Register for the whitepaper: How vTPA Can Strengthen National Food Control Systems

Why register?

Food safety regulators face the growing challenge of overseeing increasingly complex food systems while making the best use of finite resources.

Inspired by international discussions in Perth, this forthcoming whitepaper explores how voluntary third-party assurance (vTPA) programmes and trusted conformity data could support smarter, more intelligence-led national food control systems.

The whitepaper explores how assurance information can help:

• Identify emerging food safety risks earlier
• Reveal recurring or systemic weaknesses across sectors
• Support food poisoning outbreak investigations
• Improve risk profiling and regulatory prioritisation
• Direct limited resources towards higher-risk operators
• Reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on consistently responsible businesses
• Strengthen public confidence through greater transparency
• It also considers how structured assurance data, supported by digital technology and AI-enabled analysis, can provide actionable insight while ensuring that regulatory responsibility remains firmly with competent authorities.

Who is this whitepaper for?

The paper will be particularly relevant to:

• International food safety regulators and competent authorities
• Policymakers and government agencies
• Public health and environmental health professionals
• International food safety organisations
• Assurance and certification programme leaders
• Senior food industry and hospitality decisionmakers

About the Author

Dr Mark Flanagan FCIEH CEnvH FIFST is the Founder and CEO of Shield Safety Group and Safe to Trade. A Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Mark has built a career spanning hospitality operations, environmental health regulation, assurance, and business leadership.

Having worked both as a hospitality operator and as a regulator, Mark brings a unique perspective to compliance and public protection. He understands the realities of running hospitality businesses while also appreciating the challenges faced by regulators responsible for protecting consumers. These experiences led him to create Safe to Trade, a global assurance programme designed to build trust between businesses, regulators, certification bodies, and consumers.

Mark is a recognised international speaker on food safety, regulatory innovation, third-party assurance, and artificial intelligence, and is passionate about using technology and data to improve standards and public health outcomes worldwide.