In an attempt to eliminate hurdles, a network of scientific organizations has launched a global initiative to facilitate harmonization of food safety regulations and legislation. The objective is to discuss, globally, the scientific issues that buttress the decisions made by individual governments and international regulatory bodies in order to achieve global scientific consensus on such issues. The Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI) Working Group anticipates that elimination of the regulatory differences will make it more attractive for the private sector to invest in food safety R&D, consequently strengthening the competitiveness of each nation's food industry and of the industries supplying the food sector. Harmonizing global regulations will facilitate the application of new technologies, encouraging the food industry to invest in such technologies to ensure better safety and quality for consumers!