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Often manufacturers understand their base, core component well but forget that what they add to it to create niche food products in the marketplace is equally important. Substandard suppliers pose a significant risk to food processors. Having reliable, high-quality/food safety driven suppliers is critical to a food company’s product consistency and success. It also assures compliance with Regulatory/GFSI standards and can prevent recalls due to undeclared sub-components an

When developing a Company Vision for Food Safety/Quality, it is best if it is a top-down approach that is communicated to all levels of your organization regarding the need to produce safe, high-quality food products. Meeting throughput and people safety metrics are important, but products that are unsafe or poor in quality will destroy a company. Some ways to do this are: · Create company FSQA leadership materials from executive leadership such as videos, breakroo

Food Safety and Quality (FSQ) culture is the shared values, attitudes and behaviors within a business that prioritizes safe, high quality food production at every level. Robust FSQ policies and procedures are the framework, and the Culture is the foundation on which they are built. It starts with the top leadership and flows, uninhibited, to the team member level, to ensure that food safety and quality standards are constantly met thereby contributing to the overall success

To maximize safety and quality, businesses must implement an effective and robust training regimen. By focusing on continual, routine training, businesses can maintain their relevance in the marketplace and reduce the risk of failure that can destroy relationships with their customers. Providing training ensures that everyone understands the importance of what they do and how they can contribute to the overall success of the business. Regular training sessions can cover top

Although I am not aware of the root cause, seeing a recent recall regarding contamination of a product sub-ingredient stresses the importance of partnering with great suppliers. Please see the post about the "Importance of Reliable Suppliers": https://www.faithfulfoodsolutions.com/post/the-importance-of-reliable-suppliers

Environmental food plant sanitation is more than just cleaning following the 7 Steps (see BLOGs on the 7 Steps of Sanitation for Industrial Food Facilities: https://www.faithfulfoodsolutions.com/post/7-steps-of-sanitation-for-industrial-food-facilities and SSOP Basics: https://www.faithfulfoodsolutions.com/post/ssop-basics). It is a system that is also heavily dependent on facility design and team member practices, to include robust monitoring. Elements should include: Pers

The USDA's HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system identifies a layered review of critical control points (Monitor, Direct Observation and Pre-Shipment Review) that can be applied to any crucial quality or food safety element. The fact is that no matter how confident you are in sustaining a successful process, there is vulnerability for any human/process through error. People/Processes are not perfect resulting in mistakes that can be costly if not caught/corr

Building Customer Trust is paramount to the success of any business. With the pressures of team member safety, profit-loss metrics and regulatory compliance this focus can sometimes be lost during the fast-paced day-to-day operations. However, as with base quality and food safety SOPs/programs, a company should consider how it can place continual emphasis on the customer. All customers are important, but some carry a heavier weight if they represent a significant percenta

Investing in quality assurance can lead to significant cost savings in the long run. While it may seem like an added expense, the benefits often outweigh the costs through: Reduced Waste : By ensuring products meet quality standards, businesses can minimize waste from spoiled or defective items. Avoiding Recalls : A strong FSQA system can help identify issues before they escalate, reducing the risk of costly product recalls. Increasing Efficiency : Streamlined processes can l

Substandard suppliers pose a significant risk to food processors. Having reliable, high-quality/food safety driven suppliers is critical to a food company’s product consistency and success. It also assures compliance with Regulatory/GFSI standards and can prevent recalls due to undeclared sub-components and allergens or other food safety issues. Key elements: Quality : ingredients can have an impact on the flavor, texture, color and nutritional value of the finished product

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in food plants are a comprehensive system of guidelines designed to protect food from potential contamination, which are outlined by the USDA and FDA. Core Principles of GMP: · Personal Hygiene – team members must follow strict handwashing, use of protective clothing such as smocks, hairnets/beardnets, gloves, prohibitive use of jewelry, and prevention of eating/drinking or other personal actions that could contaminate food. ·

Biosecurity is defined as the procedures intended to protect humans against disease or harmful biological agents. The FDA & USDA provide guidance to all human food facilities in the important area of Biosecurity. Below is an overview of key elements that should be included in a robust Biosecurity plan for the receipt and storage of food ingredients, processing and shipment of food products and the prevention of intentional contamination of food products. Management and Po

Undeclared allergens result in the highest amount of food recalls in the US annually. Although the number of recalls for this category has decreased year over year, it is still important to develop a program that manages this food safety threat. 90% of food allergic reactions are covered under what the US Government calls the “ Big 9 ”: Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp) Eggs Fish Peanuts Milk Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, walnuts) Soybeans Sesame Wheat

Successful foreign material (FM) control in food plants is a multi-hurdled system approach designed to prevent and detect physical contamination throughout the food chain process (from incoming materials through final packaging). FM control ensures consumer safety, maintains regulatory compliance and protects brand reputation. FM is defined as non-food substances that could cause injury to a consumer, and per USDA FSIS Directive 7310.5 examples of FM are foreign material suc

USDA's Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) are essential for the structure and documentation of food safety related to the sanitation aspects of the food processing establishment as outlined in 9 CFR Part 416. Key Requirements: · Implementation and Monitoring – designated individuals in the establishment responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the SSOP plan must be identified. Typically, Operations and Sanitation implement the SSOP plan, and the QA

The USDA's HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system is designed to ensure food safety by identifying and controlling potential food safety hazards. Initial/Preliminary steps : · Food Safety Team: Establish who will develop and maintain the Food Safety plan and ensure that it is carried out. The team is typically comprised of leaders of the Operations, Quality and Maintenance departments, and should be HACCP certified. · Pre-requisite Programs:

Preventative maintenance is critical in food safety because it minimizes the risk of equipment failure that could lead to contamination, ensures compliance with food safety regulations/ auditing standards and maintains consistent product quality. Equipment and Facility Reliability Regular maintenance of processing equipment, refrigeration units/systems, and the facility helps ensure food safety and quality. Malfunctioning equipment, such as broken conveyors, faulty tempe

Sanitation of a food processing environment is critical not only to assure that the product meets food safety and quality excellence, but also to establish a clean break in the processing regimen between production dates. The 7 Steps of Sanitation follow a sequence designed to remove soils, eliminate pathogens, and ensure regulatory compliance under the SSOP (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure) plan. The completion and verification of the sanitation process should be

Ensuring that food products meet safety standards and quality expectations requires more than internal controls. External support plays a vital role in helping businesses navigate complex regulations, adopt best practices, and maintain consumer trust. This post explores key external resources to support and strengthen food safety and quality systems. Understanding the Need for External Support in Food Safety and Quality Food safety involves preventing contamination and haz

To implement an effective quality assurance program, food businesses should focus on several key components: Customer Specifications Understanding your customer requirements through their specifications is a critical element for full alignment with them. Spending time on the front end with all key departments (Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Maintenance, Sales and QA) is time well spent to ensure that company specifications align perfectly with the customer specifications. C