Tag Archives: collaboration

World Food Safety Day 2023

Celebrating World Food Safety Day

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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World Food Safety Day 2023

Wednesday, June 7 is World Food Safety Day. The annual event was established in 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness and inspire action to help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks.

This year’s theme is “Food Standards Save Lives,” which highlights the role of established food safety practices and standards to ensure food safety and quality.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries, companies, and educational institutions to further adoption of safe food practices. Following are this year’s calls to action:

Policy makers

Make safe food an easy choice by shaping public support for programs, such as food aid, school feeding and other publicly owned food outlets.

Focus on establishing a robust national food safety system and ensure it complies with food safety standards.

Encourage and engage in multisectoral collaboration at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

Food businesses

Engage employees, suppliers and other stakeholders to grow and develop a food safety culture.

Comply with national and international food standards.

Educational institutions and workplaces

Promote safe food handling.

Engage with families and involve them in food safety activities.

Support food safety education.

 

Melanie Neumann
Women in Food Safety

Feeling “Meh” About One More Training? Try Coaching

By Melanie Neumann, JD, MS
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Melanie Neumann

“Meh.”  Ever felt that way about anything? Nothing is wrong, but you notice a general indifference or lack of enthusiasm. Confession: This is how I felt about my own training and development journey, especially after the pandemic, which gave us all an unlimited opportunity to experience death by Zoom meetings and webinar trainings.

By no means am I discrediting training. There is a time and place for it that we simply cannot and should not attempt to work around. It is an effective means to deliver information to ensure calibrated understanding of a topic which clearly benefits attendees and their respective companies. Our food safety industry has built entire businesses around training and education, which have been a saving grace to help our sector comply with regulations and ensure effective knowledge transfer of vital information.

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Rather, I am a firm believer in continuous professional development, as evidenced by 10 years of post-graduate education, two advanced degrees, many certifications, and attendance in countless training and education sessions. Because I am curious by nature, I committed myself to exploring the reason behind my “meh” feeling about training and discovered a powerful addition to the classic training and education model: coaching.

In this article, I will explain what coaching is, how it differs from training, some key benefits and evidence of its effectiveness for the gamut of food industry professionals—from product developers, R&D and food engineers to food scientists and food safety professionals.

What is Coaching and How does it Differ from Training?

Training and coaching are often used interchangeably. However, there are key differences between the two.

Training is designed to increase knowledge and skills, and is used for topics such as new employee training, refresher GMP training, and new regulatory requirements.[i] It focuses on organizational goals and is typically delivered to groups. When using a “push/pull” analogy, training is a “push” approach of providing information from an instructor to participants. The goal of training is knowledge transfer.

Coaching is designed to increase self-awareness about choices, values, attitudes, behaviors, and personal/professional development needs.[ii] It focuses on the individual, is almost always delivered 1:1, and is unique to each individual based on their self-identified development goals and objectives. It is the “pull” approach—extracting information from the individual to help them identify, understand and own their desired outcomes, whether professional or personal. The goal of coaching is behavioral change.[iii]

How does this distinction apply to and benefit food safety? Key benefits are addressed below. However, let me pose a question as food for thought:  our industry is keenly focused on developing mature, strong food safety cultures. Rightly so. We have developed maturity models, audit standards and training modules to enhance food safety culture inside our companies. Yet many of us haven’t seen the changes we desire. Why?

Consider the definition of food safety culture (of which there are admittedly several, but let’s use the GFSI definition here); that is, the “shared values, beliefs and norms that affect mind- set and behavior toward food safety in, across and throughout an organization.”[iv] The definition itself speaks to values, attitude and behavior—just like the definition of coaching. Starting to see the promise of coaching?

What are the Benefits of Coaching?

Professional coaching can have a profound impact on individuals in their professional lives. Yet the benefits do not end in the workplace. Because we bring our whole selves to work—and to coaching sessions—our personal lives benefit as well. Since coaching is designed to be transformational rather than transactional, the benefits are often immediate yet continue to add value over the course of a career and a lifetime.

Key benefits of coaching include:

Personal Responsibility: Coaching asks you, the person being coached, to do the work. You identify your desired goals (e.g., promotion, obtaining a new job in another company), areas for development and ultimate desired outcomes. Coaching helps you grasp how your own actions or inactions either support or sabotage your overall professional goals and the goals your company may have for you. This approach results in individuals taking greater responsibility and accountability for their own actions, commitments and desired outcomes.

