How to implement a procedure for Food Fraud?
Hi, may I know how do we implement a procedure on food fraud in factory?
Hi, may I know how do we implement a procedure on food fraud in factory?
Hi Brianna,
Please supply a little more context, eg -
Product ?
Process ?
FS Standard (if any) ?
Require procedure for Vulnerability Assessment or Food Defense ?
Hi Brianna,
The first step is performing a food fraud vulnerability assessment. There are a number of tools and guidance documents available to walk you through this. Once you have completed your vulnerability assessment next is to perform an impact assessment, that is if food fraud were to occur, what would the impact be to public health and your organization. Finally, you would combine your vulnerability and impact assessments to determine which ingredients you should focus your mitigation strategies on.
From there you can create a food fraud mitigation plan specific to those ingredients which represent the highest risk. How you implement that plan will depend on a number of factors including why that ingredient is so vulnerable to fraud and what specific steps can be taken to mitigate those risks.
Best Regards,
Peter
Hi Brianna,
The first step is performing a food fraud vulnerability assessment. There are a number of tools and guidance documents available to walk you through this. Once you have completed your vulnerability assessment next is to perform an impact assessment, that is if food fraud were to occur, what would the impact be to public health and your organization. Finally, you would combine your vulnerability and impact assessments to determine which ingredients you should focus your mitigation strategies on.
From there you can create a food fraud mitigation plan specific to those ingredients which represent the highest risk. How you implement that plan will depend on a number of factors including why that ingredient is so vulnerable to fraud and what specific steps can be taken to mitigate those risks.
Best Regards,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thks for input,
I would just note that, i think, GFSI (et al) focusses more on the VA aspect rather than further involving "Impact". This is a difference IIRC to the USP approach.
[Hence (partially) my unanswered Post 2.]
Hi Charles,
Great point. From my understanding of what is written in the GFSI benchmarks, it states that one should complete a documented vulnerability assessment (VA) and a documented food fraud mitigation plan. I would argue that in addition to the VA one should also complete an impact assessment so they understand the risk to their organization and where to focus their efforts.
What is IIRC?
Best Regards,
Peter
Hi Peter,
IIRC = If I recall correctly
http://www.ifsqn.com...-abbreviations/
Just as an example, BRC's response to GFSI suggests (for reasons explained in their Guideline) a preference to use Likelihood of Occurrence vs Detection matrix to determine "sensitive" ingredients rather than the traditional "Severity" (~ Impact). BRC do not preclude use of alternative methods though.
BRC then suggest a range of ( sort of generic) mitigation procedures (~Preventive measures). Impact per se is, i think, not mentioned.
I think (not quoting BRC) that one practical difficulty in using "Impact" (eg as in the USP approach) is simply "how to do it". But i do appreciate this approach is a/the standard model in many published non-food "vulnerability" scenarios.
Hi Charles,
Thanks for that and I do need to increase my acronym knowledge!
The impact approach looks at if food fraud were to occur one should look at the impact from two points.
1 - Food Safety perspective
2 - Economic impact to that organization
There are then 3 multipliers which could amplify the impact of either Food Safety or Economic impact.
1 - Focused consumption: This could be highly concentrated consumption for certain groups, frequent consumption (for example taken daily, like vitamins) and temporally focused consumption such as foods commonly eaten during holidays.
2 - Nutritional sufficiency: Pet food, baby food and infant formula where if the nutritional content has been reduced where it would cause a public health impact.
3 - Public Confidence: The impact of a loss in consumer confidence and the indirect economic impact.
Best Regards,
Peter
Hi Charles,
Thanks for that and I do need to increase my acronym knowledge!
The impact approach looks at if food fraud were to occur one should look at the impact from two points.
1 - Food Safety perspective
2 - Economic impact to that organization
There are then 3 multipliers which could amplify the impact of either Food Safety or Economic impact.
1 - Focused consumption: This could be highly concentrated consumption for certain groups, frequent consumption (for example taken daily, like vitamins) and temporally focused consumption such as foods commonly eaten during holidays.
2 - Nutritional sufficiency: Pet food, baby food and infant formula where if the nutritional content has been reduced where it would cause a public health impact.
3 - Public Confidence: The impact of a loss in consumer confidence and the indirect economic impact.
Best Regards,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Yes, BRC in fact have reservations about the assumption you refer.
I think (1-3) illustrates the difficulty to which i referred previously. One can compare to the BRC approach.
But, nowadays, the most difficult aspect for food fraud assessors seems to be with the "database". ;)
Hi there Brianna,
The GFSI has recommended using a free online tool, SSAFE/PwC, to conduct a vulnerability assessment that includes a mitigation plan. Have a look at this link https://ffv.pwc.com/vsat/#/.
Good luck. :spoton:
Added 010618/Charles.C
The Link now seems to go only to a login Page
Hi
I seem to be still struggling to compile a Food Fraud Vulnerability Risk Assessment.
As a start I have attempted an excel spreadsheet see attached.
Team please advise if this is what is required and please contribute to some ideas to improve on this doc.
Thanks Team
Hi there Brianna,
The GFSI has recommended using a free online tool, SSAFE/PwC, to conduct a vulnerability assessment that includes a mitigation plan. Have a look at this link https://ffv.pwc.com/vsat/#/.
Good luck. :spoton:
I have completed the online assessment; however, i cannot get the report. Any suggestion?
I have completed the online assessment; however, i cannot get the report. Any suggestion?
Hi Rob,
I had the same problem so I contacted PwC directly and now all my reports are being released. (https://www.pwc.nl/e...-questions.html). If you follow this link there is a form that you can complete in order for them to contact you via email. I hope this helps?
Everything you need is here:
https://www.fda.gov/...s/ucm353774.htm
There is an app you can download that will cover the entire Food Fraud Plan. There is even training for everyone.
Everything you need is here:
https://www.fda.gov/...s/ucm353774.htm
There is an app you can download that will cover the entire Food Fraud Plan. There is even training for everyone.
Hi Tracy,
I think yr link is maybe VA/ Food defense, not "VA/food fraud" as interpreted outside USA and elsewhere in this thread.
Regardless, thks for input.
I'm afraid the whole "food fraud" idea is just one huge rabbit hole.
Yes, there are resources out there that identify materials that have, or are susceptible to fraud.
The problem, of course, is "what do we do about it"?
Is it incumbent upon industry to test every lot of material that we receive to determine its "acceptability" before we use it if we have identified that material as medium or high risk for fraud?
At some point that becomes an unbearable cost. One would assume that suppliers of those materials should be the ones responsible. And if we, as end users of those materials are not properly vetting our suppliers, well then shame on us.
I understand that some food manufacturers are more susceptible to ingredients that may be "fraudulent". It's just incredible the amount of time and energy I waste to document that flour, salt, oils and the like ingredients that we use are "low risk" for food fraud.
Rant over.
Marshall