EAS Consulting Group, a provider of regulatory and compliance solutions for FDA- and USDA-regulated industries, announced the enhancement of its food safety consulting services to better support companies seeking certification under globally recognized food safety standards.
As regulatory expectations rise and global supply chain demands increase, food manufacturers, processors, and suppliers face growing pressure to obtain and maintain food safety certifications such as FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF, ISO 22000, and GlobalG.A.P.
EAS’s expanded services are designed to help companies prepare efficiently and effectively for certification audits and ensure long-term compliance. New and enhanced offerings include:
Certification Audit Preparation: Hands-on support to assess readiness, address gaps, and guide organizations through the certification process.
Mock Audits and Gap Assessments: Realistic, scheme-specific evaluations conducted by experienced consultants to simulate official audits and identify areas for improvement, as well as provide recommendations to address each.
Customized Food Safety Management Systems: Development or refinement of compliant systems based on the latest scheme and regulatory requirements.
Training and Education: On-site and virtual training sessions for food safety teams, quality managers, and frontline staff on audit standard expectations and protocols.
Ongoing Compliance Support: Continued consulting after certification to maintain systems, perform internal audits, conduct on-going training support, and prepare for surveillance or recertification audits.
“Many of our clients are under increasing pressure from customers and regulators to achieve recognized food safety certifications,” said Tim Lombardo, Senior Director for Food Services at EAS Consulting Group. “We’re proud to offer tailored support that demystifies the certification process, improves audit outcomes, and helps organizations build stronger food safety systems.”
With decades of experience and a multidisciplinary team that includes former FDA and USDA officials, industry specialists, and food safety experts, EAS is uniquely positioned to support organizations at every stage of the certification journey — from initial preparation to post-audit continuous improvement.
For more information about how EAS can help your company achieve food safety certification, visit www.easconsultinggroup.com.
Pests of all varieties pose a significant hazard to the food industry, as they can facilitate the spread of foodborne illnesses by serving as carriers of microorganisms that are the causative agents of these illnesses. Common pests include rodents, insects and birds; depending on geography and climate, other critters can be of concern. Pests contribute to foreign material contamination and adulteration, as they can easily spread disease-causing microorganisms and parasites through their droppings, urine, saliva and body parts. Contamination of food left behind by pests is also a significant source of consumer complaints and negative social media interactions, which can severely erode consumer trust in a company and/or brand.
A common cause of many food recalls is contamination by pests. In 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a recall of food products contaminated by Salmonella due to a rodent infestation. This recall impacted a significant portion of the country, including the western and central provinces. That same year, 400 Family Dollar stores temporarily closed across the US due to a rodent infestation in just one warehouse. In 2023, grocery chain Trader Joe’s recalled more than 10,000 cases of broccoli cheddar soup in seven states due to the presence of insects in the frozen broccoli florets in the soup.
Pest contamination can severely damage both a business’s bottom line and reputation, leading to impacts that can be as significant as bankruptcy or closure. Given the reputational damage that pests can cause, it’s important to remember that a proactive integrated pest management program (IPM) is the cornerstone of any facility’s good manufacturing or good distribution practices program. Mitigating the risks posed by pests can reduce customer complaints and potential recalls.
Common Pests and Their Risks
The most common types of pests in food settings include rodents, insects, birds and other critters specific to the environment and geographic location.
Rodents: Rats and mice are often the creatures that first come to mind when thinking about pests. Both can carry diseases that pose significant health risks to humans. The CDC lists a wide variety of diseases caused by viruses, parasites, and bacteria that are directly or indirectly carried by rodents. For example, Salmonella bacteria transmitted through rodent droppings can contaminate food products. In addition to contamination that can lead to foodborne diseases, rodents can contribute to visible foreign material contamination of food products and raw materials (which generally causes an overwhelmingly negative reaction in consumers of the products). They can even be the causative agent of health and safety risks to humans, as they can chew through electrical wiring, which then becomes a fire hazard.
Insects: Whether flying or crawling, insects can be problematic in food handling environments. Flies can contaminate food by carrying foodborne pathogens and may also end up as foreign material contaminants in products. For example, studies have shown that the human pathogenic microorganism E. coli O157:H7 is carried by flies of several species from cattle production areas to leafy green crop fields (Berry et al, 2019). Due to their frequent contact with organic waste materials, flies also transmit other pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Klebsiella spp., and Campylobacter spp. (Shahanaz et al., 2025). Stored product pests, such as beetles and moths, can be a scourge in dry ingredient facilities, including flour mills. Multiple generations of these types of insects can have a cumulative impact on products and facilities over time, resulting in a loss of quality and quantity of the stored food items. Hardy ants and cockroaches are notoriously difficult to eradicate, requiring multiple treatment cycles and, in many cases, structural reconstruction to eliminate them from the facility. The US Food and Drug Administration classifies four types of cockroaches and two types of ants within their “dirty 22” species list due to their ability to spread foodborne illnesses and act as indicators of unsanitary conditions in food processing and storage facilities.
Birds: Research shows that there are more than 80 diseases, including Salmonellosis, that can be carried by problem birds such as pigeons and starlings. Birds can carry disease-spreading insects, such as fleas and ticks, while their waste material can teem with bacteria. Bird feces, feathers and nesting materials can fall into food products or onto food contact surfaces, causing direct and indirect contamination. Like rodents, birds can also cause significant damage to the structural integrity of a food facility through their nests and corrosive droppings.