Collaboration: Coaching provides tools to help individuals work more easily and productively with coworkers and/or superiors. Coaching provides a unique forum where different learning styles and approaches to decision-making and conflict resolution are explored. This results in more effective and open collaboration.

Communication: Effective communication is critical to professional success. It aids us in expressing our ideas, building trusting relationships and advocating for ourselves, our teams, and our companies. Coaching helps us identify and break through our own barriers, whether they be social anxiety, lack of confidence, or inability to offer candid feedback to our direct reports (e.g., due to fear that we will hurt their feelings, so we don’t say anything), and learn to communicate more effectively, which benefits the individual and the company.

Cascade effect: Growth that occurs through coaching causes a positive ripple effect to our direct reports, peers and others around us. When a manager receives professional coaching, it cascades to their team members who then also benefit from the mentoring, leadership development, and coaching culture the manager brings back into the organization. This is amplified because part of coaching often is to teach us how to be an effective coach to others.

Does Coaching Work?

The benefits of coaching are many; 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, and over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills. What’s more, 86% of companies report that they recouped or exceeded their investment on coaching.[v]

I personally can attest to the power of professional coaching. I am a recipient and obtained myriad valuable insights, so much so that I invested in a Master Certified Professional Coaching Certification (M.C.P.C.) from an institution accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The more I explore the coaching model, the more I see a powerful mechanism to not only transform myself and those I lead but also a tool that can take our industry to another level.

 

References:

[i] https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2014/04/know-the-difference-between-training-and-coaching.html

[ii] https://blog.peoplefirstps.com/connect2lead/whats-the-difference-between-training-and-coaching#:~:text=Training%20is%20designed%20to%20increase,%2C%20choices%2C%20and%20development%20needs.

[iii] Id.

[iv] https://mygfsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GFSI-Food-Safety-Culture-Full.pdf

[v] International Coaching Federation 2009 survey.

Petra Sterwerf and Holly Mockus

Going Lean To Support Food Safety

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Petra Sterwerf and Holly Mockus

Lean manufacturing is synonymous with efficiency, but many people mistake it for being only about reductions in workforce, inventory or waste. Lean itself is a growth strategy, and like any strategy, it requires an investment—not a reduction—of time and resources to succeed. To understand how Lean Manufacturing can help food and beverage companies save money and improve efficiencies and food safety, we asked two industry professionals to share their insights.

Petra Sterwerf is an operations executive with experience in lean manufacturing and a background in plant management. She currently serves as director of commissary operations with Skyline Chili in Cincinnati. Holly Mockus is the director of content and industry strategy at Intertek Alchemy where she leads employee training for manufacturing clients around the world.

 How can Lean processes enhance food manufacturing facilities?

Petra: Lean’s meticulous focus on eliminating waste obviously makes it invaluable to the complex, ingredient-focused processes that dominate food manufacturing. However, Lean is ultimately a culture built through collaborative problem solving, which can happen every day throughout the organization.

Collaborative problem solving not only positively impacts the operations group, but it can also be taken across different departments and different processes within a food manufacturing facility. This focus on eliminating waste through problem solving is more important than ever in today’s economic environment where ingredients are more expensive and harder to come by.

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What’s happening in the industry to make Lean more important to companies? 

Petra: In the era of the great resignation, many food companies have lost a lot of institutional knowledge. So, you often have a whole new workforce to ramp up on important processes. Cross-functional, collaborative problem solving allows food manufacturers to bring together experienced people with employees who might be new to the industry. Combined, they can bring all kinds of new ideas to the table.

The process challenges experienced workers to consider new methods and techniques. It also helps less experienced workers understand many of the tried-and-true industry processes that make things operate efficiently.

What is the implementation cost vs. reward for setting up a Lean manufacturing program?

Petra: It’s hard to put a specific number on it, but I’ve seen an investment of $1 million result in over $10 million in returns. Beginning a Lean journey can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. At some companies, a Lean rollout may include large consulting groups and corporate teams. But I’ve been a part of implementations with just a couple of people in a small department.

Holly: Before you see financial ROI, you’ll see improvements in KPIs like safety recordable rates, environmental positive rates or first-pass quality rates. Production-wise, it could be your line efficiencies, your product yields or order fill rates. In terms of food quality and safety, you’re going to see fewer holds, customer complaints and near-miss incidents because your processes are more consistent.

Some people hear the word “Lean” and immediately expect workforce reductions. Can you implement Lean without having layoffs? 

