Posts from the "Distribution Chain" category
SA: Microbiological food safety status of commercially produced tomatoes from production to marketing
Journal of Food Protection: Tomatoes have been implicated in various microbial disease outbreaks and are considered a potential vehicle for foodborne pathogens. Traceback studies mostly implicate contamination during production and/or processing. The microbiological quality of commercially produced tomatoes was thus investigated from the farm to market, focusing on the impact of contaminated irrigation and washing water, facility sanitation, and personal hygiene. A total of 905 samples were collected from three largescale commercial farms from 2012 through 2014.
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AU: Frozen berries still on the shelf after Hep A scare a year ago
Sydney Morning Herald: In the middle of February last year, the frozen berry lost some of its sweetness. Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services decreed – very publicly – that the popular Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berry 1kg bag had been linked to multiple cases of hepatitis A.
While Patties Foods is getting out of berries, it’s not out of trouble. Law firm Slater & Gordon remains committed to action they started on behalf of more than 20 clients.
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US: New study will focus on food safety in stone fruit packinghouses
Growing Produce:Made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Center for Produce Safety, Dr. Steven Pao, department chair, and Dr. Erin Dormedy will oversee a one-year study to evaluate and improve sanitizing treatments in stone fruit packinghouses. The study will begin this month and will be conducted in partnership with the California Fresh Fruit Association and area stone fruit producers.
Read Article →NZ: AsureQuality inSight and Authenticateit sign agreement to bring together traceability, food safety and quality a ssurance
Australian Food News: New Zealand government-owned food safety and quality assurance company AsureQuality has officially signed a strategic alliance with Australian product authenticity, protection and traceability technology firm, Authenticateit.
Read Article →US: PMA members respond to draft FSMA implementation strategy
Dr Jim Gorny, PMA: With the first five final rules for the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act regulations anticipated this August and October, and with the recent call for comments on FDA’s proposed FSMA implementation work plans, we’re shifting focus toward implementation of the final rules that are set to transform food safety for our industry.
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Take a deep breath and reflect on the hep A saga, suggests Richard Bennett
I’ve given a few presentations over recent years about crisis management, starting with the need to prevent a crisis as much as possible by having the right attitude towards food safety backed up with the necessary systems. I put attitude first for a reason.
The next stage is to be prepared. Despite the best prevention systems and intentions, glitches happen and you might find yourself in need of a plan to manage the unthinkable. Good prevention and preparation will make all the difference to response and recovery. There’s plenty of evidence to show that resilience – the ability to bounce back – is almost directly related to how you respond, which is directly related to what you have done to prevent and prepare.
Read Article →GS1 Recallnet: Half-day Information & Training Sessions
19 November 2014
GS1 Australia is hosting free information and optional training sessions on product recall using GS1 Recallnet. GS1 Recallnet is a secure, online portal used to streamline the recall and notification process.
The Melbourne event will focus on the Primary Grower / Producer and the challenges that a recall event brings to this sector.
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Back up the food safety training with a good book, writes Richard Bennett
There’s a lot of people responsible for grower, packer or processor quality assurance and food safety who are not technically trained in QA and food safety. That’s just a fact of life that reflects the size, structure and necessities of many fresh produce businesses – small, family and tight. It’s also the reason why some QA standards and customers insist on a minimum level of training for the person(s) responsible for managing food safety in the business, with some now also providing the required training.
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Influenza pandemic will impact on fresh and processed produce industry, writes Richard Bennett
On 23rd September, SBS ONE’s Insight program ran a hypothetical-style question and answer forum on the subject of the impact of an influenza pandemic on the Australian community. The discussion included the health sector response, the rush to produce an effective vaccine, the role of emergency services, the impact on the Australian economy and how we would maintain the supply of food to the Australian population.
New food safety & technology post by Richard Bennett on the PMA A-NZ Blog. View the full post here: http://ift.tt/1t1b1N0
Image credit: Dr Terrence Tumpey