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In our ongoing coverage of the supply chain crisis and how it is affecting food processors, Food Safety Insights surveyed more than 150 food processors in North America and around the world about how they are managing their recovery, the difficulties they are still coping with, what changes they have made and will be making in the future. Most processors told us that they continue to have some level of difficulty with high prices, availability of employees (including truck drivers), and supply shortages.  A large majority (about 75 percent) also tell us that they plan to implement changes and to manage their supply chains differently to avoid these issues in the future.

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 will focus on why third-shift food and beverage sanitation work can be so challenging and dangerous, why it receives so much attention from OSHA, and what resources and control strategies are available for employers. The authors discuss the physical and chemical challenges with food processing equipment design and sanitation requirements as they relate to the safe performance of cleaning tasks. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted consumer demand away from restaurants and foodservice to home meals and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. As a complement for more convenience-type items, consumers began focusing on product expiration dates to limit trips to retail markets. Combined with consumers' nutritional focus on sugar, sodium, fat content, and additives, meeting these expectations and requirements is a serious challenge for meat and poultry processors. The most common challenges for reformulation are reduction of sodium and replacing additives such as nitrite and preservatives.

This article examines the food safety and quality aspects of plant-based protein products. Consumers may perceive food safety risks for plant protein as lesser, and may not be as vigilant when preparing plant protein products. Food manufacturers must be diligent in applying the same comprehensive food safety strategies used for meat and poultry production and processing to plant-based protein production to ensure food safety.

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.

Food safety and quality systems do not have to be cumbersome and difficult to follow. The 5S system, when launched and properly maintained, can have a positive impact on food safety and quality programs, as well as operational efficiency.

Fresh Del Monte continuously evaluates and monitors its food safety programs to ensure that the highest level of food safety is met every day. In this article, Dr. Takashi Nakamura shares a preview of his Food Safety Summit presentation, to take place on May 11, on how data-driven analytics and insights enhance traceability and food safety programs.

To address the changing landscape of food safety, GSFI Director Erica Sheward explains how the world must shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well as make food systems less fragile and unequal; all while combatting food fraud and managing the impacts of climate change.

GFSI is focused on creating a pathway to professional development and for the recognition of food safety auditors as a way to improve the attractiveness of the profession. GFSI's new model of auditor qualification introduces a Professional Recognition Body to conduct the first auditor qualification program.