Petra: I’ve been involved in projects for sizable facilities with over 600 people, and we did not lose one person in the name of a Lean manufacturing change. As part of the process, you will identify value-added tasks that you need and the resources to make them happen. And then you reallocate people accordingly. Also, manufacturing facilities often experience turnover, which adjusts the workforce level down to where it needs to be.

Holly: Lean cost savings can also be invested back into your employees through training, internal celebrations, facility improvements or other programs that can provide substantial worker and business benefits.

Where can you see the fastest results or ROI?

Petra: The quickest results tend to materialize in yields and formulations. In the protein business, for example, where meat has become more expensive, you have to decide where problem-solving Kaizen events are necessary, or where you want to implement standardized work. The meat cost or meat waste is always a good place to start.

Holly: I’ve seen many formula audits that reveal significant inconsistencies in processes such as things being weighed differently, or recipes and formulas that aren’t followed. These mistakes can produce inconsistent products and also result in regulatory issues that could affect public health. Streamlining these processes through Lean practices can deliver results in a short period of time.

What are some of the best ways to integrate HR and senior leadership into the Lean process? 

Petra: It is important to get HR involved from the very beginning by explaining what you’re trying to do with collaborative problem solving and putting Lean tools into place. As you start planning problem-solving events, keep HR in the loop on scheduling, processes and reporting. This is typically done every time you do a continuous improvement workshop. You’ll pull in senior leadership and HR to report what you learned from the event.

Holly: Sometimes it can help to include HR representatives in your Lean teams to represent the people factor. That way, if employees are concerned about any new process, HR can talk to it and provide the reassurances that are needed.

How do you educate and get the employees to embrace Lean? 

Petra: You have to be careful when you start a Lean initiative not to oversell it in the beginning. If you stop everything in the plant for an all-hands meeting to describe the project, you can cause some employee anxiety. And then people are expecting big changes to happen quickly. Lean can be a slow evolution, especially if you start with constrained resources. I recommend starting with a small group of people and talk to them, while letting all employees know that you’re starting small on this new project.

Holly: I would say you have to empower people and engage them by providing knowledge. They need to understand what Lean is, the benefits, their role and how they can contribute. It’s all about making sure everyone fully participates regardless of their level. And employees need to feel like they are being listened to and that their ideas have a chance of moving forward in the process.

How is creating a “culture of failure” essential to the ultimate success of a Lean program?

Petra: It’s basically the scientific method of thinking. You have to try different approaches, knowing that things don’t always work. Sometimes you have to take a few steps back, learn from mistakes, and move on. The worst mindset you can have is a fear of failure. That being said, you also don’t want to just try a whole lot of poorly thought out ideas and waste a lot of product or money.

How do you measure success from your initial steps, and how do you continue using Lean?

Petra: I would recommend that people implementing Lean programs document their journeys. At the beginning of the project, go around and take pictures of the current state of the business. When you start making changes, you often forget what it looked like before. And then you realize that despite making significant changes, you have no documentation to show that journey. Continuous improvement reports are a great way to capture pictures and create a folder of all the changes that you make.

 

Rick Farrell, Plant-Tours
FST Soapbox

Communication Tools Food Manufacturers Should Use

By Rick Farrell
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Rick Farrell, Plant-Tours

As the world continues to work toward economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, food manufacturers have been investing in products and equipment that can enhance their growth. The following are some communication tools that companies should consider adding to their arsenal to improve collaboration between workers, prevent costly mistakes and save money in the long run.

1. Cloud-Hosted Technology

With remote work becoming common in companies across the world, cloud-based technology is turning out to be an invaluable asset. In 2021, we saw a rise in labeling software providers that offer ways for local labeling software to get access to data stored in the cloud. That made it easier to obtain variable data that needed to be put on label templates at print time.

Cloud-hosted technology allows food manufacturers to print the correct labels with the right data at the proper time, and in a simple and secure manner. As a result, they can avoid risky and potentially dangerous mistakes in labeling.

2. Smart Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing is a method for companies to use data to optimize every part of the production process. Radio frequency identification (RFID) and barcode technologies are two of the most popular data carriers used by IoT devices. Such device-to-software communication helps efficiently deliver data while avoiding time-consuming manual procedures that might result in more time loss or costs.

3. New On-Spot Communication Equipment

Many factories still use cheap and outdated headsets to communicate inside loud spaces and next to machinery. That often results in unclear messages. Failing to give and receive a clear message can have dire consequences, especially in terms of food safety. For this reason, food manufacturers should regularly update headsets and other devices they use to convey messages inside factories.

