also played a significant role in creating a relaxed atmosphere and stimulating conversation. Thank you to all the donors!

Key outcomes and looking to the future 

Post-event surveys highlighted the impact of the day, with a majority of participants reporting a deeper personal understanding of the strategic importance of their day-to-day food safety work. Furthermore, attendees indicated their intention to actively leverage their learnings in their daily operations. 

By directly advancing the GFSI Japan Local Group’s core priority of “Securing and developing food safety talent,” this festival proved that the best way to solve tomorrow’s food safety challenges is to actively invest in and empower junior leaders today.