Process Control

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Food companies that prepare fresh food items often source individual ingredients from primary suppliers. The food safety risk is typically controlled at primary supplier plants or farms; however, the food safety stakes are high. It is necessary to have "boots on the ground" to assess how food safety and quality programs are integrated with the front-line operation for those suppliers who mitigate food safety risk on the behalf of a receiving company.

A recent study evaluated and compared the level of conformity with food safety requirements in cattle and pig slaughterhouses, for which large-scale and beef facilities scored better, on average.

A recent project report published by the UK Food Standards Agency reflects the potential of advanced technologies and data analytics—such as artificial intelligence (AI) and imaging methods—for improving meat inspection processes.

Universal Pure’s acquisition of Hydrofresh HPP expands its footprint of outsourced high-pressure processing (HPP) and cold chain solutions, now located across seven regions in the U.S. and serving all major food production hubs. 

A recent study found that thousands of chemicals are present in food packaging for which the effects on human health have not been thoroughly studied.

Safe Food for Infants in the EU and China (SAFFI) recently published three papers that lay new groundwork for advancing global infant food safety.

Efforts to reduce food waste may include the use of active and intelligent (A&I) packaging. Literature has pointed out the links between climate change, natural resource depletion, and food waste, and suggests that using A&I packaging to prolong product freshness and slow down spoilage of perishable fruit and meat has the diversion potential of 72,000 tons and an economic value of $167 million. As innovations in packaging advance, if allowed to do so, the impact of these products could be of greater benefit, not only in reducing food waste but also in improving food safety.

This article provides an overview of the status of the rules and regulations regarding nutritional labeling of food packaged at the global level and its impact on consumers' understanding. New and consumer-friendly proposed solutions (e.g., Nutri-Score, also known as the five-color nutrition label) are also presented. 

The Codex Committee on Hygiene is in the process of revising the general principles of Hygiene (Codex, 2020). This document was first published in 1969. Codex has published the body of the text and most of the diagrams; however, the Decision Tree is still under review by the Codex Committee.  

It can be challenging to maintain good working relationships with federal regulators when things are going well, but how do you leverage your best efforts during an inspection/audit especially when there are issues? Let's address how handling the inspection itself can be your most important asset, along with a fundamental understanding of the science and regulations that are in play.