The beverage industry is undergoing a period of technological transformation. As consumer demand and supply chain pressures reveal the shortcomings of older systems and processes, beverage manufacturers are embracing new technologies at an unprecedented pace. While many of these trends are promising, some are more impactful than others. With that in mind, here are the five technologies making the biggest impact in the beverage industry.
Automation
While automation isn’t necessarily new, it is reaching new heights. Automation is becoming an essential part of the beverage sector as robotic systems become more accessible and versatile, and talent becomes harder to acquire.
The food and beverage industry currently has more than 4 million open positions and could add another 370,000 by 2031. With fewer young workers entering manufacturing, beverage facilities are turning to robotics to sustain productivity. The more automated a facility is, the more it can accomplish despite having fewer employees, offsetting the labor shortage.
Automation applies to more than just physical workflows, too. Robotic process automation is seeing increased adoption in back offices, where it can be used to boost productivity and reduce errors.
Artificial Intelligence
Another impactful technology in the beverage sector is artificial intelligence (AI). As beverage workflows become increasingly digitized, they generate more data. AI algorithms can analyze that data to turn it into actionable insights, helping beverage manufacturers predict and adapt to incoming changes and optimize their operations.
Common industry thinking holds that companies can only optimize two of three key variables—time, cost and quality—simultaneously. However, it’s often difficult for humans to determine which is the most valuable area for improvement in their businesses. AI can analyze workflow data to reveal weak points and highlight changes that would have the most significant impact, helping leaders make these decisions.
AI can also help predict future changes, including shifting consumer demand. With this insight, beverage producers can adjust to minimize losses and capitalize early on new trends. Those that don’t embrace AI analytics may quickly fall behind the competition as this technology becomes increasingly common.
The Internet of Things
As AI adoption grows, the Internet of Things (IoT) can help beverage companies make the most of these algorithms. IoT devices give previously unconnected machines wireless connectivity, providing more data points for AI models to analyze, improving their accuracy. This connectivity and data collection can also improve transparency.
One of the most impactful use cases for IoT sensors is in the supply chain. Connected tracking devices can provide real-time updates on shipment locations, temperature, vibrations and other factors. If anything falls out of acceptable parameters or schedules, they can alert relevant stakeholders so they can adapt to ensure safe, timely shipments.
IoT devices can also improve machine health by alerting workers to needed repairs. This data-driven, need-based approach prevents costly breakdowns while minimizing downtime from unnecessary maintenance.
Biotechnology
While many of the most impactful technologies in the beverage industry appear within manufacturing facilities, some focus on earlier workflows. Biotechnology, such as gene editing, can optimize the farming operations that produce the ingredients beverage companies need.
Some bioengineered crops require less water to grow or are pest-resistant, minimizing the need for pesticides. These upgrades reduce farms’ ongoing expenses, making beverage ingredients cheaper for production facilities. Other bioengineering processes can make certain ingredients healthier or less environmentally impactful, both of which appeal to consumers.
Emerging biotechnology solutions let beverage companies use specially designed enzymes to gauge milk contamination and spoilage better. With these biological markers, businesses can ensure they don’t send poor-quality products to market and can trace contamination issues, leading to long-term improvements.
Renewable Energy
Another increasingly impactful technology for beverage companies today is renewable energy. As climate issues become more prominent, consumer preferences lean towards sustainable companies and products, even if that means paying more for products. Switching to renewable power helps energy-hungry beverage factories adapt to this demand and protect the environment.
Because renewables such as solar and wind are technologies, not fuel sources, they will only become cheaper and more efficient over time. Consequently, switching to these technologies is becoming an increasingly viable option for companies. They can also reduce energy costs long-term, as facilities begin to generate their own power instead of buying it from the grid.
Additionally, growing climate urgency may lead to increased regulations around industrial energy sources. Shifting to renewable power now can ensure beverage companies minimize disruption from any changing legislation.
Virtually every industry today is undergoing a tech-driven transformation. Capitalizing on this movement means being able to separate the buzzwords from the technologies that hold the most promise. These five technologies are among the most impactful for beverage companies today. As their adoption grows, they could dramatically alter the face of the industry.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by several types of fungi. These mycotoxin-producing fungi grow on a variety of crops and foodstuffs, such as cereals, nuts, and coffee beans, contaminating up to 25% of the world’s crops every year.
In humans, ingesting even small amounts of some mycotoxins can lead to acute poisoning—research has also linked mycotoxin ingestion to long-term effects such as cancer and immune deficiency. In livestock, the situation is similar with mycotoxin exposure responsible for a greater incidence of disease, poor reproductive performance, and suboptimal milk production. With the health consequences so severe, it’s easy to see why mycotoxin contamination can harm the brand reputation of food producers and suppliers.
Mycotoxin contamination also poses a significant economic risk. The U.S. FDA estimates that mycotoxin contamination is responsible for an estimated annual crop loss of $932 million while, the Food and Agriculture Association estimates toxigenic fungi drive annual food and food product losses of ~1 billion metric tons, which includes losses due to reduced livestock productivity.
To minimize the risks posed by mycotoxins, robust mycotoxin testing is essential. Through rigorous testing, food suppliers can identify and remove unsafe products in the supply chain and indicate where preventive measures may need strengthening. Global regulations permit very low maximum levels of mycotoxins in foods, and international trade regulations make testing food and animal feed for mycotoxins a critical step before export.
Mycotoxins: A Significant and Growing Analytical Challenge
Mycotoxin testing is complex. Laboratories tasked with the endeavor face several hurdles, including:
Varied and complex matrices. Analyzing food samples for low levels of contaminants is inherently difficult, as complex matrices contain a myriad of other compounds that can interfere with analyte detection.
