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Pinned  The importance of human skills and digital systems in monitoring food safety

In an era where digital tools are transforming food safety management, the balance between technology and human expertise is more critical than ever. Andrew Thomson and Dr. Matthew Wilson explore how integrating advanced monitoring systems with essential human skills like critical thinking and leadership can elevate food safety standards. This article delves into the synergy between digital innovation and human involvement, revealing why both elements are indispensable for safeguarding our food supply.

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The Key to Audit Preparedness in Your Food-Processing Facility

Although the pest control portion of an audit may account for up to 20 percent of your final score, it’s not worth losing points or failing because of a preventable issue. Pest issues can cause multiple problems for your business, and not always the way you think. Certainly, they can damage or contaminate product and finished goods. They can harm or even destroy your hard-earned reputation and brand leading to loss of valuable business. Pests can affect the health and safety for your employees and make it difficult to maintain staffing levels effecting your productivity and ability to meet your customers’ needs. Staying audit-ready year-round will help you ensure you ace the pest control portion of your next inspection, whether planned or unexpected.

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Sources of Contamination in Food Grade Compressed Air

By Jenny Palkowitsh | Business Development Director | Trace Analytics, LLC

Dynamic, fluid, and critical, compressed air systems can be an overlooked source of contamination in food, beverage, and packaging manufacturing. Contaminated compressed air can be detrimental to end-products, ultimately affecting bottom line numbers and company reputation. Many facilities establish monitoring plans and programs but neglect a vital part of that process: testing. Compressed air testing allows users to identify and remediate contamination in the system before it affects products. Regular testing ensures that maintenance schedules and programs are adequate and working as expected. But how does contamination enter a compressed air system? There are a wide range of sources that contamination can come from including the compressor itself, the distribution piping, the intake, and regular maintenance activities. One of the benefits of regular testing is the ability to troubleshoot the sources of contamination.

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SQF Edition 9 Updates and Compressed Air Monitoring - what you need to know

Safe Quality Foods (SQF) has released Edition 9 Codes with improvements and updates that will be implemented May 24th, 2021. According to a SafetyChain poll, just 3% of respondents were completely ready for the SQF Edition 9 changes as of January 2021 (Chuboff, 2021). Though there are a number of changes, this article will focus specifically on the compressed air requirements that have been added and updated to provide definitions and additional clarification. SQF has also defined “compressed air monitoring” in the appendix. For many, these modifications alleviate the worry of misunderstanding or misrepresenting the requirements. Edition 9 provides clarifications that are helpful to manufacturers who are trying to meet standards, maintain a level of quality, and understand the safety requirements for their compressed air systems.

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SQF-2.3.2 Raw and Packaging Materials

This article series is a deep dive into each individual SQF element. Not just what the code says but what’s actually being asked, how it makes our products safer, and how that element looks in practice both inside and outside the audit. Personnel new to SQF seeking implementation and those reviewing existing systems should both benefit from a methodical study of each element, and how we can truly embrace the code and share it with internal and external customers.

Remember, the goal is not “Audit ready 365”, it’s to know that our facility embraces globally recognized best practices to maintain food safety. Because of this, as we dive into each element, we must always remember the quality management system golden rule:

Never make systems to “pass audits”. Make systems that work for your company that help it make safer/higher quality products more efficiently.

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