Ep. 205. Black and Gabor: Digital Transformation and Emerging International Standards for Food Safety

Tom Black is the First Assistant Secretary of the Exports and Veterinary Services Division at the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry. In this role, he is responsible for regulating and facilitating Australia's exports of animal commodities and certified organic products, while also providing the overarching technical food safety framework for both food exports and imports.

Tom leads the Australian Government's bilateral and multilateral technical market access negotiations for these commodities and represents Australia in international standard-setting forums, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He has over 20 years of experience in government and is currently the Australian delegate to the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He also serves as Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS).

Gabor Molnar, Ph.D. is an Industrial Development Officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), technically leading UNIDO's food safety work. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Molnar designs and implements food safety capacity-building initiatives, mostly in Asia and Africa. He also represents UNIDO in various global forums, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Dr. Molnar is the main organizer of the Vienna Food Safety Forum (VFSF) and specializes in the domain of digitalization for food control and safety systems. Dr. Molnar holds a Ph.D. from Université Laval, as well as multiple master's degrees and certifications.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mr. Black and Dr. Molnar [32:51] about:

Emerging trends in international food safety standards and regulations, and how digitalization and AI are informing these trends

How regulators are incorporating emerging, global trends into the future of food safety

The experiences and responses of developing countries to emerging food safety guidelines and standards that are based on trends driven by industrialized nations, including challenges to and solutions for adoptions

CCFIC's focus areas related to food safety guidelines and best practices in the context of an increasingly digitalized world

The specifics and importance of UNIDO's work

UNIDO's new approach to food safety, "Food Safety 2.0," and how the organization works with countries and industry worldwide to implement this approach

The origins and history of the Vienna Food Safety Forum, who participates in the forum, and learnings from the 2025 forum

Potential dangers posed and questions raised by the growing application of AI in food safety work

A sneak peek at the 2027 Vienna Food Safety Forum.

News and Resources

News

Food Industry Stakeholders Share Input on FDA, USDA's Intent to Define UPFs [3:58]

Industry Giants Support New Coalition Aimed at Stopping MAHA-Aligned State Food Additive Bans, More Than 80 Groups Urge Congress Not to Block State Food Additives Bans [14:30]

Fast Food Employee Survey Reveals Serious Food Safety Problems, Pressures to Work While Sick [23:07]

Study Shows Water Hoses as Reservoirs for Biofilms in Food Processing Facilities [27:58]

Resources

Vienna Food Safety Forum

Vienna Food Safety Forum 2025 Concludes With a Call for Smarter, Inclusive Food Safety Systems Through Digitalization

Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)

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