The Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) recently announced its new online Produce Safety Handbook for Buyers. The handbook is formatted as an interactive website that clarifies the complex landscape of food safety regulations and standards across different states in the U.S. Northeast.

The Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) Food Safety Issue 9 contains new requirements that certified manufacturers will be expected to comply with by February 1, 2023.

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) published a guidance that clarifies the differences between mandatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) audits.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland recently published an audit report that focused on food businesses’ levels of compliance with food law as it relates to traceability and labeling for meat products.

The Tuesday workshops at the 2022 Food Safety Summit featured an education session on the importance of food safety audits, the types of food safety audits that can be employed, and the benefits of sharing ownership of auditing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vendor certification has been top of mind for the food industry given the increased requirements and oversight of third-party audits and FDA regulations to better accommodate public health. This article will give a baseline understanding of the regulatory requirements between U.S. federal bodies (FDA, USDA) in comparison to widely known GFSI standards (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22200). Additionally, it will provide insight into key control areas for mitigating risk and adapting business in accordance with the growing emphasis on the importance of food safety culture.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to pivot to virtual food safety audits and inspections, but there has been reluctance to sustain this model of remote evaluations. Recently, advances have emerged in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and development of novel approaches to auditing that have worked to bridge the gap and help virtual audits and inspections move closer to gaining equivalency to traditional onsite formats.

At the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) 2022 conference in Barcelona, a panel discussion examined GFSI's plans for reshaping its Global Markets Program, as well as its new model for auditor training and professional development.

This article provides insights into audit success, presents some ways to reduce findings, and offers some pointers to auditors on what elements to watch for in a well-functioning sanitation team. 

The Food Safety Summit continued on Thursday, October 22, with a session entitled “Practice Improves Performance – Internal Audits for Food Processors.”