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An increasingly critical element of food safety and defense planning is assurance of data integrity—the ability to keep data unchanged as it is communicated or stored. Information that is used for decision-making or reporting cannot be compromised, altered, or manipulated by unauthorized users. Threat information is best shared through the establishment and voluntary participation of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). Food and agriculture is the only sector that lacks an ISAC. With security threats against the sector increasing and cyber threats against the global supply system also on the rise, it is imperative that a food and agriculture ISAC be formed.

Meal kits use a direct-to-consumer model of delivering perishable, pre-measured ingredients for pre-selected recipes that are then used to prepare and cook meals at home. Meal kits are likely to contain a variety of foods that may grow or be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. Meal kit manufacturers also often repackage ingredients into plain or branded packaging, which can result in the consumption of unexpected ingredients or allergens.

 In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk to two industry experts from Fresh Express—John Gurrisi, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality, and German Rios, Senior Director of Food Safety and Quality—about the company’s rigorous approach to food safety at all stages of production. Specifically, John and German discuss Fresh Express’ high standards for growers, its tech-enabled traceability system, and how the company has refined its food safety approach over time, among other topics.

Food processing facilities experience many different changeovers. Rapid changeover, or Single-Minute Exchange of Die, can be beneficial to increasing efficiencies in a food processing facility. Reduction in downgrade or defects and an increase in employee communication and morale are several benefits of a well-oiled changeover process.

The West appears to exhibit heightened awareness about food safety, with many countries claiming that they maintain high standards during the production, distribution, storage, and sale of food, and that they have mandatory legal requirements to protect people. However, there is less understanding of what makes human diets sustainable in a way that ensures global food security and sustainability.

As food safety professionals, we are faced with a compelling need to sell food safety to corporate leadership. Just being the company's food safety scientist is not enough, however. You must be a technical businessperson and use your scientific skill and training to enable the business to succeed, innovate, and grow.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has released its first Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG) Report, which focuses on four themes impacting food safety: “Big Data,” the role of the microbiome, emerging foodborne pathogens, and food system resilience.

Maple Leaf Foods’ 12^th Annual Food Safety Symposium was held on October 24, 2022, and the theme was “How Measurement, Management and Transparency Builds Long Term Trust Among Stakeholders.”

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk to Michael (Mike) Cramer, author of Food Plant Sanitation—now in its third edition! Mike has nearly 43 years of experience in food safety and quality assurance (FSQA) and sanitation at meat and poultry processors and major frozen foods producers, having retired from Ajinomoto Foods North America in 2021. He discusses his learnings throughout his time in industry and provides guidance, resources, and valuable insights for both experienced and up-and-coming FSQA professionals looking to implement effective sanitation programs and foster healthy food safety cultures at their organizations. 

It is imperative that we have an immediate paradigm shift in how we manage risk in foodservice establishments to significantly decrease the health and economic burden of foodborne illnesses. This article discusses how to develop a prerequisite program that can be used to train and be monitored via a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) in a foodservice establishment.