Other critters: Depending on the location and type of environment the facility is in, other pests can be just as adept at entering and establishing themselves in a facility. For example, in warmer climates, reptiles and invertebrates not already discussed above can be included on the list of pests that a facility can be vulnerable to. The changing climate globally is also impacting the spread of various pests to areas of the world that have not yet encountered these species. With that in mind, it is even more crucial for food processing and storage facilities to adopt a highly proactive approach to pest management.
Mistakes in Pest Management
The main error that facilities make in their pest management strategy is to take a “hands-off” approach, particularly when they contract the management of pests to a third-party organization. In addition, other common mistakes include failing to update pest management plans and train employees regularly, failing to maintain detailed and up-to-date records, and not fully addressing identified areas of noncompliance. All these mistakes can lead to failed audits and, worse still, negative impacts on food safety.
Implementing a comprehensive, proactive pest management program is crucial for mitigating the risks associated with pests in food operations. The organization must have a skilled and trained internal team of pest control professionals or contract a reputable third-party pest control operator (PCO). Even with a reputable PCO by their side, organizations must still take responsibility for maintaining an open dialogue and partnership with that PCO, recognizing that it is not the PCO who is ultimately responsible for the safety and quality of the products going out to the market. Regardless of who is responsible for the service, failure to continually update the program and train those involved in the pest management protocols is a recipe for failure. Audit standards look not only for inspection records, but also for trending and completed corrective actions that include preventive measures. Not having these aspects of the records available will likely result in points lost during audits.
At the forefront of any well-managed pest management program are controls that ensure that pests are excluded from the premises. Gaps under and around doors and windows are among the most frequently cited nonconformities during audit visits. Other common citations include the mismanagement of pest devices, such as interior rodent devices, insect light traps and bait stations. Ensuring that employees are empowered to report concerns they observe regarding the facility’s structure and the devices placed around the premises is a tremendous asset to the success of the pest program.
Easy, Implementable Fixes
Mistakes may be unavoidable; however, several fixes can quickly support an organization with better pest management. First, establish a close working relationship between the facility’s leadership team and the pest management team, as well as any third-party providers. Frequent discussions about pest pressures, incidents, concerns and trends can help ward off potential issues and develop more proactive solutions.
Second, conduct ongoing surveillance by both the pest management team and properly trained internal personnel, through the checking of pest devices and inspecting the facility for signs of pest activity, entry points and infestation. Concurrently, seek out and implement accessible solutions for adequate documentation. Many pest control providers offer electronic monitoring systems that allow for easily retrievable details during reviews and inspections.
Third, train the facility’s workforce on pests and management strategies as a whole. Work with your PCO to ensure that employees are as up to date as possible on the pest protocols and techniques being used in the facility. Train employees to be vigilant about excluding pests, including those that may enter the facility through employees’ items, and to report any concerns they observe.
Meeting Audit Requirements
Audit standards are rooted in food safety and typically have expectations regarding the establishment and full implementation of a pest management program, including the expertise required, the techniques used, the monitoring completed and the corrective actions implemented. Indeed, one of the best ways to get “audit-ready” is to engage with a competent, licensed PCO. However, regardless of whether working with a third-party PCO or sourcing that competency and knowledge from within the organization, all facilities must remember that pest management is the responsibility of every employee at the facility. It will be through the support of the management team in the implementation of a proactive pest management program that builds on the cooperation of all individuals within the organization (and without, in the case of a third-party PCO) that a positive culture around the elimination of pest-related hazards and, by extension, positive outcomes during audits can be realized.
References
Occurrence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Pest Flies Captured in Leafy Greens Plots Grown Near a Beef Cattle Feedlot
Elaine D. Berry, James E. Wells, Lisa M. Durso, Kristina M. Friesen, James L. Bono, Trevor V. Suslow
Journal of Food Protection, volume 82, issue 8, August 1, 2019
Flies as Vectors of Foodborne Pathogens Through Food Animal Production: Factors Affecting Pathogen and Antimicrobial Resistance Transmission
Eshita Shahanaz, KirstenM. Zwally, Cameron Powers, Brandon Lyons, Phillip Kaufman, Giridhar Athrey, Thomas M. Taylor
Journal of Food Protection, volume 88, issue 7, June 23, 2025
The food supply chain continues to face risks, including geopolitical impacts and climate change, which threaten food safety and quality from farm to fork. Proprietary supplier audits can be useful in evaluating how suppliers are establishing overarching safeguards for their products and processes, as well as promoting the development of a solid food safety culture across multiple links in the chain.
Proprietary supplier audits are typically seen as second- or third-party audits that are not officially benchmarked to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) requirements. When used as second-party audits, auditors reference client-developed expectations to assess compliance of a supplier to that client. The expectations are often proprietary to a particular client and the auditors conducting those audits are doing so for the benefit of that client.
When used as third-party audits, auditors utilize a set of expectations that have been developed by audit firms or other organizations (i.e. not by a particular client). These expectations are proprietary to those firms, and the auditors conducting those audits are doing so for the benefit of the individual facility or company that has requested the audit.
Proprietary Supplier Audits in Practice
The purpose of proprietary supplier audits can vary in scope and be broad or specific in nature. For example, in the food manufacturing space, such audits could assess broad topics of food safety and quality across multiple categories of products and processing. Alternatively, proprietary supplier audits could focus very closely on specific concerns, like integrated pest management or environmental monitoring programs. Proprietary audits can also be used at different parts of the supply chain, from growers to product distribution.