Enhance Communication in Loud Facilities

There are companies that offer a modern solution to the communication problems inside factories. The following are some quality options to offer to enhance communication in loud places.

1. Two-Way Communication Headsets

Originally intended for tour guides and their groups, two-way communication headsets can have various purposes inside food factories. For instance, you can use them to make effective communication easier among your workers in the noisy parts of your plant. Or perhaps, you can use them when you bring in visitors, business partners and potential investors for a quick and interactive look around. In any case, a wireless two-way headsets system makes talking and listening quick and simple, despite ambient sounds.

Furthermore, most headsets for factories and tours are often heavy and bulky, which is why they quickly start irritating those wearing them. On the other hand, these two-way headsets are designed to be comfortable, attractive and lightweight, making them ideal for wearing for a longer period of time. And they are aesthetically appealing for any audience, including top VIPs. Therefore, your team and your guests will be able to focus on the information and their tasks with complete comfort and without any distractions. As a result, you will notice increased comprehension of your message with outside visitors and a higher level of efficiency and safety in your production areas as well as food safety levels.

2. Staff Communication Systems

A multi-channel staff communication system is another good way to ensure food safety in your factory. One example is a system that has fifteen channels, making it great for multiple employees, workgroups, and team communications, and has a transmission range of up to half a mile. It also has a two-way radio technology with privacy and long talk settings that allow you to speak without being interrupted. These types of headsets are sometimes outfitted with non-porous vinyl, which means you can disinfect them after each use.

Such a communication system also comes in handy in factories that follow COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Not only can your employees stay safe by putting more space between each other, but their communication will remain clear and easy. That way, they will be able to focus on production and other safety guidelines.

3. Wireless Systems

Clarity of message is crucial to maintaining the necessary level of food safety in your plant. Good quality wireless systems provide clear, crisp sound, effective transmitting range, and great battery time. Furthermore, they are easy to use, maintain and store. Wireless systems also feature audio guide systems that make sure you don’t have to be worried about machinery being too loud and interrupting important information.

Conclusion

The past two years have taught us that food manufacturers who want to thrive despite both predictable and unexpected challenges need to respond and adapt quickly. A huge part of that flexibility comes from the willingness to accept changes and new tools that modern technology brings. So, from cloud computing to barcodes and better headsets, any step you take to improve communication in your factory will undoubtedly pay off in the long run.

Eric Weisbrod, InfinityQS
FST Soapbox

Quality in the Cloud: 5 Tools to Remedy Food Safety Fears

By Eric Weisbrod
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Eric Weisbrod, InfinityQS

The food and beverage industry has seen a big push for digital transformation over the past several years. Consumers and regulators alike are demanding increasingly high levels of safety and traceability across the global supply chain—driving food manufacturers to modernize their approach to quality control.

Now, many are looking to retire outdated software or inefficient paper-based systems that limit visibility across their production lines, plants and supply chains. They are exploring modern tools that enable proactive quality and safety monitoring. And fortunately, cloud technology is making this shift easier than ever.

Cloud-based quality management solutions offer simple deployment, rapid scalability and low up-front costs—breaking down many of the barriers to digital transformation. Food manufacturers gain anytime, anywhere access to critical resources needed to maintain product quality, ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement across their organizations.

To make it all possible, food manufacturers should select a cloud-based solution that offers the following features and tools.

1. A centralized data repository for improved visibility, compliance and collaboration

In a traditional manufacturing environment, quality and process data are locked away in paper files, Excel spreadsheets, or on-premises software. These data silos prevent manufacturers from monitoring enterprise-wide quality performance, and inhibit data sharing with external parties across the supply chain.

But the cloud can break down those silos. Cloud solutions provide a single, unified data repository where food manufacturers can standardize and centralize quality data—from all processes, production lines, and sites in their enterprise, as well as from suppliers, co-packers and third-party producers.

The resulting “big picture” view of quality enables food companies to:

  • Perform enterprise-wide analyses to pinpoint problem areas, identify best practices, and prioritize resources—ultimately improving quality and compliance across the entire organization.
  • Verify ongoing regulatory compliance and enforce accountability for all required checks and tests.
  • View supplier data in real time to prevent food safety issues and ensure incoming ingredients meet quality standards before they are ever shipped. Only the highest-quality ingredients get accepted and incorporated into products.
  • Monitor supplier performance to better manage suppliers and prevent supply chain disruptions.
  • Collaborate with contract manufacturers and packers to make sure they uphold quality standards and protect the brand.

