the feed

The food processing and manufacturing world is currently in an especially precarious position in this pandemic, as workers often interact in close quarters, and social distancing isn’t always possible. And staying home to flatten the curve (which works!) isn’t always feasible since food, and its production, is essential.

At this point in time, we have enough data to support that the coronavirus is not transmitted via food. It’s an upper respiratory infection — in order to become infected, it has to get transmitted from either an infected individual through microdroplets, or from touching a dirty surface, then transferring the virus by touching your mouth, eyes, or nose.

Growing up, my grandfather used to tell us that we had to learn from the mistakes of others because we will not live long enough to make all the mistakes on our own. That said, US-based companies need to stay informed on what is going on around the world related to intentional adulteration.

“No one has ever asked for that document!” is a comment I have heard far too many times over the past decade. There are many reasons for facilities not to be prepared for internal audits, and subsequently being forced to correct non-conformances that may lead to more serious issues such as recalls or legal implications. Here are several common issues I find when examining internal audit programs, with suggestions on how to avoid them:

In central Mexico, where I grew up, one very popular food is goat meat. Goat is generally more expensive than beef. The most popular eatery serving goat in my hometown was recently involved in a big scandal for publicly admitting that the meat they had been selling as goat for years was actually beef.

Looking back at the audits I completed in 2015, I have encountered several locations that canceled upcoming audits due to issues found during their site inspection. Some lost their GFSI certification due to non-compliances noted during audits. However, the good news is that most locations, regardless of their audit status, demonstrated a dedication to continuous improvement. 

You’ve probably heard a lot recently about how all GFSI or non-GFSI certified sites are now faced with a new challenge - to comply with new FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations.

The FSMA finalized rules result in three key things that will impact the food industry in 2016.  I’ve listed them below and have included a few specifics you will want to keep in mind.

While a counterfeit designer bag may be easy to spot, an Angus beef burger that’s actually horse or pig meat is not. Arguably, the impact on the consumer is far greater when it comes to the food we eat.