Whether your facility is new to the manufacturing process or is a mature, multi-generational organization, managing your food safety or quality certification cycles can be challenging. In today’s post, we’ll discuss what a certification cycle is and how it acts as a strategy for continuous improvement of your programs.
PCQI Certification
Does your facility need a PCQI? If so, where should you start? In today’s post we explore these and other PCQI Certification questions.
Keeping Your Supermarket Super
With over 38,000 locations nationwide available to the public, reputation and variety are key factors to standing out as a grocery store in a competitive retail market. Today’s on-the-move customers are seeking a wide array of products, not only to nourish themselves and their families, but to provide convenience to their everyday lives. Achieving this is no small feat, but …
A Guide to Food Plant Cleanliness
According to the CDC, foodborne illness affects 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million) annually. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year. Though illness can occur from the contamination of food through foreign objects and chemically hazardous substances such as allergens, the most common cause is the presence of foodborne pathogens, such as bacteria, mold, parasites, and …
CBD: 3 Steps to Cannabis Quality and Food Safety
With states such as Arizona, South Dakota, and Mississippi voting on cannabis legalization this November, it’s an important time to discuss ways to ensure food safety when it comes to manufacturing cannabis edibles and beverages. As the industry evolves, more and more innovative CBD products are becoming available to the masses. Unfortunately, many of these products remain unregulated and untested. …
Allergen Management 101
Out of 337 total food recalls in 2019, 52% were due to undeclared allergens. These results are generally determined through laboratory testing, and include the “Big Eight” allergens: Peanuts Milk Eggs Fish Shellfish Wheat Tree nuts Soybeans Products containing undeclared allergens pose a serious threat to those with food allergies. In fact, F.A.R.E. (Food Allergy Research & Education) estimates that …
Sanitation: The Key To Prevention
Created in 2011, The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was designed to focus on prevention of contamination, rather than simply the response to foodborne illness or contamination. To achieve this, FSMA highlights sanitation efforts as one of the primary tenets under preventive controls. FSMA’s Stance on Sanitation As stated in FSMA’s Preventive Controls section: “Sanitation controls include procedures, practices, and …
The Benefits of Certification
It’s the era of the conscientious consumer. Today’s customers aren’t just seeking out healthier products, they’re also focused on ecological impact and sustainability. Meeting those expectations is only half the battle. Demonstrating your company’s mission and values is just as important, and there’s no better way to achieve this than through certifying your food products. What is the Purpose of …
Food Safety Risks of Packaging
When we talk about food safety, packaging may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s a critical element of keeping food safe. Packaging not only maintains product freshness and prevents spoilage, but also displays important information like ingredients and expiration dates. Packaging mishaps can wreak havoc on manufacturing companies and compromise the integrity of their products. …
Food Fraud Prevention
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the disruption it brought to global supply chains, and the diminished level of surveillance, food authenticity experts predict an increase in food fraud cases. Already, 12,000 tons of illegal food products have been seized in Europe. In order to fight the frequency of food fraud, we must fully understand what it is and what systems …