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. 5 Questions To Ask For Effective Food Safety Training
   All departments of any company (food production or not) need training from several perspectives, such as safety, job-specific roles, business acumen, and human rights. And other departments — accounting, production, quality assurance, upper management — they all have their roles that need training. Of course, sanitation needs to know how to clean, maintenance needs to know how to repair and upkeep, warehouse needs to know how to ship and receive. But, how important is training in the role of food safety? In a word: vital.
    
2. The ABCs Of Building A Food Safety Plan: From HACCP To HARPC
   The FDA required hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) for juice and seafood, and the USDA for meat and poultry. The Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) proposed Preventive Controls rule for Human Food requires a written Food Safety Plan (FSP) be developed using the hazard analysis risk-based preventive control (HARPC) approach. A preventive approach to food safety is nothing new. But the HARPC approach is a new paradigm shift in thinking. This article will explain this new thinking, define, what HARPC approach is, explain how HARPC is different than HACCP, and how employing this thinking helps you arrive at developing a Food Safety Plan.
    
3. How 5 Electro-Magnetic Technologies Are Heating Foods Safely Quickly And Efficiently
   Five innovative heating techniques, including infrared (IR), microwave (MW), dielectric or radio-frequency (RF), ohmic (OH), and magnetic induction heating (MI) utilize electro-magnetic energy can heat foods faster and more efficiently.
    
4. Reflecting On The Obama Administration Food Policies
   As the Obama administration winds down, it is worthwhile to look back at the administration’s food policies and their continuing impact on the food industry. The past eight years have seen a robust regulatory agenda, resulting in thousands of pages of new requirements for the food industry. Food safety initiatives generally receive good bi-partisan support, so the political environment has been ideal to move a broad agenda forward to advance food safety with the goal of safeguarding public health.
    
5. Food Safety 2017: What To Expect
   2016 is behind us, and last year’s unresolved food safety challenges have joined the list of issues to face in the new year. But, what is currently challenging the food and beverage industry in terms of food safety? This column will discuss three topics that will impact nearly every manufacturer in 2017.
    
6. Preparing For The FDA's Upcoming Labeling Requirements
   Mislabeled food products are the number one cause for food recalls, and we all know what that can mean to your bottom line. Adding to an already complicated landscape, the FDA announced forthcoming changes to the nutrition facts of food products that need to be complied with by July, 2018. Needless to say, food manufacturers are seeking guidance to meet the terms of the new requirements. Here, Kimberly Wingfield, director of science policy, labeling and standards, at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) answers my questions about complying with upcoming FDA food labeling requirements.
    
7. Food Irradiation Technologies: Principles, Commercial Advantages, And Limitations
   Food irradiation has proven to be a safe and effective non-thermal process for enhancing food safety and extending shelf life of a wide variety of foods. Despite this, there is a lot of misunderstanding and concern associated with the consumer acceptance, transport, storage, occupational hazards, and disposal of radiation sources. This article will explore the principles, commercial advantages, and limitations of irradiation technologies in food manufacturing.
    
8. How Is China Tackling Its Food Safety Struggles?
   It’s no secret; in recent years, China has suffered through some serious food safety issues. Recognizing a dire need for improvement, China has created and implemented plans for a dramatic turnaround in food safety regulations. Here, Dr. Xinyu Weng, CFDA Division Director for International Cooperation and current First Secretary of the Embassy of China in the U.S., answers Global Food Safety Forum (GFSF) Chairman Rick Gilmore’s questions on behalf of Food Online on the reformation of China’s food safety legislation and its worldwide impact. Additionally, Dr. Wang offers his thoughts on how China has recovered from and is preventing another melamine infant formula powder milk scandal.
    
9. A Food Recall’s Ripple Effect: What We’ve Learned From Valley Milk Products
   The Valley Milk Products recall resulted in a subsequent ripple effect of recalls affecting over 30 companies. As this food safety event has played out over the last several months, it has also raised several questions on how the industry should react and handle these types of chain-reaction-like recalls.
    
10. Can You Combat Food Fraud And Maintain Brand Integrity?
    Food fraud is a widespread problem in the food industry with many meat and seafood products being mislabeled due to counterfeiting. Fraud in the supply chain can be detrimental to consumer trust, which, in turn can also harm your brand. Here, Robert Trudel, director of quality assurance and sustainability at Bento Sushi, answers my questions about what food manufacturers can do to fight counterfeiting products and maintaining brand integrity.