As the food industry takes a look at itself this week during the massive Anuga Food show in Cologne, Germany, our compatriots in the Southern Hemisphere launch Austrade, a round of Global Food Seminars (GFS) across Australia from the 15th-19th October. "The Global Food Seminars will help our food exporters understand challenges and implications of such trends and issues which include retailer concentration, food safety and quality, power of the consumer, packaging, e-commerce and market segmentation," commented Austrade's Agribusiness Manager Lyndel Jack. "The seminars will provide valuable information to all those across the supply chain - active and prospective food exporters, consolidators, supplier networks and producers interested in global trends and opportunities. The seminars are also targeted at industry and other Government policy makers wishing to keep abreast of the changing international market place. " he continued. German Chancellor Gerard Schroder opened the Anuga fair on Monday with a speech that spanned recent terrorist attacks in the United States, the BSE crisis, the battle against hunger and the crucial role the food industry holds in protecting the consumer. "We must redefine the concepts of food safety and consumer protection - beginning at the checkout counter. The food industry and the trade have an especially important role to play here, since alongside the consumer, it is primarily they who determine the quality of the products that reach the store shelves. And they are also the ones who create food trends through advertising and marketing strategies,"Schroder stated. He went on to allay fears about an impending recession with the words, "There is no reason to fear an economic crisis, let alone a recession." ANUGA this year celebrates its 50th anniversary since the end of the Second World War. Since 1951, it has established itself as a regular event in Cologne. In 2001
