SafetyChain Blog

The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has been called the most sweeping reform of U.S. food safety laws in seven decades. Its main purpose is to protect public health using a proactive, instead of reactive, approach to food safety. FSMA also granted the FDA new enforcement authorities to improve compliance with prevention- and risk-based food safety practices. Because it encompasses such a robust overhaul of food safety regulation, efforts to finalize laws and put legislation into effect have been ongoing since FSMA was signed into law in 2011.

SQF, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and analytics are tied together in ways in which companies are becoming more aware. But for many food manufacturers, how they are linked is unclear. Here, we demystify the connection by breaking down the individual components.

The Global Food Safety Initiative, or GFSI, represents the work of a private, collaborative organization overseen by the Consumer Goods Forum. Its purpose is to maintain a scheme for benchmarking food safety standards for manufacturers and farmers. While becoming GFSI certified is a voluntary practice, many food and beverage companies seek the accreditation as a demonstration of their commitment to proactive risk mitigation. GFSI schemes are a universally-recognized standard by which food companies are judged for food safety during third-party inspections.

Analytics have revolutionized virtually every industry in recent years, and food and beverage is no exception. Big data analytics can uncover invaluable insights, including hidden patterns and correlations. While food and beverage manufacturing and processing companies have adopted these solutions at a slower pace than others, they are perhaps best suited for the benefits analytics can yield. Here, we demystify analytics for food and beverage with an in-depth look into its features and benefits – but first, we’ll begin with a brief introduction outlining what the solution entails.

Our favorite articles and blog posts on food quality and safety from August!

Each month, we follow trends and news to bring you insight from thought leaders in the food industry. Check out our favorite articles and blog posts from around the web from last month.

The food and beverage industry has been modernized by technology in recent years, but among the most groundbreaking developments of all is blockchain recall traceability. This powerful form of distributed ledger technology makes it possible for food and beverage companies to digitize the full scope of their program data for enhanced traceability, and ultimately, better results. Here are a few need-to-know facts about the newest breed of solutions for the food industry.

Effective food supplier management is a resource-intensive endeavor for food and beverage companies. Ensuring your suppliers are aligning with the food safety regulations and customer requirements your facility must follow is no easy task. While manufacturers and processors have historically relied on offline systems to oversee vendor management, many are finding that web-based tools can transform their processes to drive efficiency and compliance.

Food fraud is the intentional, economically-motivated adulteration of food. It encompasses the sale of food which is unfit and possibly harmful, as well as deliberate mislabeling of food. Having strategies in place for mitigating food fraud is essential for developing an all-encompassing food safety plan. Here are a few key tips for minimizing the risks of fraud in your facility.

Blog post courtesy of Roger Woehl, Chief Technology Officer, SafetyChain Software.

Many of the food safety and quality issues that eat away the bottom line of food production are found in the "Long Tail" of data collection and assessment.

In the last thirty years, huge progress has been made in the speed at which data can be automatically collected and analyzed. This is true in the food industry where high volumes of food quality, safety, and operational data is collected every few milliseconds, seconds, or minutes.

While there many are ever-changing factors influencing the future of the food and beverage industry, one thing is certain: no matter how consumer needs and preferences shift, food production analytics will be at the forefront of business success. Companies that have implemented these powerful tools are already seeing positive changes across a number of key performance areas. Here, we take a look at some of the most significant ways analytics can create game-changing results.