Food Online's Top 10 Of August

By Sam Lewis

What was most important to our readers in August? Take a look back at last month by reviewing the 10 most-popular articles that appeared on Food Online.

1. Four Key Steps On The Journey From HACCP To HARPC
   The Food Safety Modernization Act will soon have a dramatic impact on the food safety and regulatory landscape for facilities producing products regulated by the FDA. The Preventive Controls for Human Foods proposed rule, which is expected to be published as a final rule this month, will significantly change the way food manufacturing companies document their food safety systems. The traditional approach of using the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system will transition to the new HARPC (Hazard Analysis Risk-Based Preventive Controls) system. The change will be required by the new FDA regulatory standard defined in 21 CFR 117.26(a).
    
2. FSMA's Sanitary Transportation Rule: Compliance Guidelines & Avoiding Criminal Liability
   FSMA has ushered in new rules governing virtually all aspects of food handling. While we may be aware of the rules for safe handling in our fields and processing facilities, what about the rules for safely handling food in in our trucks?  There are new rules governing the safe transportation of food and, like other FSMA rules, ignorance of the rules is no excuse. What you don’t know can hurt you, in the form of criminal penalties.
    
3. Keeping Food Safe With Light-Based Technologies
   In addition to improvement of food preservation operations, creating new functional properties, and dry sanitation, light technologies have much to offer for the sustainable development of the food industry. This article will briefly review the basics and sources of light technologies and present the pros and cons of the potential applications and available equipment.
    
4. Do You Have Management’s Commitment To Food Safety?
   SQF edition 7.2 says senior management must create the environment within the facility encouraging a proactive attitude amongst staff toward food safety and (at Level 3) quality. It further explains the need for the creation of a policy statement and what the responsibilities of the senior management are. While this is good stuff, it does not tell us how to achieve management’s commitment. This article will offer several initiatives to help food manufacturers achieve full commitment to food safety from all levels of management.
    
5. How Does Data Quality Influence Food Manufacturing Supply Chain Operations?
   As food manufacturers’ supply chains continue to expand, so does the importance of recording, managing, and using good data in daily operations. Here, Patrick Taba, supply chain product specialist with Storck USA, answers my questions about how bad data can affect a food manufacturer’s daily operation, why accurate measurements and data are essential, and how food companies can begin implementing a successful  Data Quality (DQ) program.
    
6. FSMA Roundup: An Overview Of The FDA’s Seven Major Rules
   The FDA has recently completed publishing of its seven major rules under FSMA, each of which created new requirements that put more responsibility on industry to prevent contamination of the U.S. food supply rather than reacting to it. This article will review all of FSMA's seven final rules and briefly cover points of compliance, as well as each rule's compliance dates.
    
7. How To Give Consumers Everything They Want To Know About Food Products
   Consumers increasingly have less time and more on their “to-do” lists. Luckily, technology has evolved to help us get the information we want, where we want it from, and whenever we want it. In this rapidly-changing environment, it has become clear for food manufacturers and retailers that the ability to harness and present data for digital consumption is a common key factor for innovation in both the digital and physical experiences. Grocery industry suppliers, distributors, retailers, trade associations, academic institutions, and solution providers are working to deliver on the consumer’s call for greater supply chain transparency through the development of best practices and guidelines that leverage GS1 Standards.
    
8. Overcoming The Obstacles Of Building A FSMA-Ready Supply Chain Program
   The FDA’s final rules for Preventive Controls and Foreign Supplier Verification Program, which were released on September 17 and November 27, 2015, respectively, create new requirements aimed at ensuring the safety of foods, including ingredients and raw materials, through the supply chain. Whether a company is an importer or a manufacturer, if it relies on a supplier to control hazards, it likely will need to develop a supply chain program that includes a process to approve suppliers and to identify verification activities of those suppliers based on risk. Here, Jennifer McEntire, Vice President of Science Operations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), answers my questions about creating supply chain control programs.
    
9. 5 Must-Know Facts About The FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program
   We’ve discussed FSMA a few times, but perhaps equally important for companies that rely on foreign imports is the Foreign Supplier Verification Program. For larger companies, the FDA is only giving importers 18 months following the final ruling to meet FSVP provisions — which means there’s no time like the present to figure out how these changes affect you and your company. To help you prepare, we’re breaking the regulation changes down into five must-know facts about FSVP.
    
10. What Is OEE, How Do You Determine It, And What Should You Do With It?
    It's a simple concept, but an ongoing challenge; you need to do more with less. Your customers, the ones who pay hard-earned cash for your products, tell you so daily. You know in your gut that constantly improving efficiency is the only way you can stay ahead of your competition. This is where OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) comes in. OEE combines three key performance indicators (KPIs), or metrics, to give a single overall result. This allows meaningful comparison between different products, different lines, different plants, and even different industries.