Greater testing burden than other contaminants. For example, with pesticides, testing after crop harvest is sufficient to ensure food safety, as foodstuffs are unlikely to acquire pesticide contaminants beyond this point. However, foods can acquire mycotoxin contaminants at several points after crop harvest—for instance, during transportation and storage. Testing at multiple points in the supply chain is therefore needed, which demands testing be easy to deploy, efficient, and cost-effective.
New, emerging threats. Mycotoxin contamination concerns go beyond the ‘big six’ classes most commonly encountered (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone, and nivalenol/deoxynivalenol). Emerging mycotoxins—lesser-known, novel mycotoxins neither routinely determined nor regulated—pose a threat to human and animal health, too. But new and emerging mycotoxins are not often reported or monitored due to limitations of current ELISA-based testing technology.
A warming climate. As average global temperatures rise, more regions will offer the warm, humid environments in which mycotoxin-producing fungi thrive. Some testing labs are already detecting classes of mycotoxins previously limited to other geographies. Moreover, rising temperatures may create ideal conditions for new mycotoxin-producing fungal strains and different combinations of mycotoxins. Thus, labs will increasingly need the flexibility to accommodate an expanding menu of known and unknown mycotoxin contaminants and mycotoxin combinations.
Broader, tighter regulations. Regulatory bodies are continually reducing the maximum permissible mycotoxin levels in food. For instance, in August 2022, the European Commission lowered the maximum levels of ochratoxin A in certain foodstuffs. Regulatory bodies will likely also expand analyte panels to accommodate new, emerging threats. Unless a laboratory’s testing equipment has sufficient sensitivity and flexibility to meet these continually changing requirements, labs may face unnecessary additional expenditure on new technologies each time regulations change.
Accordingly, to meet the needs of today while best positioning themselves for tomorrow, mycotoxin testing labs need testing methods that are highly sensitive, with the flexibility to quantify multiple known and unknown analytes in complex matrices. To meet ever-growing demand for efficiency, these methods should also be easy to use, and maximize lab productivity.
The Promise of Advanced LC-MS Solutions
Thankfully, advanced, high-throughput liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) solutions can alleviate these challenges.
For example, Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERs) sample preparation kits can accelerate and simplify sample preparation across a variety of matrices prior to LC-MS analysis, helping facilitate high-throughput multi-residue analysis. To improve analysis of low abundance analytes in complex matrices, automated solutions are available that perform analyte pre-concentration and sample clean-up online, offering analytical confidence and greater speed compared to offline methods. Similarly, robust, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) solutions can better resolve analytes in complex matrices, maximizing instrument utilization, and unlocking superior laboratory throughput.
When it comes to mass spectrometry (MS) systems, more productive, confident targeted compound quantitation is possible with advanced triple quadrupole MS (QQQ) instruments. QQQ systems offer analysts high sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity, making them ideal for the detection of multiple low-level compounds in the most challenging matrices. In addition, the fast data acquisition speeds and rapid polarity switching of these systems mean labs can greatly improve their workflow productivity. The latest QQQ systems are also easy to use, require minimal training, and facilitate streamlined method creation and optimization, enabling labs to better keep pace with changing regulations and emerging threats.
The advent of orbitrap mass spectrometry has transformed analytical testing workflows across a range of applications, including mycotoxin testing. Orbitrap mass spectrometers offer ultra-high resolution (figure 1) and accurate mass measurements, together with high dynamic range. These instruments can, therefore, better resolve the lowest-level analytes from background interferences in crowded matrices, as well as elucidate the fine isotopic structures needed for more confident analyte identification. Orbitrap instruments have significant productivity benefits too, being able to perform both quantitative and qualitative analyses of multiple analytes in a single platform, and often in a single run—all while maintaining high sensitivity.
Figure 1: Across a broad m/z range, orbitrap mass spectrometers offer superior resolution relative to other mass spectrometry systems, such as quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) instruments.
Perhaps most important, though, is the value of orbitrap systems for unknown analysis. Orbitrap systems can generate full-scan high-resolution accurate mass data during untargeted analysis, enabling analysts to capture information from all ions in the run. When this data is compared against extensive high-resolution spectral fragmentation libraries (such as the mzCloud™), labs can more easily and confidently identify novel compounds such as emerging mycotoxins. Even when no direct spectral match is available, analysts can now tap into advanced data analysis algorithms that provide the best candidate structures for unknown compounds.
Toward Multi-residue, Multi-panel Workflows
Recent studies have demonstrated the success of several advanced LC-MS and LC-MS/MS solutions and workflows for fast, economical, and highly sensitive multi-residue mycotoxin analysis. For example, one recent study looked at quantifying 48 myco- and phytotoxins (either currently regulated or under discussion for regulation in the EU) in cereal in a single analytical run. In the experiment, researchers used a UHPLC system coupled to a QQQ instrument, and cereals were extracted with acetonitrile/water, followed by evaporation and sample reconstitution.
The results demonstrated that sample preparation is simple, fast, and economical for this method. And, for all legislated mycotoxins, the limits of quantitation were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRL) established by regulations. Researchers also noted good precision and reproducibility across five replicates at the limit of detection. The authors therefore concluded that this method is suitable for the quantitation of all 11 legislated mycotoxins and 37 more that are either already legislated in feed or are prospects for further legislation.
Another study demonstrated the value of an orbitrap-based workflow for efficiently detecting a range of unknown food contaminants, including mycotoxins. In the study, researchers analyzed vegetables, fruits, nuts, and cereals, preparing samples using the Swedish ethyl acetate method (SweEt). In terms of equipment, the team used an UHPLC system connected to an orbitrap mass spectrometer, and analyzed data using a qualitative software tool. To help identify unknown compounds, the software used isotopic pattern recognition, fragments, and isotope distribution data to search spectral libraries for matches.
