Happy New Year!

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

-C.S. Lewis

FSPCA - Preventative Controls For Human Food Training Class is January 27th - 29th - Register Today!

Download FSPCA Flyer

The FSPCA training materials are designed to meet the requirements for training under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117.155 for the Preventive Controls “Qualified Individual” who conducts Food Safety Plan activities such as developing and reviewing a food safety plan, validating preventive controls, verifying and validating process controls among others. Attending an FSPCA course will provide assurances that the course content and resulting knowledge is consistent with regulatory expectations. Each facility registered with the FDA is required to have a Preventive Control Qualified Individual PCQI.

A preventive controls qualified individual is a person who has successfully completed training in the development and application of risk-based preventive controls at least equivalent to that received under the standardized curriculum from FSPCA.

The FSPCA program is based on collaboration among federal and state regulatory officials (FDA), academic food safety researchers and educators, and U.S. food industry representatives. This program is delivered by a certified Lead Instructor by the FSPCA.

This course meets the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Training requirements. The participants will receive FSPCA Preventive Controls Qualified Individual certificate issued by AFDO.

Includes: Morning and afternoon snack breaks, Lunch, Course Materials and Certificate of Attendance.

Parking – Free parking

Hotel Booking - Spring Hill Suites 707-253-1900

REGISTRATION CLOSES ON January 22, no refunds will be given after that date. Registrations may be transferred to another person from the same organization for the scheduled class. Cancellation fee before January 22/2016 $250.00

Merry Christmas!

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright...

Wishing You and Your Family a Very Merry Christmas!

Are You Ready for a Black Swan or the Unthinkable?

How Prepared Are You Really? Supply Chain Black Swans

by Alexa Cheater

 

Supply chain risk. It’s a topic that just never seems to go away (nor should it!). Everyone and their uncle has probably read at least one article, blog, research report, etc. on the topic. We’ve covered it here extensively on the 21^st Century Supply Chain blog, and Kinaxis has even produced a great infographic about it. There’s no denying it’s a very important subject when it comes to good supply chain management.

Recently however, I’ve been thinking about supply chain risk in a whole other light. Thanks mostly to a fabulous guest post by MIT’s Yossi Sheffi on the Wall Street Journal, which I had the good fortune to stumble across. In it, Sheffi talks about the concept of a ‘black swan’, no not the risk of slightly unstable ballerinas invading your supply chain, but rather a term popularized in 2007 by Nassim Taleb that’s used to describe occurrences that are thought to be impossible.

At first blush, it all sounds a bit familiar. Make sure you prepare for the unexpected. Got it. We’ve long been proponents of making sure your supply chain risk management strategy targets three key areas: anticipated risk, uncontrolled anticipated risk, and unanticipated risk. Surely this concept of a black swan fits squarely into the third category, which is characterized by an event that is entirely out of our control and hard to anticipate and plan for. And it does.

But where I think a lot of people fall short, myself included, is taking the idea of completely unanticipated risk to the next level. Natural disasters are what most often come to mind for me when someone asks me about unanticipated supply chain risk, followed closely by global conflicts. I suspect that’s a direct result of my news junkie tendencies as those stories are most often covered on a wide scale.

Sheffi makes note of how companies with manned oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have emergency procedures in place in case of a hurricane. They’re designed to shut down production ahead of the threat and come back online as quickly as possible following the storm. It’s a great strategy, but all this talk of the impossible makes me wonder just how far reaching those supply chain risk plans go? What happens if the storm wipes out an entire drilling platform? Or ALL of them? Have those involved in creating the risk management strategies gone that far in their planning? Perhaps.

That however would then negate them from being a so-called black swan. Why? Because as Sheffi so aptly puts it, black swans “are never rehearsed because they are perceived as beyond-the-pale disruptions. Yet the likelihood of a black swan is not zero.” By creating, and practicing, any supply chain emergency procedures, you’re rehearsing.

So does that then mean we have to start thinking about even more impossible scenarios? Like aliens invading and demanding you ramp up production of a specific SKU in your supply chain by 300%. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? Well that depends on your beliefs on whether or not we’re alone in the universe.

Practically speaking, spending anything more than a couple of minutes contemplating the supply chain implications of these scenarios that live well beyond the farthest perceived edges of reality is probably not a very wise use of your time.

Does that then mean it truly is impossible to plan for these black swans? My answer is both yes and no. Yes in the sense that you will never be able to create a plan for every single imaginable scenario – because again, we’re talking about things so far-fetched you would never see them coming. Everything would be running smoothly and then BAM your supply chain is in shambles and you’re left scrambling to put the pieces back together.