Ideally, proprietary supplier audits are used to illustrate to a supplier and their customers where improvements are needed at a given facility to meet compliance to a set of expectations. Once these improvements are identified, the facility can proactively investigate the reasons for gaps in compliance and implement effective corrective actions to close the identified gaps. Proprietary supplier audits can also be used by clients interested in approving new suppliers to their network and/or for larger organizations to determine how closely facilities under their organization’s umbrella are adhering to food safety and quality expectations.
Proprietary supplier audits also can bring solid confidence into the supply chain as they are conducted by qualified, independent lead auditors with experience in the industry for which they are auditing (e.g., animal welfare audits are conducted by auditors with specific education, work and audit experience in animal handling and harvesting).
Key Benefits of Proprietary Supplier Audits
Proprietary supplier audits aid facilities in benchmarking competency against the expectations of the standard being audited. They can also assist larger clients and key customers in understanding their supplier base while building confidence in the suppliers that they have chosen to supply raw materials and finished products.
Proprietary audits can also be used as a lower-cost preparatory tool for an accredited benchmarked audit, such as one that is GFSI-benchmarked. The audits can also be hosted between certification visits to ensure that the facility’s systems are still working as required.
Speaking of options for lower-cost, proprietary audits also have the versatility and flexibility to meet clients’ and facilities’ needs in relation to modes of delivery. For example, in an increasingly digital world, calls for more options in virtual auditing are prevalent. Remotely conducted proprietary audit services are being embraced by the industry as both an introductory step for facilities new to food safety and quality audits, as well as an option for larger organizations to examine their suppliers in a more accessible virtual modality.
These supplier assurance remote desk audits can be delivered at a lower cost anywhere in the world where an internet connection is available. Key benefits to these types of audits include:
Understand expectations: Gain a clear understanding of what is required for a full on-site audit.
Save time and money: Reduce travel expenses and minimize downtime with remote audits.
Increase confidence: Build confidence when preparaing for a full on-site audit.
Affordability: Utilize an economical option to prepare for the next stage for a comprehensive audit.
Global reach: Audit suppliers anywhere in the world without the need for physical presence.
Audits of food safety expectations are typically developed with regulatory requirements at the most basic level. The auditors conducting these audits must be familiar with regulatory requirements such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Additionally, proprietary supplier audits can support a variety of other topics beyond safety and quality in a further processing sense. For example, proprietary audits have a strong presence in the realm of animal welfare. For facilities that are further processors of protein materials, the proprietary audit expectations can look to ensure that these facilities are assessing their raw material suppliers (i.e., slaughter/harvest facilities and farms) for strong social accountability programs, such as ensuring the animals handled are able to enjoy the five freedoms of animal welfare. For facilities that do conduct slaughter/harvest processes and/or are the farms or feedlots in the supply chain leading up to harvest, the proprietary audits can directly assess those locations on the handling of the animals and ensure compliance with proper and humane practices.
Auditing Best Practices
Outside of working on a day-to-day basis to develop and continuously improve the programs at a facility that are the backbone of safe and quality products, a key preparation step for a proprietary supplier audit is to ensure that the audit standard is made available. Additionally, the standard must be understood by facility team members and cross-compared to facility programs. The cross-comparison can be done through internal and management audits. Internal audits are valuable tools in determining where compliance gaps exist prior to any audit. One of the common reasons for audit failures is a lack of awareness and understanding amongst facility team members about what the audit will cover and how compliance is determined.
Most importantly, a failed audit (and truthfully, all audits) can be seen as an opportunity to improve the systems at the facility. Unless it is a requirement of the standard being audited and/or there is a need to stop the processes happening during an audit to address a critical observation that jeopardizes health and safety, try not to prevent an audit visit from coming to its full conclusion. Ending an audit early may mean that other issues are not recognized; these other issues may continue to remain unrecognized until they become nonconformities at the next audit.
In the closing meeting of any audit, it is important to ensure that there is an understanding of the nonconformities that were found. This is key to the development of the most appropriate corrective actions. After the audit, collaboration of the team at the facility is imperative to discuss the results, create and implement the corrective actions, and monitor their effectiveness. Do not jump to scheduling a new audit until there is strong objective evidence to show that the corrective actions are working. If the team is uncertain about how to close the gaps identified during the failed audit, consider reaching out to external subject matter experts for assistance.
The Value of Proprietary Supplier Audits
Proprietary supplier audits can be incredibly valuable in bolstering food safety and preparing for future benchmarked audits. Working with an independent, third-party auditing organization such as NSF can help you to utilize a wide range of proprietary audit standards. Such standards can also be used and adapted by companies looking for a ready-made solution to conduct audits within their supplier partners.
A well-developed internal auditor training course is an exceptional knowledge source for the new or experienced auditor. A formalized training course provides the auditor with an overview of the auditing basics including audit planning, facilitation, and report writing. These concepts are the foundational elements needed to build a robust internal auditing program. Not only do training programs enhance auditor competency they also provide benefit to the business. In this article we discuss how internal auditor training improves the overall management system through process improvement, risk reduction and organizational culture.
Identify the Training Needs
Continuous improvement should always be one of the top strategic goals of an organization. With the constantly evolving business environment and evolution of technology businesses must be prepared to adapt. A straightforward way to accomplish this goal is to utilize internal auditing. The first step is to develop a strong audit team armed with the required skillset. Identify your team members and determine the training needs for each of the individuals. Auditors with previous experience may only need a refresher while those new to the role may need more in-depth training. Determine the format and structure that works best for your organization and work with the team to get the training on the calendar.
