10 replies to this topic

[CarrieK]

I hold a SQF Team Meeting bi-weekly and find myself running out of topics sometimes.

I have previously addressed all of the sections in the SQF (Level 3) Module and frequently discuss issues round the plant; however, there's not ALWAYS issues I have to talk about (i.e. plant related, personnel, documentation, etc).

Can anyone provide a few topics that would be good discussions/information to have in these meetings?

 

[Mr. Incognito]

Is this like a food safety team?

 

I go over the notes from the previous meeting

review of CAPA items

Compliance - based on what we are looking at closely it could be cleaning compliance if there has been an issue, other documentation, etc

Form changes

Internal audits

Monthly audits (we have someone from another mill perform an audit monthly.  This is like a GMP, safety, standard inspection)

Temporary repairs

Customer complaints

Customer contacts

"Any other issue for food safety"

 

anything else would be another line item

[Simon]

Is that a meeting every two weeks or twice a week?

 

You can also reduce the frequency rather than padding out and taking people’s valuable time unnecessarily. Personally I find a solid monthly meeting works. All actions and discussion can still carry on in the background in between meetings.

[Mr. Incognito]

We have a food safety team meeting weekly and some weeks I have a hard time getting everything in within an hour.  I guess I should be happy.

[CarrieK]

Thank you all for the information!

 

The meeting is held every other week (I often forget bi-weekly can be referred to as twice/week and/or every other week!). Corporate will not allow us to reduce the meetings to once per month (although that would make more sense to me!).

I do have a list of topics, such as customer complaints, document/process/program changes, monthly audits, etc. however, they do not always apply!

I perform a monthly audit of the facility, but I do not always find something wrong.

 

I've gone as far as discussing other companies' recalls/issues and those causes...but now I am stuck on not having a topic at all!

(This seems to be one of those rare times that everything 'seems' good!!)

 

Maybe I will dig into this huge stack of Quality magazines and see if there are topics there!

[Simon]

I had an idea Carrie.

 

If you're scratching around for something to do how about you watch some of the IFSQN Food Safety Fridays webinar recordings.

[Mr. Incognito]

Well sometimes meetings end early.  I can't imagine where you'd go a whole two weeks with absolutely nothing changing or nothing coming up.  Cover what you need to cover and if you get out 15-20 minutes early... well that's a good meeting in everyone's mind.

[CarrieK]

Simon - I attend most of those webinars...the ones that apply to our process are mentioned in meetings.

I'm just looking for something out of the box - that is not something we normally discuss.

[Mulan1010]

If you have not done so, you could discuss how you should be prepared to handle possible crisis situations such as a fire, flood, major leak, product recall, long power outage, outraged employee, etc... 

I also recommend browsing the IFSQN website for additional topics and you may also check out the HACCP Mentor website.  A lot of the topics on there are related to what SQF looks for.

[solrac]

For the monthy food safety meetings, is it required/mandatory that the highest level of authority must attend the said meeting? Or it can be with the Operations Manager?

 

Thank you.

[Timwoodbag]

For the monthy food safety meetings, is it required/mandatory that the highest level of authority must attend the said meeting? Or it can be with the Operations Manager?

 

Thank you.

 

2.1.3.2 The SQF practitioner (s) shall update senior site management on a (minimum) monthly basis on matters impacting the implementation and maintenance of the SQF System. The updates and management responses shall be documented. The SQF System in its entirety shall be reviewed at least annually.

 

I read "Senior Site Management" as people who can make decisions ($$$$$)