The results showed SweEt to be an effective generic sample preparation approach to analyze different compound classes, and the workflow enabled the team to successfully identify many unwanted contaminants, including pesticides, mycotoxins, and food additives. As a result, the researchers concluded that the method was a suitable and efficient way to find unexpected and unwanted multi-group analytes in complex food matrices. Researchers have increasingly sought such multi-group analysis methods in recent years, owing to the significant efficiency gains they can offer to analytical labs.
Meeting the Needs of Modern Mycotoxin Testing
Mycotoxin contamination in food has significant consequences for human and animal health, as well as the reputation of food producers and suppliers. But mycotoxin testing is inherently complex, and several factors make testing increasingly difficult—from emerging mycotoxin threats to tightening regulations and growing pressure for greater efficiency.
Advanced LC-MS and LC-MS/MS solutions have the potential to address these challenges and transform mycotoxin testing workflows, delivering unprecedented sensitivity, confidence, and productivity. By adopting these high throughput, high-resolution solutions, testing labs can better meet the needs of today, while optimally positioning themselves for the future. Ultimately, these advanced approaches will help ensure the safety of the global food supply, for a healthier, safer world.
A new Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) model using epidemic curve (EC) prediction (QRA-EC) could become a valuable new tool in root cause analyses of foodborne illness outbreaks. Researchers with the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition developed a QRA-EC model and evaluated it in a case study of a 2019 multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to melons. The study was published in Risk Analysis.
Amir Mokhtari, et al, modified the traditional QRA model to track illness timing (epidemic curves). They then compared the predicted number of illnesses and timing of illnesses identified by their model—the FDA-Melon QRA-EC—with the 2019 Salmonella melon outbreak epidemic curve.
The authors explain that QRA models are traditionally used to predict the number of illnesses associated with given food-pathogen pairs and to simulate previous foodborne illness outbreaks by comparing model estimates with observed outbreak size. The QRA-EC model extends that framework to include prediction on the timeline of illnesses associated with consumption of contaminated food products.
“This additional feature yields two-dimensional risk predictions that provide investigators with a more nuanced quantitative evaluation of potential/hypothesized illness outbreak root cause, as the shape and/or span of epidemic curves can give clues about potential sources and/or patterns of spread for an outbreak,” the authors wrote.
They found that contamination niches on the equipment were the most likely cause of the 2019 outbreak, as illnesses were linked to one processor of fresh-cut melons, while the contaminated melons (linked back to one supplier) had been sent to several processing facilities.
“Compared to the efficiency of whole melon washing, proper sanitation of contamination niches had a more pronounced impact on the predicted epidemic curves,” the authors wrote. Furthermore, the model and case study found that risk was greater when food was exposed to contamination niches on the assembly line versus in scrubbers and bins, likely due to the larger surface area of the assembly line and the potential for several contamination niches along the line.
“Using an Agent-Based Modeling approach, FDA Melon QRA-EC explicitly tracked the temporal and spatial movement of contaminated melons throughout the supply chain, which allowed us to predict both the total number and timeline of illnesses for various scenarios, which enabled us to identify conditions that can lead to an outbreak of certain magnitude and with a certain span of the epidemic curve,” the authors concluded.
While this particular model was developed specifically for Salmonella outbreaks linked to melons, the authors note that their model can be adapted for other food-pathogen pairings.
The CDC is currently investigating two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks. An outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses has led to 16 illnesses, 13 hospitalizations and one death. A multistate outbreak related to Brie and Camembert soft cheese products announced in September had led to six illnesses and five hospitalizations to date and a widespread product recall.
The CDC notes that it is difficult for investigators to identify a single food as the source of outbreaks linked to deli meats and cheeses, because Listeria spreads easily between food and the deli environment and can persist for a long time in deli display cases and on equipment.
We spoke with Chip Manuel, Ph.D., Food Safety Science Advisor at GOJO about steps retail food establishments should be taking now to reduce the risk of Listeria contamination in their facilities.
With the multi-state Listeria outbreak happening in delis, what should retail delis and deli departments be doing to reduce the potential spread of Listeria until a specific food is identified?
Manuel: Since Listeria is a hardy bacteria that thrives in many food products and conditions, it’s vital that food retailers and operators not only understand the conditions in which Listeria can persist but also ensure that conditions are kept which help to minimize its growth. These best practices include ensuring that proper hot/cold temperatures for holding food are maintained; cleaning and sanitizing refrigerators, display cases and frequently used kitchen equipment (especially deli slicers!); and maintaining the sanitary conditions of your establishment.
Listeria can be found in various nooks and crannies throughout a facility, including those hard-to-reach equipment parts, such as blades, cart wheels, and even grease catches and drains. Lack of frequent sanitation of these locations can increase the risk of Listeria cross-contaminating food contact surfaces in these settings. Therefore, it is vital to:
Evaluate the conditions of your facility, equipment and tools. Are there issues with standing water or cracked tiles? These are notorious for harboring Listeria biofilms and need to be replaced and repaired. Similarly, are your cleaning tools in good condition without cracks? If not, consider replacing these. Research has shown that cleaning tools in poor condition, especially squeegees, can become a source of contamination.
Ensure your sanitation program is up to speed. First, ensure you are choosing products that are effective against Listeria. Make sure you give your employees the time needed to clean and sanitize equipment effectively, especially larger pieces of equipment such as deli slicers. Make sure they have the tools and knowledge required to clean and sanitize these pieces of equipment, including specifically in nooks and crannies where Listeria can hide.