Internal auditor training is not a one-time activity. These skills require repetition to become fully competent. Auditors should put their newly acquired skills into practice as soon as possible to ensure maximum benefit. Partnering new auditors with experienced auditors is a great way for auditors to build confidence in their newly acquired skills. Take time to review the work of auditors and provide positive feedback on progress. Keep communication open around expectations and check in with your team to discuss any issues or roadblocks that may be encountered. Auditing is not an easy job. Support from top management is critical to ensure the program is a success.
Process Improvement
Having a skilled audit team will help to drive process improvements across the organization. The goal of internal auditing is to identify gaps in the management system where the organization is failing to meet a requirement. Requirements can come from a variety of sources including the management system standard, statutory and regulatory bodies, the customer, or internal standards the organization has committed to meeting. These requirements can often be complex and confusing for auditors to interpret and understand. This is where training is the most beneficial. Internal auditor training helps the participant to develop the mindset of an auditor and aid in identifying the linkage between the requirements and evidence provided by the auditee. This understanding is necessary to properly identify gaps and build a continuous improvement across the organization. When auditors have a full understanding of the requirements they can perform in-depth audits that go beyond a check the box activity.
The outcome of an internal audit is often a punch list of activities due to identified as nonconforming against the requirements. Through the identification of gaps in the system there is an opportunity to improve the day-to-day process within the site. This will not only aid in meeting the requirements but also will improve efficiency and productivity. Which in turn leads to enhanced processes that result in a stronger system overall.
Risk Management
Risks are an inherent part of business. There will always be risk therefore businesses must formulate a method to manage those risks. Internal auditing is a way to review and confirm all risks are identified for and controlled accordingly. Through internal auditing a review of the processes is conducted thus resulting in the identification of potential unidentified risks that may be lingering below the surface.
By building the foundation and understanding of risks through training the internal audit team can help to lead the business to a mindset that is focused on reducing those risks as much as possible. Training is a great way to familiarize the audit team with the risk that may impact the business. Understanding the requirements that are currently imposed upon the business by both external and internal stakeholders will help the team to identify areas of greatest concern. The continuous assessment and the implementation of preventive measures to address risk will provide substantial benefit to the organization.
Culture of Quality
Changing an organization’s culture does not happen overnight. It takes hard work and perseverance. This requires extensive communication and commitment from the employees at all levels of the organization. Building an organizational culture that has a strong focus on quality often requires providing education and exposure to new concepts. Establishing a robust internal auditor training program is a great way to instill the foundational elements of a quality focused organization for the audit team. Training should focus on the basic quality principles and meeting exceeding customer expectations. Through these concepts auditors learn the skillset needed to drive change from within the organization.
Driving awareness across the site around the management system and the requirements is crucial to success. Employees often feel nervous and are reluctant to participate in audits due to the unknown. Demystify the management system by providing training to plant employees. Audit team members are a great resource to lead these types of educational sessions. It not only allows them to share the skills they have learned in auditor training but also helps to promote a culture of quality. Focus areas could include providing a basic overview of standard requirements, processes within the scope, and what to expect during the audit. By putting forth this additional effort will help to instill positive changes around quality. The site will be engaged and excited to participate in potential growth and improvement opportunities. The once dreaded internal audits will be a thing of the past.
Choosing the Right Course
There are a variety of different trainings options available regarding internal auditing. Often courses are structured based upon a management system standard and the auditing level. The best choice will depend upon each unique organization or individual. If new to the concept of auditing an introductory course may be best to outline fundamentals. Once completed the individual can move up to a more in-depth course such as a lead auditor course. If the organization is focusing on a specific standard such as ISO 9001:2015, FSSC 22000:2018 or BRC it’s often beneficial to attend a course specific to those requirements. As there is often a heightened focus on the specific details regarding requirements and expectations from certification bodies.
Editors Note: Food Safety Auditor Training is offered at the Food Safety Consortium Conference, October 20-22, 2024 in Washington DC. This 4-part series is designed to provide the knowledge, behaviors and technical skills attributed to a competent food safety auditor. More information.
Additional Resource: What Does It Take to Be a Food Safety Auditor? On Demand Webinar
Food safety is an issue that is critical to millions of people’s health every year worldwide. Maintaining a high standard of hygiene is essential in preventing contamination and ensuring all people receive the safest quality food products every time. Inspections and audits are the key components to the industry’s effort to maintain these standards. These processes help identify potential risks and hazards, ensuring companies are compliant with regulatory requirements, and to ultimately protect all people’s health.
Audits and Inspections both verify the facility’s compliance with regulatory and procedural compliance, but in different ways. According to ISO definition, an audit is “systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining objective evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which audit criteria are fulfilled.” An inspection is the “determination of conformity to specific requirements,” such as FDA or USDA regulations.
The Importance of Inspections and Audits
Inspections and audits are vital in the food industry for many reasons:
Preventing Foodborne Illnesses: Regular inspections and audits help the industry identify and mitigate risks that have the potential to lead to foodborne illnesses. This is a very crucial task in preventing outbreaks that can cause severe health issues and even fatalities.
Regulatory Compliance: The food industry is subject to stringent regulations set by governmental and international bodies. Inspections and audits help to ensure companies are complying with these regulations consistently, avoiding any legal penalties and maintaining consumer trust.
Quality Assurance: Inspections and audits help ensure food products meet quality standards also, which is very important and essential for companies maintaining brand reputation and customer satisfaction.
Risk Management: Identifying personal hazards and implementing corrective actions during inspections and audits helps the companies manage and reduce risks associated with food production and distribution.
