Food Manufacturing Guest Contributors

81. 5 Questions To Ask For Effective Food Safety Training 12/21/2016

    All departments of any company — accounting, production, quality assurance, upper management, etc. —need training. But, how important is training in the role of food safety? In a word: vital.

82. Food Irradiation Technologies: Principles, Commercial Advantages, And Limitations 12/15/2016

    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. Nearly 50 countries have approved or allow food irradiation, although the foods and doses can differ by country. Gamma irradiation technology was patented more than a century ago (in 1906) and has been one of the first non-thermal technologies thoroughly tested, validated, and adopted by medical and food industry over the past 60 years. Despite this, there is a lot of misunderstanding and concerns associated with the consumer acceptance, transport, storage, occupational hazards, and disposal of radiation sources.

83. Weighing In On F&B Industry Checkweighers 11/29/2016

    Food inspection systems using state-of-the-art technologies are most successful when they are designed with many support methods and principles. I’ve written articles on how this is true with metal detection technology, X-Ray inspection machines, and vision inspection systems. This article will explore checkweighing systems, how they add support to food safety methods and principles, and the benefits implementing them can provide food manufacturers.

     

84. 3 Must-Have Qualities Of A Successful Food Safety Program 11/18/2016

    Food safety is a team sport; you can have the best programs in the world, but it takes people to carry out those programs. Many food safety programs fail for one very simple reason: there is not a culture fostered that promotes food safety at every level. From the very top, throughout the entire organization, there needs to be a commitment to food safety and a commitment to continuous improvement. 

85. Food Safety And Brexit: What Lessons Are Being Learned? 11/16/2016

    Earlier this year, the U.K. voted to leave the EU. Ensuing events of the Brexit vote have been characterized by frustration and uncertainty in the near and far future as the U.K. will now go at it on their own after 43 years in the EU. This represents a distinct turning point in European history and the implications on the U.K. are expected to be radical. One particular issue, food safety, did not receive much consideration during the Brexit campaign. What will be done to fill in where the EU left off? Ambivalence over what the U.K.’s legislative framework will resemble has caused more than a little anxiety, but along with the bigger political issues there is still opportunity for the U.K. to enhance food safety regulation and re-instill confidence in its food system.

86. Whole Genome Sequencing: Affirmative Or Adverse Outcomes For Food Safety Management? 11/9/2016

    Whole Genome Sequencing is a scientific breakthrough we first thought would remain confined to the halls of medical science for the treatment of human diseases, such as cancer and previously undiagnosed ailments. Nevertheless, it has quickly entered and impacted the realm of microbiologists, food safety managers, risk managers, lawyers and CEOs in the food industry. But is this for better or for worse?

87. Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Recordkeeping and Sanitation Under FSMA 11/4/2016

    Two cornerstones of FSMA’s final rule on Preventative Controls for Human Food are record keeping and sanitation. Food manufacturers and processors, along with companies importing goods into the U.S., are now being held to a much higher standard of sanitation, documentation, and compliance to better protect the health of the U.S. public.

88. Ingredient Optimization Unlocks Profitability & Savings 11/3/2016

    In an effort to ensure F&B products meet the required product label claims, manufacturers often overuse expensive raw materials. This results in higher costs and reduced margins. However, measuring and tracking key ingredient contents and using precision formulation can reduce giveaway of expensive raw materials while ensuring accurate product contents. The results: savings are directly linked to your bottom line.

89. FSMA's Sanitary Transportation Rule: Compliance Guidelines For Shippers & Brokers 10/27/2016

    In spring 2016, the FDA released its long-awaited Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food (the Rule). The regulation, which constitutes one of seven final rules implementing FSMA, was closely watched by many throughout the industry — and for good reason. Based on the earlier proposed version of the Rule, many commentators feared the Rule, in its final form, would be an inflexible regulation with the potential to impact the very way that food transporters operate — and not always in ways that made sense.

90. What Can Vision Inspection Systems Do For You? 10/25/2016

    As explored in my first two articles, robust inspection systems are most successful when they are designed with many support methods and principles. My article from September 26 describes a second such inspection method with metal detection. This article will explore vision inspection systems and how they can help your company improve its food safety program, maintain or improve your brand’s reputation, and even save your company a few bucks.