We strive to be a reliable source of expertise for our customers; have the trust of regulators; earn the confidence of consumers; and be a catalyst to improve food safety in the industries in which we operate.   

We actively engage with the scientific community, our key customers and other stakeholders in the development of sound public policy.  In the United States, Cargill supported reform of food safety laws and the need for adequate U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to oversee the food system responsible for delivering safe food to American consumers.  We are actively supporting FDA’s implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and are working with regulators, non-governmental organizations, customers and others to embrace the law’s focus on prevention. 

We also promote public-private partnerships that focus on the global harmonization of food safety standards, the improvement of food safety practices, and public education.   Examples of those partnerships are:

• GFSI. Related to harmonization efforts, we are leading the global food industry in supporting the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a non-profit foundation that benchmarks existing food safety standards against food safety criteria. GFSI’s mission is continuous improvement in food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers.
• GFS-China. When it comes to food, countries are less self-sufficient and more dependent on each other than ever before. That’s why Cargill is a key partner in a new effort to build international understanding of food safety coordinated by Michigan State University. In May 2011, the Global Food Safety-China (GFS-China) program gave 24 senior government officials from China a first-hand look at how leading food companies, including Cargill, collaborate to ensure food safety.  GFS-China is supported by Cargill, General Mills International, Pfizer Animal Health and Danone, as well as many other organizations. It builds on two previous food safety study programs Cargill helped organize for China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspections and Quarantine
• SSAFE. We engage with private industry, government, academia, consumers, inter-governmental organizations and nongovernmental groups. Cargill is a founding member of Safe Supply of Affordable Food Everywhere (SSAFE), a nonprofit organization that is officially recognized by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). SSAFE works to foster public-private partnerships that support the adoption of international science-based food safety, animal health and plant protection standards.
• Feeding America. With funding and support from Cargill, Feeding America has dedicated a staff person to strengthen its food-safety training and evaluation efforts throughout its national food bank network. Feeding America is a network of food banks that serve thousands of people in every U.S. state and some provinces in Canada.