2. Real-time SPC for proactive response on the plant floor

A preventative approach to quality and safety just isn’t possible when using manual methods for data collection and analysis. Operators spend valuable time recording data with a pencil and paper, then sift through page after page of control charts—on top of all their other daily responsibilities. It’s easy to see how mistakes could be made and production issues could be missed.

Quality teams are also at a disadvantage, reviewing old data about products that have already come off the production line. Overall, everyone operates in “firefighting” mode. They try to fix one issue after another, but it’s often already too late. Some problems may not be spotted until final inspection, if even caught at all. Manufacturers end up dealing with defective products, wasted resources, and damaging recalls.

The cloud transforms how food manufacturers collect and analyze quality data. Cloud-based statistical process control (SPC) software can automatically collect measurement values from a variety of data sources, then monitor processes in real time. When the software detects specification or statistical violations, automated alarms instantly alert key personnel. The appropriate teams can take immediate action to correct any issue before it gets out of hand.

In addition, food manufacturers can put up further safeguards on the plant floor with “workflows.” Essentially, these are prescriptive guides for responding to quality issues, predefined in the cloud-based quality solution. They help all employees respond consistently and effectively to specific problems, and then document the corrective actions taken. These responses can then be analyzed across an entire company, allowing manufacturers to spot trends and prevent reoccurring issues.

Ultimately, operators and quality personnel can stay on top of potential problems and prevent unsafe or defective goods from reaching customers—without having to manually monitor every line, in every plant, around the clock.

3. Timed data collections to keep everyone on the same page

Routine sampling and quality checks are critical for food safety and compliance with regulatory and industry-specific standards. But how can manufacturers ensure required checks are completed according to schedule? After all, the plant floor is a busy place and where it’s easy for operators to get sidetracked tackling other issues.

Here, cloud-based quality systems can help. These solutions enable manufacturers to set up timed data collections, which send automated notifications to remind operators when it’s time to perform HACCP, CCP, and other critical quality and safety checks. Operators can stay focused on production, without having to watch the clock or worry about missing a check. Plant supervisors also get alerts if a data collection is missed—no matter where they are working—so they can keep everyone on top of compliance.

4. Digital reporting to make audits a breeze

Every manufacturer dreads the auditing process. It is time consuming and resource intensive, adding another layer of stress and complexity to the already complex nature of food production. Those that rely on paper records and spreadsheets usually struggle to piece together and produce auditor-requested information. And failed audits can have major consequences.

Instead, quality records and other compliance documentation can be digitized, stored and made quickly accessible via the cloud. This makes it easy for food companies to pull historical data for specific timeframes. Reports can be produced in just minutes to complete regulatory, third-party certification, or internal audits—rather than the days or weeks it would typically take to put together a report from a complicated trail of paper.

5. Lot genealogy for improved traceability and recall response

Recalls are another big source of stress for food manufacturers. After all, food quality or safety incidents that result in a recall not only hurt profits and brand reputation, but also put the health and lives of consumers at risk. Fortunately, recalls can be mitigated or avoided through better traceability.

Cloud-based quality solutions can help food companies trace raw ingredient lot codes through the manufacturing process and supply chain. With all quality data stored in that centralized cloud repository mentioned earlier, manufacturers can generate genealogical “trees” showing the relationship between incoming ingredients and outgoing products.

This information in critical for preventing and responding to product recalls. If a safety issue is found within a specific ingredient lot, for example, manufacturers can quickly identify output lots where those ingredients were used. They can prevent those finished lots from being released, or in the worst-case scenario, remove those lots from store shelves in a swift, targeted recall.

A Tactical Approach to Digital Transformation

Looking at the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, it’s clear to see that the industry at large is heading towards a new digital age. Food manufacturers shouldn’t wait to take the first steps, and cloud-based quality can get them on the right path.

While any big change comes with hesitancy, a tactical approach can help ease any fears. Some food manufacturers have started with small-scale projects, deploying cloud-based quality solution to monitor a single process or production line. Leadership teams and employees alike can see how quality in the cloud benefits everyone at all levels of their organization—and then deploy the solution on a wider scale. It is a great way to successfully introduce new digital technology and lay the foundation for future transformation.

