ABSTRACT
Multidisciplinary approaches to solving food safety problems draw from a diverse group of experts, involve people at various stages of the farm-to-table continuum and include industry, government, academia, and consumers. These three attributes are significant in that they explain what multidisciplinary approaches can do to enhance food safety. In this summary, will be discussed the above topics as they relate to the information contained in the preceding chapters. In addition, a discussion on the trends currently impacting the need for such multidisciplinary food safety research will be presented, including new trade barriers caused by food safety regulations, increases in litigation regarding product liability and plant closings, and the emergence of verification-based inspection systems. Finally, suggestions are provided for further developments of such multidisciplinary approaches as mechanisms that will facilitate formation of teams, as well as the resources necessary to support them.
