As we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel in the recovery from COVID-19, companies are slowly getting back to normal and many activities that were interrupted will start to resume the further we get into 2021. This leaves many people to wonder when restrictions will be fully lifted, and life will get back to the normal that we all remember.

These questions apply to all industries and Food Production and Food Safety are no exception. What have we learned from the pandemic, when will the restrictions and precautions that have been imposed be lifted and which ones have been found to be beneficial in the long-term and will remain a part of normal operating processes.

Working with Food Safety Magazine as part of our Food Safety Insights program, we convened a virtual roundtable discussion with a team of experts from the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board to discuss these questions.  We discussed the current state of food safety, including impacts from COVID-19, regulations, supply chain management, and others. We also asked our experts to look into the future and tell us what they think 2021 may have in store for us and some thoughts—and maybe predictions—on what we may or may not see in the next 2–5 years.

We discussed many issues including the likely persistence of additional employee protections and enhanced attention to handwashing and sanitation.  But we also discussed the likely demise of Just-in-Time inventory management and a significant reduction of in-person meetings.

Find out more about these expert’s opinions and predictions in Food Safety Insights in the latest edition of Food Safety Magazine, available here – https://digitaledition.food-safety.com/february-march-2021/column-food-safety-insights