Ensure that deli slicers are maintained properly. Repair and/or replace any components of slicers that are in disrepair, as these can become harborage sites for Listeria. Ensure deli slicers are completely broken down for cleaning and sanitization as required by the local regulatory authority (usually every four hours for deli slicers operating at room temperature).
Minimize the use of high-pressure hoses within a deli environment. Research has shown these tools can spread Listeria throughout a facility (for example, if sprayed directly into a contaminated drain).
Check that display, storage and refrigerator or cooler cases are set to an internal temperature of 41˚F or lower while ensuring adequate airflow.
Ensure raw and ready-to-eat products are stored in separate areas. RTE products can become contaminated if stored under raw products (due to dripping, etc.)
Looking at the soft cheese outbreak, what can retail food environments do to reduce the risk of distributing contaminated product to consumers and identify and respond to potential Listeria contamination in these higher-risk cheese products?
Having a supplier verification program and managing incoming ingredients with approved suppliers and approved sources is critical—particularly for soft cheeses which are at higher risk for contamination. Purchase solely from approved sources with food safety programs in place. Ensure that food safety is always part of your supplier specifications and requirements, and work with your suppliers to understand their pathogen prevention and environmental programs. If possible, visit their facilities to get a sense for how well their food safety program is operating.
The 10th Annual Food Safety Consortium took place in Parsippany, New Jersey, on October 19-21. The event attracted food safety and quality assurance professionals from around the globe to discuss some of the biggest challenges in food safety.
Keynote speaker Denise Eblen, PhD, of the USDA FSIS opened the Consortium on October 19 to share the science and data behind the agency’s recently proposed Salmonella framework.
Keynote speaker Denise Eblen, Ph.D., of the USDA FSIS, presents “Leading with Science at FSIS.”
Day one of the conference focused on the future of food safety and food safety culture with panel discussions moderated by Dr. Darin Detwiler of Northeastern University and Deb Coviello, founder of The Drop In CEO.
Day two included panel sessions covering technology, food defense, reformulation challenges and more, followed by a networking cocktail reception with Women in Food Safety and The Foundation FSSC.
Session Highlights
Digital Transformation of Food Safety & Quality 4.0: Data Analytics and Continuous Improvement, moderated by Jill Hoffman, Senior Director, Food Safety and Quality, B&G Foods
Shawn Stevens, Attorney with the Food Industry Counsel, Jorge Hernandez, VP, Quality Assurance, The Wendy’s Company, and Elise Forward, Founder & Principal Consultant, Forward Food Solutions, discussed the Biggest FSQA Challenges, including the evolution of microorganisms, food fraud and adulterated products, workforce shortages and supply chain disruptions.
Shawn Stevens, Jorge Hernandez and Elise Forward discuss the Biggest FSQA Challenges at the 2022 Food Safety Consortium.
April Bishop, Senior Director of Food Safety at TreeHouse Foods, Peter Begg, VP of Quality and Food Safety, Hearthside Food Solutions and Melanie Neumann of Matrix Sciences tackled Product Reformulation Challenges and offered a five-step protocol to prepare in advance for potential reformulation:
Write down your top five-selling SKUs
List all ingredients
Identify any single source suppliers
Identify any potential risks, including geopolitical and weather-related to those suppliers
Develop alternates
Ask, “Do I need this ingredient?”
Jason Bashura, Senior Manager, Global Defense Pepsi Co. moderated a panel discussion on CybersecurOTy, Food Defense and Infrastructure Protection, followed by Audits: Blending in-person with Remote, led by Laurel Stoltzner, Corporate QA Manager OSI Industries, and a discussion on FSQA Technology: How Far is Too Far? How to Properly Analyze new FSQA Technology.
The final day of the Consortium brought attendees together to discuss Environmental, Social Governance (ESG), Diversification of the Supply Chain and How to Blend Employee Culture with Food Safety Culture.
Tia Glave and Jill Stuber of Catalyst were the final speakers of the event with a presentation and breakout group discussions designed to help attendees identify their personal, professional and organizational goals and provide the tools to help make those visions a reality.
What People Are Saying
“It was wonderful to reconnect and see so many industry friends in person!”
“I got to listen to some great speakers during the Consortium. Jason Bashura’s spirit and passion were infectious, Let’s make food safer for the world!.”
“So interesting to hear insights from across the food industry and related suppliers, as the landscape continues to evolve post-COVID. The panel discussion on communicating with the C-suite was so on point.”
Scenes from the Food Safety Consortium
About the Food Safety Consortium: Organized by Food Safety Tech, the Food Safety Consortium Conference, launched in 2012, is an educational and networking event that has food safety, food integrity and food defense as the foundation of its educational content. With a unique focus on science, technology, best practices and compliance, the “Consortium” features critical thinking topics that have been developed for both industry veterans and knowledgeable newcomers.
Food safety and quality assurance leaders are competing for a finite number of dollars within their respective organizations. Securing support or funding for new equipment, training or personnel can be challenging. Understanding the competing pressures and needs of corporate leaders can help FSQA professionals get their message across and ensure a commitment to food safety.
At the 2022 Food Safety Consortium in October, Deb Coviello, CEO, founder and business advisor at The Drop In CEO, moderated a panel discussion “Communicating to the C-Suite.” Panelists Peter Begg, senior vice president of quality and food safety at Hearthside Food Solutions, Melanie Neumann, JD, executive vice president and general counsel of Matrix Sciences International, and Ann Marie McNamara, vice president of food safety and quality for supply chain, manufacturing and commercialization at U.S. Foods, shared their tips and best practices for getting your message across in the board room.
