ONE OF AMERICA'S CHALLENGES IN A "FLAT WORLD"

Thomas Friedman, in his book, The World Is Flat, articulated the unstoppable connectivity of people in the world today. Technology has made the world "flat". Never in the history of mankind can people communicate with immense speed and efficiency around the clock. A traveler can be in one place one day and be in another place thousands of miles away in eight hours. Information and communication technology has never been so easily accessible to mankind in massive proportion. And so is America's food supply. Gone are the days when America's food supply was exclusively sourced from American soil. World economy has never been connected as it is today. One of the greatest requirements of human survival is the basic need for food. As the world opens up, America's vulnerability will continue to widen. And for this very reason that America's food supply will forever be a point of vulnerability that must be addressed. As the world continues to trade and slowly eliminates trade barriers, international food supply will travel and such movement requires monitoring from its original source to its final destinations-retail stores and dining establishments. Food safety issues such as proper temperature control, storage, contamination, cross-contamination, handling and transportation, to name a few, will have to be given serious attention if we are to address foodborne illness-related ourbreaks. Recent incident of salmonella outbreak traced from imported cantaloupes from Honduras is only but a concrete example of the threat and opportunity we all face in this world of free trade. As Food Safety Specialists, it is our goal, first and foremost, to ensure safe food and effectively prevent food-related illness cause by improper handling and contamination. The role we all play calls for a radical passion, commitment and dedication in enhancing "worry-free" grocery shopping for all. Food, the very basic of human needs is every body's business and Food Safety Professionals are at the forefront, mandated to guard, protect and promote food safety for all.