Inspection Process
Food inspections and audits involve a thorough examination of facilities, processes, and products. The process typically includes the following steps:
Preparation: Inspectors will review relevant documents, any previous inspection reports, SOPs, and compliance records, to better understand the facility’s history and operations.
On-site Inspections: Inspectors will visit the facility in order to observe operations, interview staff, and inspect all equipment and outside premises.
Sampling and Testing: Samples of food products may be collected for laboratory testing to detect contaminants or verify compliance with safety and quality standards.
Documentation and Reporting: Inspectors will document their findings and provide a detailed report outlining any observations of non-conformances.
Follow-up: A follow-up inspection may be conducted to ensure all non-conformances have been closed and corrective actions have been implemented and the facility is compliant with all regulations.
Audit Process
Audits are systematic and independent examinations of records, processes, and systems to ensure compliance with specific standards. There are several types of audits in the food industry, including internal audits, supplier audits, and third-party audits. The audit process generally involves the following steps:
Planning: The audit scope, objectives, and criteria are defined. An audit plan is developed, detailing the audit schedule and then areas to be examined.
Execution: Auditors will review documents, conduct interviews, and observe operations to gather evidence. They assess compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and company policies.
Analysis: Auditors analyze the evidence collected to identify areas of non-compliance, potential risks, and opportunities for improvement.
Reporting: A comprehensive audit report is prepared, highlighting findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective actions.
Follow-up: Auditors may conduct follow-up audits to verify all corrective actions have been implemented and compliance has been achieved.
Food Recalls
Food recalls are an integral part of the food safety system, initiated when a product is found to be contaminated or mislabeled. They are often the result of inspections and audits that identify serious issues. Here are a few notable statistics.
There were 547 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food recalls in 2023, a five-year high for the industry and 19.6% more events than were recorded in 2022. FDA recalls are on track in 2024 to be consistent with 2023. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recalls also increased, rising 31% from 2022. The volume of units recalled also increased a more notable 132.8% from 2022 to 2023.
In 2023, 313 food products (224 from FDA, 89 from USDA) were recalled, over 1,100 people were sickened and 6 people died from foodborne illness recalls (based on data collected). The two largest recalls, lead-tainted applesauce sickened 519 children in 44 states, and Salmonella contaminated cantaloupe sickened over 400 people. CDC estimates 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.
2% of all FDA recalls stemmed from undeclared allergens, a 27% increase from 2022. One reason for the increase in allergen recalls is as of Jan. 1, 2023, manufacturers had to disclose sesame in their foods. The most common undeclared allergens — wheat, shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts and soybeans — account for 90% of all food allergic reactions. Listeria was listed as second and Salmonella third for the most recalls.
Unsurprisingly, as the nation’s largest producer of food, California was found to be responsible for the largest share of all recalls. Over 16.3% of recalls originate from California products. Followed by New York at 8.1% and Texas at 6.5%. California customers are also most frequently affected by recalls. 39.8% of all recalls nationally impact residents in California, followed by New York at 36.4% and Pennsylvania at 35.8%.
The Role of Technology in Inspections and Audits
Advancements in technology have significantly enhanced the effectiveness of inspections and audits in the food industry. Some key innovations include:
Data Analytics: Big data analytics enable companies to identify trends and potential risks by analyzing large volumes of data from various source, such as inspection reports, consumer complaints, and laboratory results.
Blockchain: Blockchain technology provides a transparent and immutable record of the entire food supply chain, making it easier to trace the origin of products and detect potential issues quickly.
IoT Devices: Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as sensors and RFID tags, provide real-time monitoring of conditions like temperature and humidity, ensuring that products are stored and transported under optimal conditions.
Mobile Inspection Tools: Mobile applications and digital platforms streamline the inspection process by allowing inspectors to record findings, take photos, and generate reports on-site, reducing paperwork and improving efficiency.
Inspections and audits are indispensable components of the food industry’s efforts to ensure safety, quality, and compliance. They play a crucial role in preventing foodborne illnesses, managing risks, and maintaining consumer trust. As the technology continues to advance with properly trained and calibrated auditors, the effectiveness and efficiency of inspections and audits will only improve, further safeguarding the food supply chain from the farm to the table.
By understanding the crucial role inspections and audits play, stakeholders in the food industry can better prepare to meet the high standards necessary to ensure that food products are safe for consumption. The continued evolution of these processes, bolstered by technological advancements, promises a safer future for consumers worldwide.
To begin to understand the importance of food safety auditing, it is essential to know what a food safety standard comprises in terms of auditing.
Food safety standards are a set of rules and regulations established by regulatory agencies, such as FDA (21CFR117), international organizations, i.e., World Health Organization (WHO) or Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and industry bodies, such as SQF, to ensure the safety and quality of the food supply chain.
These standards aim to reduce the risk of contamination, reduce the chances of foodborne illnesses, and protect the workers and customers who consume or use the product.
Food Safety standards contain requirements for food production, from sourcing ingredients and materials to production processes to packing and distribution. Food safety standards add transparency, traceability, and accountability to your organization’s operations.
So why are food safety audits necessary?
Food safety audits are organized activities that aim to evaluate the extent of a food business’s food safety management system in the pursuit of protecting public health.
Public health can be at stake, and audits on food safety practices aim to evaluate how a food business management system can effectively protect against contaminated food getting released into the marketplace.
Food safety audits focus on critical areas of food manufacturing operations, such as the food safety management system, food storage, food preparation, sanitation, facility design, and employee hygiene.
How does the audit help?