When approaching the C-suite with updates and asks for financial support, you want to be both confident and concise. “If you can’t explain in five to seven slides what you need and why, you will lose them,” said Begg. “And it is very likely that you yourself do not understand the issue or are unclear of the implications and what the C-suite needs to know.”
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McNamara tries to keep it to one slide and encourages FSQA professionals to: know your audience, stick to the facts, and communicate like an executive by using their terms and focusing on goals and metrics.
“You have to take off your FSQA hat and put on your business hat,” she said. “You can’t just be a technical expert, you need to be a translator and communicate the technical into business terms.”
Equate Risk to Dollar Amounts
If your consumers are at risk due to poor training, difficult-to-clean equipment or other concerns, you need to quickly equate the risk to a dollar amount when communicating with the C-suite. “You can use baseline data to quantify your risks,” said Neumann. For example, if you have a problematic piece equipment, look at the frequency and likelihood of inspection and the potential findings, and share this information as part of your presentation.
She follows a “go back to kindergarten” strategy to help develop a compelling presentation: learn and share the basic math, follow your ABCs by using clear, concise language and “do some show and tell,” said Neumann. In one instance, she brought a joint with multiple weld points from the floor to the board room to illustrate why this particular piece of equipment was so difficult to sanitize and had become a site of contamination. The leadership agreed to replace it.
“You need to be specific, and pick your battles,” said Neumann. “For example, if you need more ‘help,’ what does that look like—do you need more people, more training, a new system?”
Building Your Confidence
Standing in front of a group of executives to fight for your department can be intimidating. If public speaking is not your forte, practice speaking in front of a group. “Share your presentation with your team and ask what questions they would have to get feedback and input,” said McNamara.
Doing regular check-ins with the CFO regarding future resource needs, rather than waiting for a quarterly or annual presentation opportunity, can help you get a headstart on coming asks. In fact, developing relationships with all C-suite leaders is key to keeping food safety needs top of mind. “Introduce yourself to new leaders and understand how they want to be communicated with (i.e., text, email, phone),” said Begg. “Do regular check-ins with leadership and recommend quarterly presentations to keep them up to date.”
While all three panelists encouraged FSQA professionals to avoid getting emotional and focus on the facts as well as dollars and cents, you do want to remind executives of the impact of failure to act on food safety concerns. “Explain the financial risks and speak in terms of the impact to them, ‘What we want everyone in the company to understand is your loved ones are eating this food,’” said Begg.
The FDA will officially implement a new food traceability rule on November 7, 2022. While the new rule requires a detailed account of food’s origin and movements throughout production, processing and shipping, the food industry still lacks international standardized guidelines that factor in countries’ varying health and agricultural priorities. As this continues to be one of the global food system’s biggest challenges, we spoke with Sara Bratager, Food Traceability & Food Safety Scientist at the Institute of Food Technologists, to discuss where the food industry stands currently, and opportunities to establish a global standard that is mutually beneficial (and achievable) for all.
The FDA is scheduled to finalize new FSMA traceability rule on November 7. What are some of the key changes that food manufacturers and suppliers will need to address with the new rule?
Bratager: The finalized rule will be published in November. Based on the proposed rule, it will go into effect in January 2023 (60 days after publication) and companies will have two years after that to make any adjustments needed to achieve compliance. Entities that produce, process, ship or receive any of the products on the Food Traceability List will need to capture and store the established Key Data Elements (KDEs) at each of the Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) relevant to their operation. The rule will also require companies to provide electronic traceability information to the FDA no more than 24 hours after a request is made, necessitating a significant transition from traditional paper-based traceability systems.
How prepared is the food industry to implement these changes?
Bratager: Preparedness differs throughout the food industry; some industry actors have been preparing since the release of the proposed rule, while others have chosen to forgo significant effort pending finalization of the rule. Some entities may have even engaged in unintentional preparation; companies or commodities that have been the subject of repeated recalls and subsequent traceability initiatives will likely find themselves better prepared than traceability newcomers. The food tech industry is prepared to deliver digital traceability solutions that facilitate compliance among supply chain actors, but implementation is likely to be a challenge for many. Some operations will achieve compliance with minimal disruption, whereas others will face a more burdensome effort.
How will this affect companies working with global suppliers?
Bratager: The proposed rule covers any ingredients or foods on the Food Traceability List that may be sourced from global suppliers. One of the biggest challenges for companies working with global suppliers will be coordination and communication between supply chain partners. Some companies may find themselves responsible for educating their international trading partners on FSMA requirements. However, understanding will not guarantee compliance. Some global suppliers are already reporting traceability data for domestic or other export requirements and will be hesitant to take on the burden of yet another traceability scheme. The increasingly globalized nature of our food system highlights the need for traceability standards that streamline data collection and reporting efforts through the supply chain.
Are there any efforts underway to develop global standards related to food traceability?
Bratager: Several standards exist currently. The International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 22005:2007 details basic requirements for the design and implementation of food/feed traceability systems at an organizational level. GS1, the organization best known for barcodes, provides several foundational standards for the identification, capture and sharing of data; their EPCIS standard that allows disparate applications to create and share traceability event data is particularly relevant.
Food operations are incredibly unique, and widespread standards uptake will likely require a degree of customization, which is why sector or commodity-specific efforts that build upon existing foundational standards are so important. The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) provides a great example with their GDST 1.1 Standard for interoperable seafood traceability that is built upon GS1 foundations. A second example is the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI).
How can the industry and regulators move toward developing a global standard for traceability in the food industry?
Bratager: A necessary first step is alignment around the definition of traceability. Regulatory agencies and industry actors across the globe adhere to different definitions but cohesive, global progress will require alignment around a common definition for traceability.