GFSI, The Consumer Goods Forum

Reimagining Food Safety Through Transparency and Open Dialogue

By Maria Fontanazza
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GFSI, The Consumer Goods Forum

Last year’s annual GFSI Conference was held in Seattle just weeks before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. This year’s event looked very different, as it joined the virtual event circuit—with hundreds of attendees gathering from across the globe, but from the comfort of their homes and offices. The 2021 GFSI Conference reflected on lessons learned over the past year, the fundamentals of building a better food system, and the idea that food safety is a collaborative effort that also encompasses training programs, effectively leveraging data and capacity building.

The pandemic provided the opportunity to reimagine safer, more resilient and sustainable food systems, said Dr. Naoki Yamamoto, universal health coverage, assistant director-general, UHC, Healthier populations at WHO. She also offered three clear messages that came out of the pandemic:

  • Food safety is a public health priority and a basic human right. Safe food is not a luxury.
  • Food safety is a shared responsibility. Everyone in the food chain must understand this responsibility and work towards a common goal.
  • Good public private partnership can bring new opportunities and innovative solutions for food safety. We need to seek more collaborative approaches when working across sectors to achieve foods safety.

During the session “Ready for Anything: How Resiliency and Technology Will Build Consumer Trust and Help Us Mitigate Disruption in the 21st Century”, industry leaders discussed how the pandemic reminded us that a crisis can come in many forms, and how applying the right strategy and technology can help us remain resilient and equipped to address the challenges, said Erica Sheward, GFSI director.

“When you think about business resiliency—it’s about our own, but most importantly, it’s about helping our customers become more resilient to those disruptions,” said Christophe Beck, president and CEO of Ecolab. He added that being able to predict disruptions, help customers respond to those disruptions, and provide real-time control to learn and prepare for the next pandemic or serious crisis is critical. Companies need to ensure their technology systems and contingency plans are ready to go, advised David Maclennan, chairman and CEO of Cargill. The key to a resilient food supply chain system is access and the ability to keep food moving across borders. And above all, whether dealing with a health crisis or a food safety crisis, consumers must always be front and center, said Natasa Matyasova, head of quality management at Nestle. “In short term, [it’s] first people, then business contingency, and then help the community as needed,” she said.

Mitzi Baum, Stop Foodborne Illness
Food Safety Culture Club

Partnerships in Promoting Prevention (of Foodborne Illness)

By Mitzi Baum
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Mitzi Baum, Stop Foodborne Illness

At Stop Foodborne Illness, or STOP, we know about collaborative partnerships. For more than 26 years, affiliating with like-minded organizations to prevent foodborne disease is the mainstay of our success and continues to provide beneficial results today.

The mission to prevent illness and death due to contaminated food resonates with our allies and aligns with their goals to coordinate and expand efforts. At any given moment, STOP is working with a diverse spectrum of individuals and industries to move the needle on foodborne illness prevention. Today, STOP’s work is focused on constituent services and food safety policy with the overarching goal of public health. Below are examples of current collaborative projects that are uniquely effective.

Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness

The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness (Alliance) is an initiative of STOP, leading food companies, and other organizations committed to the goal of preventing foodborne illness. For 25 years, Stop Foodborne Illness has communicated the compelling personal stories of people and families who have experienced serious foodborne illness or the death of loved ones. The goals of communicating these personal stories are to make clear why food safety must be a central value of the food system and to help motivate people in both the food industry and government to do their best every day to reduce hazards and prevent illness. Through the Alliance, STOP and leading food companies are collaborating to expand the reach and impact of personal stories to strengthen food safety cultures and prevent foodborne illness.

The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness has a mission to:

  • Forge partnerships between STOP and leading food companies to build trust and support strong food safety cultures.
  • Collaboratively design and implement innovative, well-tailored programs that make compelling personal stories an integral motivational element of food safety culture and training programs.
  • Expand the reach and impact of personal stories through outreach to the small- and medium-size companies that are key contributors to modern supply chains.

Current Alliance members: Costco, Cargill, Conagra Brands, Coca-Cola, Yum! Brands, Nestle USA, LGMA, Empirical Foods, Maple Leaf Foods, Mars, Walmart, Wegmans, and Amazon.

Constituent/Advocate Engagement

Working with those who have been impacted by severe foodborne illness is base to our prevention work. We engage our constituent/advocates in many projects and continually seek additional opportunities.

