Hidden in the ocean of data collected by most food businesses, is a wealth of opportunity to control and improve processes. Food processes, like all other processes, are subject to variation. Whether we are talking about temperature, time, pressure, pH, or product composition, this variation, if not fully understood and controlled, can lead to product defects, operational inefficiency, financial loss, and product recalls. To unlock this, companies can utilize powerful statistical tools and techniques. These can provide valuable insight to drive decision making and improvement projects. Even with the minimum of training and application of simple SPC tools, companies can derive significant benefit. This session will take a look at some of these tools and provide practical examples of how they can be used in food processes and food safety systems such as CCP monitoring.

The FSSC Foundation published version 5 of their standard in May 2019. This new version of the scheme has been issued to primarily include the new ISO22000:2018 as well as to simplify and clarify some points from the previous version. A key change with the new ISO 22000:2018 scheme is the inclusion of 2 Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycles within the FSSC 22000 scheme. This presentation will look at how these 2 PDCA Cycles are involved in looking at the organizational risk and operational risk in both a positive and negative manner.

Customer Service and Sales manager, Erin Zimmerman, will lead a deep dive into compressed air critical control points. CCPs are steps were control can be applied to prevent food safety hazards. In this webinar, attendees will gain a deeper understanding about how compressed air testing can be used to ensure that those controls are functioning properly. Once risks and potential sources of contamination have been accounted for and limits for the CCPs have been set, a compressed air sampling and analysis plan can be implemented. Proper assessment of a system, and regular compressed air testing can prevent serious contamination and promote the overall health of your system.

IFS Logistic is certification scheme similar to IFS Food, but same is intended for companies that are dealing with the warehousing, storage, logistic, distribution and also wholesale. This webinar will help you understand what are the main requirements of certification scheme IFS Logistic, and how to decide is your company capable to be certified according to this scheme. You will learn specific requirements and similarities to GFSI and differences comparing to IFS Food. Also, this webinar is designed for the ones using logistic/warehousing services from suppliers, to understand what suppliers of this type of services should comply to, to be in line with high demands of food safety systems.

How does the FDA view economically motivated adulteration (EMA) in contrast to the rest of the world? How does this differ from GFSI scheme requirements?

Recent legislation such as FSMA and other global standards contain requirements relating to the inspection, testing and certification of products and materials moving through the supply chain. The underlying principle is that certain materials carry significant risk which need to be assured prior to being supplied to the consumer in regard to specific hazards. Inspection and testing is clearly identified as one of the mechanisms to be utilized in providing this assurance.

However, this can be a costly activity for most food companies, but nonetheless, an essential requirement. Best practice dictates that robust risk assessment should be applied to determine which materials should undergo sampling and inspection, including the scope of the inspection program.

This webinar will explore best practices for sampling and inspection plans, based on risk, including the practical use of statistical sampling plans.

Real examples of supply chain management from food and beverage companies. Overview and examples of regulatory, assessments, GMP, etc. prior to certification will be discussed. Kathy Wybourn, DNV GL’s Director of Supply Chain and Digital Assurance Services, and Bill Bremer, Principal at Kestrel Tellevate Management Consultancy, will discuss the benefits of increasing safety and quality through non-certification assessments. Several examples will be presented.

Food Safety Culture is the group of beliefs and values that a group of people has towards food safety. Food Safety Culture starts with the management team and ends with the employees. Food Safety Culture is a way of “living” the policies, programs and procedures established in the Food Safety Management System. However, establishing and environment where food safety is fostered and becomes a way of living throughout the food supply chain can be challenging. This webinar will go over a road map on how to foster a food safety culture after the implementation of Food Safety Management Systems is achieved.

Validation of control measures is a core requirement of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (PC Rule, 21 CFR117 Subpart C) under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). However, in many applications the concept of validation as required by the PC Rule remains unclear and presents a serious challenge the food industry in its efforts to comply with the new regulations. This is particularly evident as it pertains to the validation of “kill-steps” intended to prevent or mitigate microbiological hazards. While validation of thermal processes such as pasteurization of milk products (under the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance) or canned, low-acid, shelf-stable products (under 21 CFR 113) enjoy the benefit of well-established validation protocols, other products/processes such as those involving low-moisture foods (e.g., dry pet foods, dry pasta, tree nuts, baked goods, etc.) often receive thermal processes which have not been fully validated but are claimed as “kill-steps” in existing HACCP programs.

This presentation aims to provide a clear definition of the concept of validation, distinguish it from the closely related requirement for verification and illustrate strategies to complete this regulatory requirement. Emphasis will be given to the interventions aimed to achieve the required reduction of microbial pathogens in relation to low-moisture products, acidified foods and novel technologies such as high pressure pasteurization.