Industry can support the creation and uptake of pre-competitive, commodity-based traceability initiatives that drive adopters toward common practices and data standardization. Interoperability must also be prioritized. Demand for interoperable data sharing will necessitate and incentivize widespread adoption of data standards.
Managing and combating cybercrime is no small feat; it can take over 200 days for companies to detect a cyber breach. The reason being cyber criminals often stay hidden even after gaining access to systems. They lie in wait for the best moment to access the information they want. Once they have it, they may use it to steal money or proprietary information or to collect a ransom. They also may sell access and information to other criminals who will take more aggressive means to exploit the organization.
Preventing cybercrime requires education and cooperation throughout an organization. Following are seven key components of cybersecurity food businesses should embrace to protect their businesses and products.
1. Education and Awareness
One of the most effective countermeasures to cybercrime is building a culture of cyber defense and awareness that empowers all employees to ask for guidance and speak up when they see a suspicious situation. Educate employees on how they can prevent nefarious activity on their computers by:
Identifying suspicious applications with warnings and popups
Flagging suspicious emails with hyperlinks, attachments or unknown senders
Not clicking on links or ads from unfamiliar sources
Verifying the trustworthiness of a site before inputting credentials
Limiting activities on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks
This helps employees not only avoid breaches, but identify and report suspicious activity to help prevent cyber attacks.
Training should be top-down, beginning with the executive suite and department heads. This ensures that there is always someone accountable for implementing and maintaining security measures. From there, the rest of the team can be trained to assess and prevent cybersecurity threats and risks.
2. Implement and Enforce Mobile App Security
Mobile apps on smartphones and tablets are at risk of security breaches that can expose large amounts of user data. All mobile apps have security controls to help developers design secure applications, but it’s up to the developer to choose the right security options.
Common problems with mobile apps may include:
Storing or unintentionally leaking data that could be read by other applications
Using poor authentication and authorization checks that could be circumvented by bad actors
Using data encryption methods that are vulnerable or easy to break
Transmitting sensitive data without proper encryption online
A simple app may not seem like a big deal, but they can allow a hacker to gain access to employee computers and networks. The following measures help improve mobile app security:
Guard sensitive information. Confidential data stored in an app without security measures in place are a target for hackers using reverse-engineering codes. The volume of data on the device should be reduced to minimize the risk.
Consider certificate pinning. Certificate pinning is an operating process that helps with app defense against intermediary attacks that occur on unsecured networks. There are limitations to this process, however, such as lack of support for network detection and response tools. Certain browsers make certificate pinning difficult, making it more difficult for hybrid applications to run.
Minimize application permissions. Permissions allow applications to operate more effectively, but they also open vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. Apps should only be given permission for their key functions, and nothing more, to reduce this risk.
Enhance data security. Data security policies and guidelines should be implemented. Measures such as having well-implemented data encryption, security tools and firewalls can protect information that’s being transferred, for example.
Do not “save” passwords. Some applications allow users to save their passwords for convenience, but if a theft occurs, these passwords offer access to a lot of personal information. If the password is unencrypted, it has a better chance of being stolen. Ultimately, users should never save passwords on mobile apps.
Log out after sessions. Users often forget to log out of an app or website, which can increase the risk of a breach. Apps with sensitive information, such as payment or banking apps, often enforce session logouts after a certain period of time, but it’s important for users to also get in the habit of logging out of all apps when they’re finished using them.
Add multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication adds another layer of security for users on an app. This method can also shore up security for users with weak or old passwords that are easy to breach. With multi-factor authentication, the user receives a code that needs to be entered with the password to log in. The code may be sent through email, the Google Authenticator app, SMS or biometric methods.
3. Analyze Logs for Suspicious Activity
Companies should continuously analyze security logs to identify unusual or suspicious activities, such as logins or application executions that occur outside of usual business hours. These measures not only help identify criminal activities, they can help companies determine the root cause of a breach and how it can be prevented in the future.
4. Keep Systems Patched and Current
Patches identify and correct vulnerabilities in software and applications that may make them susceptible to cyber attacks. All systems and applications should be kept up to date with the latest security patches to prevent hackers and cyber criminals from accessing systems through existing vulnerabilities. Patching and updates may also fix bugs, add new features or increase stability to help the app or software perform better and reduce access points for hackers.
5. Use Strong Passwords and Protect Privileged Accounts
Any password used in your organization should be strong and unique to the account. It’s also important for employees to change their passwords often. Most applications do not alert users to older or weak passwords. Accountability for password protection falls on the user.
If employees have multiple accounts and passwords, companies can create an enterprise password and account vault to manage and secure credentials. Encourage employees to avoid using the same password multiple times.
If employees have local administrator accounts or privileged access, that has a huge impact on organizational security. If a single system or user account is compromised, it can put the entire organization at risk. Your company should continuously audit and identify privileged accounts and applications that require privileged access and remove administrator rights when they’re not needed. You should also adopt two-factor authentication to prevent accounts from being hacked.
6. Do Not Allow Installation of Unapproved or Untrusted Applications
Organizations that allow users to have privileged access also allow these users to install and execute applications as needed, no matter where they source the installation. As a result, ransomware and malware are able to infect your system easily, and the cyber criminal can install tools to permit future access at any time.
Privileged users may read emails, browse sites, click on links or open documents that install malicious tools onto their devices. The criminal now has access and may be able to launch attacks throughout the organization’s system or demand ransom for unlocking proprietary data.
There are security controls that can prevent applications and tools from being installed. They include: Application Allowlisting, Dynamic Listing, Real-Time Privilege Elevation and Application Reputation and Intelligence.
