Food Online's Top 10 Of January

By Sam Lewis

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

1. Have We Lost Our Way With HACCP?
   As food safety becomes an increasingly important issue, it might be a good idea to take a step back and reexamine your food safety plans. Asking a few key questions, such as “who are my customers?” and “how do my HACCP plans help them?” are a good place to start.
    
2. Don’t Be The Weakest Link: Improving The Food Industry’s Supply Chain
   The food industry’s supply chain is a difficult landscape to traverse. New technologies seem to arrive on a monthly basis, logistics always presents its own unique challenges, consumers are becoming increasingly demanding, and food safety legislation is constantly evolving — it’s a lot for food manufacturers to stay on top of. Here, Daniel Triot, Senior Director of the Trading Partner Alliance of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), answers my questions about supply chain obstacles food manufacturers and retailers are facing and offers guidance on how to overcome them.
    
3. Should Your Food Manufacturing Facility Use In-House Or Contract Lab Pathogen Testing?
   A food testing program is an important component of a comprehensive food safety and quality assurance program. In these programs, testing often serves among the verification steps that the preventive controls that have been implemented are effective. This includes verification of the raw material and finished product specifications, verification of the HACCP — and where applicable, the HARPC program — sanitation, surveillance, and at times, the investigation of problems.
    
4. 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.
    
5. 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.
    
6. Understanding Protein Choices To Meet Consumer Demand
   One walk down the aisles of any supermarket will demonstrate the strong consumer demand for protein. From cereals to snacks, from bars to beverages, the increasing number of mainstream brands focusing on protein inclusion and promotion on their labels is a testament to consumer interest in this macronutrient. In fact, according to the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC), 58 percent of consumers consider protein when making decisions about food purchases.
    
7. McCormick’s Packaging Innovation Philosophy: The Consumer Is King
   I recently spoke with Dr. Michael Okoroafor, VP of Global Packaging Innovation at McCormick, to discuss the packaging design and innovation process at the company. In his newly created role, Dr. Okoroafor is focused on optimizing the packaging design and development processes for food, herbs, and spices. Dr. Okoroafor will also be speaking at the upcoming AmericaPack Summit, being held Feb. 22-23, 2016 in Las Vegas, NV.
    
8. Tips For Choosing A Pump System For Food And Beverage Applications
   In the simplest terms, pumps in food and beverage applications are used to transfer product from one place to another. The examples are endless — unloading rail cars filled with corn syrup destined for a cola beverage, use in dewatering devices or presses, and feeding high-temperature cooking processes or heat exchangers. This article offers suggestions for choosing the right pump system for your food or beverage manufacturing facility.
    
9. A FSMA Rundown: Where The Industry Currently Stands On Preventive Controls Rules
   The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act is designed to standardize food safety within the U.S. and countries importing food to the U.S. Now that the Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) rules have been finalized, compliance dates are just a couple of years away, and even some documentation is required in less than one year.
    
10. Pathogen Technology Drives Higher Resolution In Food Safety Testing
    While significant investments can be made in easier-to-sanitize manufacturing equipment, development of preventative control programs, and training/re-training personnel, the effectiveness of these, and other preventative measures, is only as good as the performance of the pathogen test method used to verify. Therefore, the pathogen testing program is the lens by which these programs are monitored.