  • STOP’s new website houses a navigational map for anyone who is in crisis, post-crisis or managing the long-term consequences of surviving severe foodborne disease. This structured, informational composition was created by constituent/advocates that are sharing their lived experiences. This incisive work provides incredible insight into the journey that may lie ahead and how to manage the potential labyrinth.
  • With our partner, Center for Science in the Public Interest, we have created a national platform for survivors of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis to speak about their experiences surviving these diseases.
  • The Alliance has created multiple working partnerships with individual constituent/advocates.
  • STOP’s speaker’s bureau provides opportunities for our constituent/advocates to share their personal stories with large groups in person or virtually.
  • A recent college graduate who is a constituent/advocate is leading the creation of a new program for the organization.

Dave Theno Fellowship

Dave Theno Fellowship is a partnership with Michigan State University (MSU) that provides a recent public health, food science, animal science or political science graduate (undergraduate or graduate degree) the opportunity to conduct two distinct research projects, engage in STOP programming, participate on coalition calls and earn a certificate in food safety from MSU.

STOP is working with MSU to create a new course for its Online Food Safety Program that focuses on food safety failures and the impact of those system breakdowns on consumers.

Early Detection of Foodborne Illness Research

In conjunction with North Carolina State University, Michigan State University, Eastern Carolina University and University of Michigan, STOP is engaging in research to identify gaps in knowledge and application of the 2017 Infectious Disease Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea (IDSA) for healthcare workers. Our early findings have identified that most healthcare workers do not know about nor follow the IDSA guidelines, which include reporting of cases of infectious diarrhea and identification of the pathogen for identification and prevention of potential widespread outbreaks.

To support this research, STOP is completing a systematic literature review with the intent to publish.

Recall Modernization Working Group

STOP has been convening a group of experts comprised of individuals from academia, Alliance members, external industry partners, food industry associations, public health organizations, and industry consultants to deep dive into food recalls to define the current landscape, discuss systemic changes necessary for expedient and efficient execution of recalls for both industry and consumers and develop recommendations on how to accomplish those changes.

Everyone is susceptible to foodborne illness; thus, we need a varied, coordinated approach. Each of these partnerships helps our colleagues meet their goals while promoting prevention of foodborne illness by straddling both industry and consumer focused work. Executing our mission takes many forms and that requires diversity in partnerships, a shared vision and tangible, sustainable results.

Kari Hensien, RizePoint
FST Soapbox

How to Enhance Your Food Safety Culture, Now More Important than Ever

By Kari Hensien
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Kari Hensien, RizePoint

I don’t have to tell you that COVID-19 is a crisis, and the consequences have been immediate and difficult. But as I speak to clients and look beyond the immediacy of the problems the food industry is facing, I am seeing positive insights that can help us now and in the future.

Food safety culture hasn’t always been clearly defined, nor has it been a “must” in many food safety systems. But the reality is that food safety culture—and the buy-in that needs to happen in your entire organization—is a direct and important element for staying up to date with new rules and being consistent and compliant at every location.

What Does Food Safety Culture Mean Now?

The definition I have liked most is “food safety culture is what you’re doing when no one is watching.” But with the coronavirus pandemic, everyone is always watching, so the definition must expand.
Customers are carefully watching every employee at every location to gain a feeling of safety and trust at restaurants and eateries. And if employees aren’t up to speed or don’t have buy-in to your food safety culture, or even food safety in general, a single incident can turn away customers for good.

As an example, I recently visited a favorite taco joint. After the cashier rang me up, he put hand sanitizer on his gloves and proceeded to put handfuls of chips into my takeaway bag with those same “sanitized” gloves. I will not be going back.

So, food safety culture is still about what you do when no one is watching and when everyone is watching, making participation from every member of your organization critical.

What Can You Do Now to Enhance Food Safety Culture?

Practices that enhance food safety culture should initiate a shift in perspective before you implement more tangible activities. These shifts will be more challenging because they require your entire organization to be on board.

Perspective Shifts for Food Safety Culture

One or more paradigm shifts may be necessary to make enhancing your food safety culture successful. Sometimes initiatives like food safety culture can feel more like another addition to your to-do list rather than an asset that ultimately makes the job of a quality manager easier. So, consider these suggested shifts as you move forward.