Well, auditors examine a combination of intended practices and methods with the actual facility and design to gather how effective are the food safety management protocols, how the product is stored, how employees handle food preparation—as well as machinery and building safety, including facility design, sanitation, and employee’ personal hygiene practices.
Food safety audits come in three basic designs: first-party (internal), second-party (audit of your supplier), or third-party or accredited third-party (independent or certification). The type of audit chosen can be based on your needs and the auditing firm.
Audits provide a real-time assessment of the status of the operation and quality management system. More than looking at safety records and historical statistics, food safety audits look at problems that may be fermenting now – they can be proactive rather than reactive—reviewing areas where implementation of preventative strategies and reporting findings can bring value with improved efficiency and avoidance of future problems.
Food safety audits are also an excellent time to foster organizational communication.
Engaging with employees in interviews provides many points of view and is an opportunity to promote a sense of ownership and buy-in within the organization – this can go a long way in developing a strong food safety culture.
The unintentional contamination of food is one of the most significant risks associated with not complying with food safety regulations. If the source of contamination can be traced to the company, the organization may face hefty fines and consequences.
On top of that, with noncompliance with food safety standards, an organization risks sowing distrust from internal employees through to their customers. When companies don’t follow safety standards, customers will be hesitant to buy and consume their products, negatively impacting sales and overall company performance.
The author, Jennifer Lott is presenting Assessing Food Fraud using PAS 96 to Meet GFSI and FSMA Requirements at the Food Safety Consortium Conference, October 20-22, Washington DC. This presentation will use information from PAS 96, Guide to Protecting and Defending Food and Drink from Deliberate Attack, and real-life examples to provide insights and guidance when completing/reviewing your VACCP and TACCP programs. For more information visit FoodSafetyConsortium.org
Alfonso Capuchino, a food industry certification professional with more than 20 years’ experience, is joining the Kiwa Group as Global Technical Director for Food, Feed and Farm, and ASI, a member of the Kiwa Group, as Vice President of Certification. Capuchino specializes in management systems, HACCP, third-party auditing and GFSI certification, and has experience in developing multi-standard services. He is a certified instructor and auditor for GFSI standards in the scope of food handling, packaging, storage and distribution, and brokering.
“Alfonso’s background in GFSI benchmark standards will provide great value in increasing our already strong presence working with standards like BRC, FSSC, SQF, GlobalGAP, PrimusGFS, IFS, etc. We are happy to welcome him to the global team with open arms,” said Richard Stolk, President of the Board of Directors at ASI, and Global Business Sector Director of Food Feed Farm at Kiwa Group.
“We are excited to have Alfonso on board as a part of our growing Kiwa-ASI family. His vast industry knowledge and experience will be crucial as we work to continuously improve and expand our existing certification programs,” said Tyler Williams, CEO of ASI.
For more than 30 years, Capuchino has served multiple industries in various roles, including consulting, auditing and directing teams in quality, food safety, environmental safety, occupational safety and sustainability. He earned an industrial engineering degree from the Technological Institute of Tlalnepantla in Mexico City. Before joining the Kiwa Group, Capuchino was the Vice President of Certification Services at AIB International.
ISO compliance is essential to maintaining high levels of food safety and quality. Trying to manage the ISO compliance process manually—with paper files or Excel spreadsheets—is an expensive, time-consuming, error-prone process. Manual systems make it difficult to spot noncompliance issues, track certification paperwork, and get real-time visibility across an enterprise. Technology can be a game-changer when it comes to achieving and maintaining ISO compliance.
SaaS-based quality and audit software can automate ISO compliance-related tasks, making it easier as well as more efficient and accurate to track quality metrics, document corrective actions, and generate reports. Additionally, this software can save time and costs, while reducing the risk of errors. It also provides real-time visibility into the compliance process, allowing organizations to quickly identify and address any issues that may arise, ensuring that they stay compliant.
Tech Trends to Watch
While technology has already elevated ISO compliance dramatically, there are some exciting trends we are watching that have the potential to significantly improve the process:
The rise of automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving increased adoption of technology solutions for ISO compliance and quality management.
The use of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming more prevalent in ISO compliance, as companies look for ways to improve the accuracy and efficiency of their compliance efforts.
Consumer demand for transparency and sustainability is driving increased attention to ISO compliance and quality management. This will continue to intensify in the coming months and years.
Recently, we have seen large companies adopting technology to improve their quality and safety initiatives. Some notable examples include consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, who implemented a comprehensive quality management system that incorporates ISO standards. P&G has worked hard to achieve ISO certification across many of its global operations, vowing to operate responsibly, build and maintain public trust in their products, and meet (or exceed) all legislative and regulatory safety requirements.
Similarly, Swiss fragrance and flavor manufacturer Givaudan has implemented a digital quality management system to automate quality data collection and analysis, helping the organization achieve compliance with ISO standards and improve product quality. They have developed a structured system to identify, assess, respond to, and mitigate risks to protect the company’s products and assets. They also vow to improve compliance with proper corporate governance guidelines and to follow all applicable laws and regulations. Hopefully, we’ll see more organizations following their lead.
The Benefits of Adopting Tech Solutions
There are many benefits to adopting new technologies to achieve ISO compliance. These include:
Automating essential tasks. Tech tools make it much easier to track metrics, document corrective actions, and generate reports, compared to manual methods. They also improve accuracy, allowing you to save time, money, and hassle. The more efficient, streamlined process lets you work smarter, not harder.
Reducing risk. Tech tools can help organizations increase their safety processes and protocols, achieve ISO compliance, and reduce the risk of food safety breaches that could cause major legal, financial, and reputational damage. Maximizing safety—and minimizing risks—can help boost key performance indicators (KPIs), including sales and profits, as well as customer loyalty, retention, and referrals.
