Food safety is vital for human health and plays an important role in the reputation of producers, retailers, and intermediates in supply chains. Food supply chains have become more complicated as processed raw materials and imported products from multiple sources are commonly used by food providers, thus increasing the risk of contamination and food-borne illnesses.

Food safety management systems (FSMS) help to identify, prevent, and reduce food-borne hazards to ensure that food is safe for consumption. All businesses engaged in food manufacturing, retailers, restaurants, and related enterprises must establish, implement, and maintain FSMS. FSMS standards such as ISO 22000: Food Safety Management and Food Safety System Certification 22000 assure consumers and domestic and international food industry partners of the reliability of their food safety management practices.

With the aim of raising productivity in the food industry through promoting FSMS, the National Productivity Organisation, Bangladesh, and APO Secretariat jointly organized a virtual training course on Food Safety Management Systems: Advanced, 5–8 September. Fifty participants from 10 APO members attended presentations and engaged in group discussions conducted by four resource persons from Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Thailand, who shared knowledge, technologies, and best practices in implementing advanced FSMS.