  1. Food safety culture is part of your food safety system and your corporate social responsibility plans. With any crisis, not just the current pandemic, the values and expectations you instill in your employees can give you an immovable base, even if the surface is in constant fluctuation. And whether you’re dealing with an outbreak or a pandemic, showing you put customers and location employees first demonstrates good corporate citizenship.
  2. Location employees can be your biggest asset or your biggest liability. Employees perform better when they know the purpose behind what they’re doing rather than following rules that may seem arbitrary if they don’t have a clear understanding of why.
  3.  Punitive systems encourage hiding problems; supportive systems encourage collaboration and trust. If employees feel safe reporting issues or problems at their location, the more likely they’ll catch small issues before they become huge liabilities.
  4. Food safety culture can be a huge asset. In other words, instead of looking at food safety culture as another chore in your already crowded list, see it as an asset that improves food safety and creates better work environments, which inherently decreases risk and protects your brand.

In-Practice Shifts for Food Safety Culture

The paradigm shifts suggested above help build a support perspective for a strong food safety culture. The following shifts I suggest can help you implement tangible actions that benefit every level of your organization.

  1. Take great care of location employees. These employees are in direct contact with customers the most, and they are truly your first line of defense. Which means they can be an incredible asset or the weakest link.
  2. Consider audit and checklist software over laminated or paper checklists. The right software or app can instantly push new policies or standards to every location and employee at the same time, so everyone is always on the same page. Choose software or other tools that 1) makes it easy for all employees to get the information they need; 2) helps them quickly build behaviors that serve your quality and safety programs; and 3) empowers them to confidently share issues that need to be corrected so you get a true view of the health of any location.
  3. Consider quality management system software. With a platform (there are many that include audit and checklist tools), you can collect data points more quickly and from more sources to create a single source of truth and deepen insights. Software can directly support food safety culture, helping you:
    • Find new insights and continually improve your processes
    • Systematically rollout new policies and procedures
    • Drive adoption of new policies and “build muscle memory” so employees build good habits
    • Validate that your policies and practices are followed in every location
    • Identify locations or policies that need increased focus while you reward areas of successful performance.
  4. Look at your organization from a 30,000-foot perspective. This is not so easy to do if you are using manual processes such as paper, file cabinets or even spreadsheets. With those tools, you can see data points, but it takes a lot of work to build a big-picture view. Again, this is where software is invaluable. Many quality management system software options include built-in analytics and reporting, which means much of the work is done for you, saving you valuable time.

I hope your main takeaway from this article is that surviving a crisis requires a strong food safety culture. It helps unify employees across your organization, so everyone knows what’s expected of them and how their work affects the big picture. I see strong evidence that enhancing your food safety culture is more than the “next thing on your to-do list.” It’s a tool that you can put to work to decrease risk, increase compliance, and find small issues before they become huge problems.

Maria Fontanazza, Food Safety Tech
Women in Food Safety

Help Us Shape Our Future Vision

By Maria Fontanazza, Melody Ge
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Maria Fontanazza, Food Safety Tech

Women in food safety are increasingly playing more critical roles in their organizations because of our objective decision-making, compassion, communication prowess and ability to collaborate. During this year’s Food Safety Consortium Virtual Series, we are pleased to join Food Safety Tech with a Women in Food Safety Day. It’s our day: We will discuss the challenges and opportunities that we encounter as a gender, especially during this uncertain era in the world. We will also address issues surrounding students who are devoting their research to improving food safety and quality. We welcome your contribution, support and ideas.

The 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Series will take place every Thursday during the fall, beginning on September 10. If you are interested in presenting during the Women in Food Safety Day, we invite you to submit an abstract. Please note that the day in which the Women in Food Safety session will be held will be announced after we receive the abstracts.

When the Women in Food Safety group was first founded, the mission was to provide a community and networking platform for women in the industry to share their experiences and to seek advice from peers; more importantly, to help young female professionals and students to grow into future outstanding women leaders in the food safety industry.

To carry this mission, the group founder and committee are pleased to announce a mentorship program with below five focused areas:

  1. Diversity/culture: For women with a diverse background, focusing on their needs in different work culture
  2. Adventure Starts: For women in school, focusing on bridging the gap of moving from academia to industry; focus on starting their career, and create a pipeline for future food safety professionals
  3. The Future Leadership: For women at early career stage, focusing on step up to senior management, pipeline for future women leadership
  4. Working in Manufacturing: For women working in manufacturing sites, focusing on their needs in this specific work environment
  5. Work/Life balance: For women who are facing decision-makings, balancing work and life. The focus is on helping their needs when going through life’s exciting times and long leave from professional areas with minimal impact on work.

We welcome all industry professionals and fellows who are interested. We look forward to seeing you during the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Series, beginning on September 10. Together, we can make it. Join us to empower women and the food safety industry to leverage our unique leadership strength and skills.