7. Be Deceptive
Whether online or in person, predictability is a boon for criminals. Burglars stake out houses and look for residents with predictable routines, and the same is true of cyber criminals. Automation makes this even easier with scans that are run on a routine, and patches that are implemented on the same day every month, for example.
A predictable company is a vulnerable one, so it is vital to be deceptive. Use random activities and an ad-hoc approach for updates and assessments. With this method, hackers have a more difficult time staying hidden and it’s easier to detect cyber attacks as soon as they occur to mitigate their effects.
Cybercrime is a risk facing all businesses, and the food industry is no exception. Companies that take a proactive approach are in a much stronger position to protect against cyber threats and shore up security. No method is foolproof, but if a breach does occur, identifying it early and mitigating its effects can make a world of difference for your company’s financial health and reputation.
The food manufacturing industry has seen a shift toward increased environmental monitoring testing to help mitigate risks in food processing. But it can be difficult for producers to build out environmental monitoring programs due to the lack of detailed regulatory guidance, particularly when looking at how many samples to collect and from which locations or surfaces they should be collected.
Below are five tips to help food manufacturers build more efficient and effective environmental monitoring programs.
1. There Is No “One Size Fits All” Approach to Environmental Monitoring
A successful environmental monitoring program is one that’s customized for each facility. When creating a program or evaluating an existing program, it is important to organize a cross-functional team that includes those who are most familiar with your products and processes. This cross-functional team can help determine critical program details such as determining from which areas samples will be collected and the frequency of sample collection.
One approach is to establish a comprehensive list of every site that will be tested over time, then evaluate how often those areas should be swabbed using a risk-based approach. A risk-based approach involves determining which sites within a manufacturing plant are the highest risk and which are the lowest risk, and then testing the highest risk sites more often and the lower risk sites less often.
Risk level is based on: the proximity of the test point to the food contact surface; how difficult the area or surface is to clean or sanitize; and/or historical data and knowledge of the facility and products. The goal is to collect data from all relevant areas in the plant over time, while spending the most time on those that are highest risk.
2. You Can’t Detect What You Don’t Collect
While it seems counterintuitive, food manufacturers should be seeking positive results when conducting environmental monitoring testing. It’s important to remember that all environments can and most likely will become contaminated with a pathogen at some point in time. If an environmental monitoring program does not detect a positive result for a common environmental contaminate throughout the course of a year, it may indicate that the right areas are not being swabbed or that they are not being swabbed well enough.
When environmental monitoring programs uncover contaminated areas through positive results, it offers the opportunity for producers to implement corrective and preventative actions to improve their programs long term. A food processor’s food safety program can be seen as stronger and more reliable when the goal is to find and address the positive.
3. Use the Right Tools
A major factor in the success of environmental monitoring testing lies in the types of tools being used to collect the samples and the techniques used to collect them. When investigating tools for an environmental monitoring program, there are two key traits to keep in mind. First, it is important to ensure a collection device uses a neutralizing buffer that is effective against the sanitizers in the environment. The collection buffer should keep organisms alive long enough to run an accurate test, while also having a wide enough capacity to neutralize the sanitizer on the surface being sampled. This is an especially important consideration in processing environments that are continuously experiencing sanitizer changeovers.
Second, collection tools need to effectively access and collect organisms from the surface of the sample area. Biofilms—protective barriers of bacteria where pathogens or other organisms can thrive—are a big challenge when collecting samples. If the collection devices are not well suited to collecting or penetrating biofilms, there is a risk that the biofilm as well as all the living organisms and potential pathogens within the biofilm are not collected. Using devices that have scrub dot technology allows producers to collect the biofilm itself, creating a better sample for an even stronger environmental monitoring program.
4. Don’t Forget to Re-evaluate
To ensure you are getting the most out of your environmental monitoring program, conduct regular re-evaluations of the program. Periodic reviews are important as environmental factors are always changing. In a single year, food manufacturers may introduce new employees, new equipment, new processes, new products and new vendors. All these factors can have an impact on the quality and hygiene of the environment and the products you produce. Therefore, environmental monitoring programs should be viewed as a continuous improvement program rather than something that’s set up once and left alone.
5. Take Advantage of Education and Training Resources
Providing proper training and education for the entire environmental monitoring program team can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of the program. There are numerous educational resources available for environmental monitoring program teams. These should be utilized as you build and assess your protocols and provided to new team members. Involve the sample collection team in the process of creating the program and ensure the program protocols are readily available and understood by all team members.
Creating robust programs to help mitigate food safety risks, such as those found within a manufacturing facility’s environment, is critical to protecting consumers and your company. Despite a lack of detailed regulations around environmental monitoring program development, food manufacturers can create successful programs by customizing their protocols to their facilities, conducting routine evaluations, searching for positives, utilizing proper collection tools and providing proper training and education. Sources of potential contamination are numerous, but a strong environmental monitoring program can help find them.
By Food Safety Tech Staff, Nicolle Portilla No Comments
Food waste is a major problem that negatively impacts the environment. While the world wastes about 1.4 billion tons of food every year, the U.S. discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 40 million tons every year. That’s estimated to be 30% to 40% of the entire U.S. food supply. And that excess food often ends up in landfills where it contributes significantly to CO2 emissions.
A 2021 report from the EPA on the environmental impacts of food waste estimated that each year, U.S. food loss and waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (million MTCO2e) GHG emissions (excluding landfill emissions)—equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants. EPA data also show that food waste is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the U.S., comprising 24% and 22% of landfilled and combusted municipal solid waste, respectively.
Restaurants and food manufacturing companies all over the country are making it a priority to reduce their food waste and loss. Below, we outline the most effective strategies—as well as resources available—to help food manufacturers and restaurant staff cut food loss and waste in their facilities.
