Audits/Certification/GFSI

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SQFI recently collaborated with McDonald’s Corporation and NSF International to develop an audit addendum for McDonald’s produce suppliers that are SQF-certified for plant production.

Whether or not a country’s food businesses have largely achieved certification against food safety standards is the second most important predictor of instances of foodborne illness, according to a recent study.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Dr. Barbara Masters—Vice President of Regulatory Policy, Food, and Agriculture at Tyson Foods Inc.—about food safety policy and leadership in the meat and poultry industry, informed by her 34 years of experience in the sector across veterinary, regulatory, advisory, and corporate roles.

In defending food safety procedures and practices to an inspector who is challenging them, it is best to have multiple sequential "rings of defense." This means that the easiest changes are suggested first, with more costly and difficult changes suggested later. Doing this strategically has the advantage of minimizing changes to the procedures and practices, and potentially avoiding a costly recall or market withdrawal.

Foundation FSSC has published new guidance documents on Equipment Management and Food Loss and Waste, as well as updated guidance documents in line with the FSSC 22000 Version 6.0 Scheme requirements.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a new Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) resource to help importers understand eligibility criteria and answer questions prior to submitting an application, as well as to outline the steps for foreign supplier audits under the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP).

In 2012, the Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) began the development of a standardized process for assessing and managing food fraud incidents, which has since been adopted across the food industry.

Through a voluntary pilot program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found four major third-party industry auditing standards for food safety to be in alignment with both the Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rule and the Produce Safety Rule, which are FDA regulations that were issued as part of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation.

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.

Food safety auditing has progressed a great deal in the last three decades, but it is clear that it has yet to keep up with changing needs, expectations, and technological developments. This article explores the envisioned future of auditing, including how to develop talent and retain auditors, the qualities of a successful auditor, the importance of calibration among auditing teams, developments in technology and tools for auditors, and changes in processes with certification bodies, among other aspects.