Imagine the following scenario: A quality manager at a food plant is doing some research and finds a URL link with the name of his plant. He clicks on the link and finds a video of the processing operations in his own facility. After viewing the video, several thoughts go through his head, with the first being, "Where the heck did that come from?" The quality manager also realizes that the company would not want this video to be viewable on the internet, as it is a threat to trade secrets also divulges some unflattering information about the company's operating procedures. The manager also thinks, "How did this happen? I thought we had a policy regarding cameras and photography."
This is not an implausible scenario. The author has heard of several processors that have experienced this issue. It is up to each and every food processor, handler, and warehouser to develop, document, and implement a policy regarding photography of their operations. This is a much greater challenge today compared to 20 years ago because nearly every cellphone has a high-quality camera with the ability to capture both pictures and video. Additionally, most people tend to carry their cellphones on their person at all times, which means they are always in possession of a portable camera/video recorder. With this in mind, every thorough photography policy must include a ban on cellphones within the plant. This should be described in a separate policy that specifically addresses cellphones.