Train Cooking Staff to Make Waste Reduction Priority
Make waste reduction part of your business culture. Start with the leadership and have them employ waste reduction throughout the entire organization.
Food prep is an area that can contribute to food waste; your suppliers may be able to help. “We work with a company that includes black beans in their burritos and burrito bowls,” says Kari Hensien, president of Rizepoint. “Because the supplier was providing those beans in a size that was greater than the recipes called for restaurant employees were just dumping the whole bag in because it was ‘close enough.’”
Not only did this affect the quality of the end product, it resulted in increased costs and food loss. In similar cases, employees may throw out the excess in a can or package if it contains more than a recipe requires. “Working with your supply chain to optimize packaging to correspond with the formulation of your recipes can drive significant cost savings and reduce food waste for the business,” says Hensien. “You can also raise awareness with your staff of the importance of following that recipe and what to do with the nonstandard size materials. For example, saving it for the next batch rather than throwing it away.”
Improve Food Storage Standards and Follow Regulations
Ensure that the cooking staff and waiters know how to properly store food and use items promptly to prevent produce from spoiling. “So often food waste at retail occurs because employees are not following simple quality control techniques,” says Hensien. “Whether it’s the holding temp for food you’ve prepared or maintaining the temps for food you are storing, you want to make sure that you are reinforcing the basics of having a solid quality control HACCP program in place for doing those temp checks.”
Use Every Part of Food Products
You can use your food more efficiently and cut costs by utilizing every part of meat products, fruits, vegetables, dairy and grains. Have the cooks use every food scrap. For example, bits of tomatoes left over after making burgers can get used up in sauces or salsas.
You can use bones and vegetable leftovers to make chicken broth for a tasty noodle soup. Do you have bread that’s no longer super fresh? Then make some breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top of a fish filet or croutons for a salad.
Restaurants and food manufacturers are also finding creative ways to partner with other businesses to repurpose and make use of their leftover food products. “Are there other facilities that would take food scraps off your hands for a cost to put it into something else?” asks Hensien. “For example, a company may be willing to take your lemon peels and make them into disinfectants. Through creative collaborations you can reduce your food waste and help another company produce their product or service.”
Compost to Cut Food Waste
Composting is a great sustainability strategy for your organization. Add old bread, vegetable and fruit peels, egg shells and coffee grounds to a compost pile or work with a local composting company to take your leftovers. You can also forge partnerships with local farms and gardeners who will take you compostable materials to develop and use your nutrient-rich compost.
Legislation is making it both necessary—and easier—for food businesses to take part in composting programs. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont have passed laws that restrict the amount of food waste going to landfills. Vermont’s “Universal Recycling Law,” which went into effect in July 2020, bans food scrap waste entirely.
Pending legislation in California, Colorado and Massachusetts would establish programs to fund private-sector composting and organic collection programs. In addition, several states including Tennessee and Washington, and cities like Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconsin, have created food waste task forces to reduce waste by creating composting education and infrastructure.
“You can often partner with a set of local nonprofits and/or local state agencies that will help you with a solution where they will come and get your food scraps or you can drop them off at a certain location. This does require some logistics and coordination but oftentimes we’re finding that there are simple solutions with local nonprofits available that are already in place,” says Hensien.
Inspect Your Food Deliveries and Work with Local Suppliers
You will need to check every food delivery sent to your place of business. Only accept food deliveries with fresh ingredients and nothing that looks like it’s about to spoil. Work with high-quality delivery services and certified suppliers, who follow all appropriate food safety protocols.
Also, focus on seasonal produce and ingredients from the local area, when possible. “Businesses can optimize their supply chain geographically, especially for the fresher items such as tomatoes and lettuce,” says Hensien. “The closer that supplier is to its retail destination, the lower the transportation costs and the greater the likelihood that the product will arrive in a good quality state.”
Donate Food to the Hungry
Donate excess food that is still edible to local food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters to feed the hungry or partner with “food rescue” initiatives that bring excess food from retailers and restaurants to people in need. Oftentimes, these organization will pick up the unused food from your business.
“A lot of those nonprofits are actively searching for partners because food insecurity in the U.S. is at an all-time high and donations to those food pantries and soup kitchens are at an all-time low,” says Hensien.
Start by connecting with your local nonprofits. You can also find U.S.-based food rescue organizations in your region here.
Use Tech Tools to Predict Ordering Quantities
A key step in reducing food loss and waste is ensuring you are ordering only the ingredients you will need and can use. “The simplest thing an organization can do to reduce loss and waste is to marry their operational data—what they are using—with their transactional data—what they are selling” says Hensien.
There are technologies and tools that will help you track historical trends and predict your sales, but tracking this data can be done manually or in spreadsheets as well.
Identify Areas of Waste or Loss
One of the best ways to reduce food waste at food manufacturing plants is to utilize a tracking system. Pay attention to the data with the help of software, such as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool.
You will have the information you need regarding packaging, shipping and production. The data found via a tracking system can help you define areas of waste and inefficiency. You can then target those areas to decrease food waste.
There are also self-assessment tools available to help both you and your suppliers identify areas of food loss and waste. “Our industry is notorious for saying you should do an LCA assessment and then implement an FLW protocol into your auditing program, and everyone just sees: ‘Oh gosh, I’ve got to send another auditor into all these locations and do an bunch of work to get this up and going,’” says Hensien. “But you can start with simple self-assessments that you can easily assign as a task with very little overhead.”
By involving your entire team in the goal of reducing food waste and loss, the industry can have a significant impact in reducing food insecurity, improving profitability and protecting the environment.
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