Centralizing data. Many food businesses have overflowing file cabinets in their back offices, and they’d be hard-pressed to find a specific document quickly for an auditor. It’s far more effective and efficient to organize these documents through a tech solution that provides centralized, organized data and reports. This way, you’ll always have quick, easy access to information at your fingertips, allowing you to instantly track, manage, and find the various components of ISO standards—including certification documents, audit information, and operational records. This can save significant time (and frustration) over paper file systems.
Boosting visibility and transparency. Tech tools provide real-time visibility as well as a wider, deeper, more comprehensive view of your whole enterprise—or drill down by location. With access to real-time data, your organization can quickly identify (and fix) any noncompliance issues that may arise, allowing you to stay compliant. It also answers customers’ and investors’ calls for more transparent information about your business practices.
Boosting ROI. Companies may worry about the cost of purchasing tech tools—especially during our current economic uncertainty—but this is one of the smartest investments that your organization can make. Investing in modern technology solutions will save you money in the long run. Tech tools provide a huge ROI, by helping companies cut costs through energy efficiency, prevention of food safety breaches, and elevation of customer confidence, loyalty, and sales. Becoming ISP certified can also result in other lucrative benefits, such as attracting new investors, and helping to recruit and retain employees.
Reinforcing key messages to priority populations. Since ISO is widely considered the global gold standard, when you become ISO certified, you’re demonstrating that you prioritize safety, quality, consistency, and compliance, and that you’ve followed guidelines to provide consistently high-quality products and services. Being ISO certified demonstrates to key audiences, including your customers, investors, employees, and other stakeholders, that you’re investing the time, money, and energy into running as safely, effectively, and ethically as possible, and that protecting them remains your top priority.
Technology can make a dramatic difference in achieving ISO compliance, transforming the process from the manual methods that organizations have used for years. By automating the necessary tasks, you’ll save time, identify (and fix) areas of noncompliance, reduce errors and headaches, boost efficiency, increase visibility, and centralize data. Now is the time to ditch your paper certifications and overflowing file cabinets and embrace a smarter, easier, more efficient way of working.
Training is one of the foundational principles of every food safety program. It is a theme that’s repeated throughout governmental regulations, industry guidelines, and audit requirements, but adult learning can be challenging. It is also expensive, when you factor in the resources needed, salaries of everyone involved, and loss of operational productivity. After all these resources are allocated, it’s frustrating to witness mistakes made by those that have gone through the proper training…so you “retrain” as a corrective action, only to see the same thing happen. When this cycle repeats itself, I can’t help but be reminded of Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
A true preventive measure may be to reevaluate your training methods and train smarter, not harder. Take time to really understand your audience, discover their motivations, and devise ways to truly reach them. The five cornerstones of teaching: legitimacy, authenticity, engagement, empowerment, and simplicity can be used to elevate any training program to make it more effective.
Legitimacy
Your audience will be much more open to receiving the subject matter if they believe in the legitimacy of the source, namely, the trainer. Objectively ask yourself, “Why should I be teaching this class, and why should these people believe what I say?” Take the time to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. Instructors often start with a quick bio slide to explain their qualifications and experience. You can also start by telling your audience a bit about yourself, including your educational background and experience. Also take the time to explain the “why” of what you are teaching. For example, we don’t allow jewelry in the processing room, because it could fall into product or could get caught in a conveyor and cause a serious injury.
Authenticity
Why should these people care about what you say? Steven Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” also wrote the book, “The Speed of Trust.” In this book, he explains that trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together and the most essential ingredient in effective communication.[1] Establishing trust and authenticity is the quickest means of taking a training from you talking to people to having them hear what you are saying. Some people are automatically suspicious, so being honest and straightforward goes a long way to gaining that trust.
Engagement
I’ve been training adults for my entire 21-year career—see how I started establishing legitimacy with you—and I’ve learned that training is about 90% entertainment and 10% relaying facts and hoping they stick. Remember your favorite teacher. Were they boring and monotone, or lively and engaging? Engagement can be achieved by actively getting your audience to participate. This can be done through verbal quizzes, break-out exercises, live polls, and asking them to share their experiences.
At the end of the day, engagement is coupled with the question, “Why is this important to me?” How do you make the subject matter important to the audience? How can you get them invested in the subject matter and motivated to implement what they’ve learned? When dealing with food safety subject matter, one way is to share foodborne illness statistics and stories of those who have been affected. Stop Foodborne Illness has captured many of these stories on its website. When you identify something that everyone has in common, namely, that we and our loved ones all eat the food that we are producing, it increases audience engagement.
Empowerment
Once you have an engaged audience, the question becomes, “What can I do about it?” By telling the audience what they personally can do to influence (prevent, reduce or, eliminate) the problem, they are more likely to have a vested interest in the outcome.
I was involved in opening a new facility a few years ago. The General Manager personally took every new hire for a tour of the facility to explain the machinery and demonstrate some of the workplace safety features. While on that tour, he told them that each person in this building was allowed to hit the E-Stop button at any time and shut down the line if they saw something wrong or suspected that something wasn’t right, with no repercussions. He emphasized the importance of the subject of food safety by empowering each person with the authority to shut down the line. By giving them this power, he ensured that every person was captivated by the safety training and took the message to heart.
