SafetyChain Blog

In uncertain times, it’s important for Food & Beverage companies to reassure their customers that food and safety standard are being met consistently. Yet, COVID-19 has introduced unique challenges for undergoing and performing audits, from social distancing to risks associated with travel. Unfortunately, waiting until the threat of the virus is completely gone to have an audit performed could cause your certification to lapse, which could risk the loss of important customers.

Internal audits — if conducted the right way — aren’t merely stepping stones to higher-stakes external audits, they’re strategic tools used by the most successful food manufacturers to measure continuous improvement and validate their entire food safety system.

Jeff Strout from Mérieux NutriSciences recently shared his advice in the recorded webinar, “The Magic of Internal Audits: Mistakes, Insights, and Advice from the Experts.” If you asked questions he could not get to during the webinar, here are the answers you’ve all been waiting for!

For many food and beverage companies, paper documentation, binders, and filing cabinets cause frustration and waste valuable time. Chelan Fruit, the largest fruit packing co-op in the US, felt the challenges of using a paper-based system firsthand and sought a more efficient way of doing things. Here, discover how their company successfully transitioned its entire food safety program to a paperless system using SafetyChain.

Achieving audit-readiness and regulatory compliance are two of the most complex challenges the food industry faces. For Sokol and Company, a food products supplier with a vast product line, keeping up with new FSMA regulations and preparing for audits was daunting, and introduced a need for a new food safety management solution.

With SafetyChain LINK Auditor View, now it’s easy for food companies to build better relationships with their auditors, including giving auditors access to critical documentation, remotely.

Emerging Technology that Revolutionizes Food Safety Audits

Face it: food safety audits can be stressful, taking weeks if not months of preparation time.  When the time comes, the more organized, prepared, and transparent a food manufacturer can be, the faster and easier the audit becomes for both the company and the auditor. As a result, both can focus more time and energy on finding productive ways to improve processes rather than plowing through piles of paper. 

Now, SafetyChain LINK Auditor View makes it easy for food companies to share all records and information required within the purview of an audit, without overwhelming their auditors with unnecessary or extraneous information.

In the world of food manufacturing, audit compliance is among the most critical elements to a company’s success. Yet, it is also one of the most challenging aspects of food quality and safety management. Here are a few of the ongoing obstacles organizations must overcome.

To move beyond basic compliance, food and beverage companies must mitigate risks in three major areas: product recalls, regulatory non-compliance, and pathogen contamination/food-borne illnesses. The most effective strategy for doing so is adopting an enterprise risk management process. This allows companies to take a proactive look at food safety management.

For our September 2018 session, Christopher Snabes, MS, CFS, Senior Food Safety Director with The Acheson Group, joined SafetyChain for an update on current FSMA activities and to provide an overview of best practices for Hazard Analysis.

GFSI certification can help your company improve its food safety and quality outcomes, secure a competitive place in the market, and maintain a positive brand reputation. Yet, effectively managing GFSI requirements using your company’s existing resources can add new challenges. To combat these challenges, many companies are implementing food safety technology including the ability to conduct portions of GFSI audits remotely.

Your organization’s risk management approach comprises many factors, requiring a deep look into both corporate and facility-based risk management. It also should encompass your food safety programs and the knowledge and training of personnel. Nowadays, companies are also leveraging operational data to improve their risk programs. Here, we explore the process of risk assessment as well as three other elements of a holistic approach to risk management.