Month: July 2017

Environmental Monitoring

Finding Flexibility When You Need It Most

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I recently attended the annual meeting for the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) in Tampa, Florida. I always enjoy attending the food safety sessions, as well as seeing old friends from across the food industry. My presence at numerous IAFP meetings over the years has afforded me the chance to seek out new EnviroMap customers, but it has also given me the opportunity to speak with many legacy customers.

EnviroMap was developed several years ago, so our time at IAFP helps us move the product forward and provides insight on its real-world application. We have customers who use it for finished products as well as environmental testing. Some feel that the best feature of EnviroMap is reporting, while others claim it is the control/visibility over their local environmental program as well as their enterprise environmental management. I’m also fairly certain the local plant folks would all agree it has made their lives easier and freed up time to devote to other tasks.  Continue Reading

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Environmental Monitoring

3 Steps to Prepare For a Swabathon

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Many companies have Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMPs) setup to monitor the processing (and surrounding) environments for transient pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. However, it is important to realize that growth niches are likely to occur from these transient guests. If your EMP does not include a “seek and destroy mission,” an event section, (i.e. increasing swab surveillance with roof leaks, construction, etc) or is simply not robust enough, then routine monitoring may be insufficient protection against an FDA swabathon. Additionally, if your site selection is fixed, new sites aren’t being rotated in, a low number of swabs are being taken, you have an infrequent swabbing schedule and corrective actions are not being implemented, the same result will surely occur.
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Supply Chain

How One Company Achieved Supply Chain Goals Using QualMap

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When a large food service company approached Mérieux Nutrisciences in the summer of 2016 needing to improve their business processes by better understanding the data that was compromising their supply chain, Jennifer Derryberry, a Product Manager for the company, quickly stepped up to help the company find a solution.

Mérieux NutriSciences is a global food safety and quality staple that has been offering testing, labeling, auditing, consulting, sensory, training and research services to the food industry for over 50 years. Focused on customer satisfaction, the company aims to protect consumers’ health through nutritional research, scientific excellence and innovation. Continue Reading

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Dairy FSMA

Technical Tuesday: The Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) Adopts Preventive Controls Rule, FSMA Regulations

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In May, the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) voted Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). The PMO sets forth standards and requirements to regulate dairy plants producing Grade “A” products. This includes milk, fluid cream products, sour cream, yogurt, manufactured products, such as cottage cheese and dry ingredients. Continue Reading

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Environmental Monitoring

What is a Swabathon?: Understanding the FDA Investigations

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The top priority for most food manufacturers is protecting the food consumers eat. Yet, one of the major causes of product recalls in the food industry is product contamination in the processing environment by pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. These pathogens take up residence within the structure of food plants and within the processing equipment itself. Once it makes a home there, it can contaminate the food products it comes into contact with as they make their way through the production process. Continue Reading

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Food Manufacturing Food Safety

Technical Tuesday: The Importance of Using Valid Sampling Plans

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The Food Safety Modernization Act has introduced many new food safety requirements to the food industry. In particular, FSMA places a focus on performing a hazard analysis and using preventive measures in food manufacturing. The requirement to develop and implement supplier preventive controls for raw materials and ingredients to address hazards has renewed interest in methods for sampling and testing raw materials. In order for sampling and testing to be used to address pathogen concerns identified in the hazard analysis of raw materials, a valid sampling plan must be in place. Continue Reading

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Regulatory Update

Regulatory Round-Up: The Seventh Year of FSMA – Are We There Yet?

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With summer vacation season upon us, most people can relate to the angst of the question, “Are we there yet?”  In fact, I suspect many food industry professionals have recently pondered this question when reflecting on the regulations of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and then wondered what is “coming down the pike?”

Upon enactment of the FSMA law in January 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a few requirements immediately, but the most significant rules require years to develop.  The implementation phase of the FSMA regulations officially began two years ago with the beginning of Phase II of the FDA’s operational strategy for FSMA, which included regulator training and targeted risk-based inspection, sampling, testing and data collection activities. Continue Reading

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