Simplicity
One of my personal mantras is, “Simplicity is the key to sustainability.” The simpler you make something; the more likely people will be to do it correctly and keep it up over time. The more complicated you make something, the less effective it becomes, especially over time. I use this quote when talking about creating procedures, but it’s applicable in the training setting too. The more complex the training, the harder it is to understand. The longer the training, the harder it is to captivate your audience, as people often “check out” and stop paying attention, especially if they’ve worked a long shift and just want to go home. I’ve found that shorter, interactive trainings can be more impactful than longer sessions.
One of my most successful training sessions was as a temporary QA Manager, trying to ensure that the annual training requirements were performed, prior to an audit. I asked the attendees they’d done in the past and got an eye roll along with grumblings about PowerPoint presentations. I decided to try something different and created about 10 “slides” on chart paper and held the training while we stood in a quiet corner of the warehouse. My first group was the third-shift sanitation crew. We spent 20 minutes going over the big concepts, joking about my horrible illustrations, and sharing stories about the subject matter. Afterwards, I asked them how they liked it and got some genuine nods and smiles. I decided to repeat the session with the rest of the processing employees and all the office staff (warehouse setting and all). I was shocked how many people came up to me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed the session and appreciated the change.
Case Study, “Don’t Throw-Up Worms!”
One of the most effective food safety campaigns in history was the effort to slow cases of Trichinellosis, a foodborne disease that was sweeping the country in the early 1900s. The government’s strategy included new regulations for swine feed and educating the public of the dangers of eating undercooked pork. It started in the 1920s, when Benjamin Schwartz, Senior Zoologist with the Bureau of Animal Industry published a leaflet for the USDA entitled, “Trichinosis: A Disease Caused by Eating Raw Pork.”[2] As a result, the government started surveillance activities to understand the extent of the problem. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was estimated that one in every six Americans was infected with Trichinella spiralis,[3] so the U.S. government implemented a widespread campaign to educate the public.
This campaign, which was so effective that Trichinella is almost unheard of in domestic pork today, worked because they leveraged the five cornerstones to create an extremely effective training.
Legitimacy – The U.S. government was a trusted source of knowledge.
Authenticity – This message was backed by doctors and scientists from the CDC and other agencies. Also, people knew that pork was the making them sick, so this information was verified by personal experience.
Engagement – Because scientists had discovered that Trichinella is a microscopic parasite, they coined the phrase, “Don’t Throw-Up Worms!” since vomiting was a common symptom, and that caught everyone’s attention.
Empowerment – The general public had a tremendous amount of control because the solution focused on fully cooking pork at home or ordering pork chops “well done” at restaurants.
Simplicity – The solution was extremely easy, just cook your pork a little longer. If it’s easy, people will do it, and they did.
Let’s look at the results. Between 2002 and 2007, the CDC only recorded 52 cases of Trichinellosis and only seven of those were traced to commercial pork.[4] The figure below shows the number of reported cases of Trichinellosis in the U.S. from 1947-2007, and the steady decline is evident.
CDC surveillance data on reported cases of Trichinellosis in the U.S. from 1947-2007.
Trying a New Approach
Occasionally, you’ve got to mix things up to keep your audience interested. There are so many different training tools that are available on the internet, from YouTube videos (my favorite is a rap about handwashing) to novel ideas. You can also change up the setting; try standing in an unusual place in the facility or host a training outside or on the facility floor.
Make sure that you are thinking about your target audience when creating your training. Use language that’s appropriate and techniques that resonate. This might take a little trial and error, so don’t be afraid to try new things and discard the ones that don’t work well.
As Gen Z and Millennials overtake older generations as the majority of the workforce, there has been a lot of research into effective training for younger generations. One technique that is garnering a lot of interest is gamification. I’ve seen video games that replicate a chef at a busy restaurant, in which good manufacturing practices must be used to fulfill multiple orders. This might be more effective than sitting an 18-year-old down for a four-hour ServSafe training. It doesn’t have to be as complex as a specially designed video game, I’ve seen things as simple as food safety word searches and crossword puzzles that are left in the breakroom. Trivia is also a popular and engaging tool to use during training sessions, especially when there are fun prizes on the line.
Reconsider your approach to training by implementing the five cornerstones of teaching and trying novel approaches. Even small changes can make a big difference. Reach out to your colleagues to learn what has worked for them, and try new tools to help make these sessions more enjoyable for all the participants which will directly increase the effectiveness of your training program.
References:
[1] Covey, Stephen M. R. 2008. The Speed of Trust. London, England: Simon & Schuster.
On March 31, the Foundation FSSC published Version 6 of its FSSC 22000 scheme. The updated version of the FSSC 22000 scheme:
Integrates the requirements of ISO 22003-1:2022
Strengthens the requirements to support organizations in their contributions to meeting the UNs’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Incorporates feedback of the Version 6 development survey, which received nearly 2,000 responses
Version 6 will have a 12-month transition window to allow organizations and Certification Bodies to prepare for implementation and gaining accreditation. The first audits to Version 6 will commence April 1, 2024, and all organizations must complete the V6 upgrade audit before March 31, 2025.
The Foundation has published a Version 6 Upgrade Process document, which details the transition requirements and a version of the scheme highlighting the changes between V5.1 and V6.
One of the key changes in V6 is the addition of requirements on food loss and waste. Organizations must have a documented policy and objectives detailing their strategy to reduce food loss and waste within their organization and the related supply chains. The additional food loss and waste requirements support a silo-breaking approach to help organizations contribute and move towards the UN Sustainable development goals (SDGs).
FSSC schemes support the consumer goods industry in implementing effective management systems, protecting their brands, and achieving food safety targets.
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