According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in six Americans fall ill after consuming contaminated food or beverages, resulting in approximately 3,000 fatalities from foodborne illnesses per year. This highlights the critical need for restaurant traceability systems to ensure food safety and maintain quality standards. Without proper transparency, it becomes difficult to identify the source of contamination and take necessary actions to prevent the spread of foodborne illness. The Benefits of Traceability Systems The primary reason restaurants implement traceability ..read more

On April 26, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) officially declared Salmonella an adulterant in raw breaded stuffed chicken products when they exceed a 1 colony forming unit (CFU) per gram or higher for Salmonella contamination. The USDA FSIS announced its intent to declare Salmonella an adulterant in raw breaded stuffed chicken back in August 2022. This final determination is part of FSIS’ broader efforts to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with the raw poultry supply in the United States. The agency noted that it intends to address Salmonella contamination in other raw poul ..read more

In the food production industry, being efficient is not just a goal, it is essential for success. Operations that produce top-quality products at the lowest costs come out on top. One key to staying efficient is cross training production workers and making sure they’re skilled in operating various machines. This way, anyone can step in to keep things running smoothly, avoiding costly delays. Another important strategy is using predictive maintenance to keep equipment in good shape and prevent unexpected breakdowns. This approach helps avoid interruptions and keeps production lines moving effic ..read more

With millions of people in the U.S. getting sick each year from foodborne illness, the FDA is continuing to transform the nation’s food safety system with more stringent rules and regulations. In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law, and consequently, several rules have been finalized to implement the act and ensure food safety across different points in the global supply chain. The FDA’s Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, also known as the Food Traceability Final Rule or FSMA 204, establishes additional recordkeeping requirements ..read more

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and Food Safety Tech proudly announce their partnership on the 12thAnnual Food Safety Consortium, a conference for food safety and quality assurance professionals that equips attendees with cutting-edge knowledge, practical skills, and a collaborative network to enhance their professional development as champions of food safety and innovation in the production of foods and beverages. “AFFI’s longstanding history of advancing food safety practices across the frozen value chain through scientific research, innovation, education and training is unparallel ..read more

This past year, I was invited to participate in a risk assessment workshop led by a third-party consultant at a food safety event. During my 30+ year career, I have been through many different types of risk assessments across several industry segments. I have been a participant seeking to define and address risk at my own organization, as well as a consultant helping my clients perform their own risk assessments. Each time I experienced a risk assessment exercise, I learned something new, and this time was no different. The key learning for me in this case is encapsulated in the title of this ..read more

This month Cargill was honored with the Edison Award for Social & Cultural Impact – Environmental Solutions, named for American inventor Thomas Alva Edison, the awards recognize top innovative products and business leaders from around the world. Cargill received the Gold award in Social & Cultural Impact – Environmental Solutions for its “1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity” program, which aims to improve farmers’ welfare, enhance their productivity, and foster social and digital transformation in agriculture by promoting regenerative agricultural practices. Since its launch, the program h ..read more

On April 18, the FDA shared test results for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in 95 samples from one regional collection from its Total Diet Study (TDS). PFAS were detected in eight samples — two beef and two cod samples, and one sample each of shrimp, salmon, catfish, and tilapia. The FDA concluded that exposure to PFAS at the levels measured in these eight samples is not likely to be a health concern for young children or the general population, based on evaluation of each PFAS for which there is a toxicological reference value. The agency stated that the data are consistent with p ..read more

Inefficiencies and lack of oversight in cold storage monitoring of food can lead to product spoilage, high repair costs, and contamination concerns. The solution to many of these issues is to gain more visibility and control over these processes, and this is precisely what the Internet of Things (IoT) provides. Following are five ways food businesses can use IoT technology to improve their cold storage monitoring. 1. Accelerate Emergency Response One of the best ways to use the IoT in the cold chain is to monitor refrigerated shipments in real time. IoT sensors can track a product’s condition ..read more

The role of government oversight versus private efforts in ensuring food safety is a comparatively new topic. Recent cases, including the hefty fines against Family Dollar for major violations in relation to sanitary conditions, highlight the importance of strong safeguards. But a key question lingers: Would a shift from government inspections to private audits truly benefit both businesses and consumers? Government food safety inspections have traditionally operated on a risk-based model, aiming to identify and mitigate potential hazards in food production facilities. However, recent incident ..read more