No, because while you may not be able to guess, or even fathom, what could potentially happen to your supply chain, there are ways to manage your supply chain that will make it easier to respond to any supply chain risk or disruption – no matter if it’s an anticipated risk, an uncontrolled anticipated risk, or a completely unanticipated risk.

See Clearly

Seeing that you have a problem, or even a potential one, is the first step to solving it. That means having a unified view of your entire supply chain, both upstream and downstream.

Manage the Exceptions

Utilize exception-based notifications that call attention to urgent supply chain changes. Understand the context and impact of the problem and possible solutions so you can make an informed next step.

Collaborate Freely

Identify which suppliers and customers are impacted, and then bring together the necessary people to collaborate on possible resolutions. 

Be Agile

The ability to react quickly to any developing supply chain situation is critical. But be warned, it’s not just about the speed of implementing a solution. It’s also about the quickness of understanding the situation and its consequences. That means having a solution in place that allows for sensing and responding faster, but also trained staff who comprehend the situation and the outcomes. Do not just let the machine push the button! The human element is still a very important one no matter how sophisticated the technology you’re using.

With a few key changes to your supply chain risk management strategy, you can help minimize potential risks, and maximize the effectiveness of your response in case the totally unexpected really does happen.

What supply chain risk strategies has your organization put in place? Have you ever been caught off-guard by a completely unanticipated event? Let us know in the comments area below.

Article Source: http://blog.kinaxis.com/2015/12/how-prepared-are-you-really-supply-chain-black-swans/

GFCP - Gluten Free Certification Program on February 26th - Sign Up Now for Early Bird Rates!

GFCP - Gluten Free Certification Program

When 

February 26, 2016 

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (PST)

Location 

Napa Winery Inn, 

1998 Trower Ave, Napa CA 94558

Registration 

• Early Bird Approved GFCP Auditor Training - Save $30 – $615.00 (USD) This ticket is for those intending to audit in the GFCP and sit for the exam portion of the training session. 
• Early Bird GFCP Implementation Training - Save $30 – $465.00 (USD) This ticket should be purchased if you are not pursuing an Approved GFCP Auditor Designation for third party purposes. 

The Allergen Control Group in Association with Superior Food Safety will conduct a one-day Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) training session for Food Safety and Quality Assurance Managers, Purchasing Managers, Supply Chain Personnel (from Industry), Experienced Food Safety Auditors, Food Safety & Quality Assurance Consultants, Internal Food Auditors and Food Safety Trainers wishing to learn more about implementing and auditing in the Program.

Those interested in learning about the production complexities, government regulations and the required customer compliances, associated with producing food products with a gluten-free claim on the label will find this course beneficial. Managing gluten as a chemical hazard and the many hidden sources throughout the manufacturing process, will go a long way to informing those attending this course to better understand how to prepare for or conduct a meaningful gluten-free audit.

Pre-screened and qualified Auditors will be asked to complete a final exam in order to receive an Approved GFCP Auditor Designation.

COURSE DURATION

1 Day

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

· Quality Assurance & Control Managers
· HACCP Coordinators
· Supply Chain Management Personnel & Purchasing Managers
· Food Safety & Quality Management Consultants
· Food Plant & Facility Managers
· Government & Food Regulatory Manager
· Auditors

COURSE CONTENT

· Importance of Senior management commitment
· Understand GFCP Standard & Policies & Requirements
· Understand the detail of the Scheme
· The GF market & consumer landscape
· Audit Report & Certification Process
· Audit/Auditor Overview and requirements
· Report writing
· Dealing with non-conformities
· Interactive workshops with case studies
· What is celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity?
· What is gluten?

Risk Assessment Challenges by Greg Hutchins

We have conducted hundreds of risk assessments in a number of sectors from homeland security to pension funds to Parks and Recreation departments. We have a number of hard lessons learned. These are some common mistakes we have made and seen:

• Lack of a common definition of critical risk terms. This is probably the # 1 challenge that we have seen in conducting risk assessments. Everyone seems to have a different context, point of view, definition, and understanding of critical terms such as even basic terms of what is risk. The fix is to develop a common taxonomy, framework, and dictionary of risk, RBT, and risk management.
• Lack of executive management support for the risk assessment. If a risk assessment is perceived as a low level activity or special project, then these can be early indicators of failure. The key is to have executive management support and follow a top down approach.
• Lack of established ground rules for conducting the risk assessment. Without a set of commonly accepted and understood ground rules, the risk assessment process will get bogged down in disagreements, circular arguments, and positioning and posturing.
• Lack of cultural or context understanding of the organization, function, or process being risk assessed. We have discussed context is worth 20 IQ points. We clearly understood this expression when we were conducting risk assessments of an organization that had an opaque culture and we were wondering why our estimates for the risk assessment were clearly wrong. We simply did not understand the organizational culture and did not include the right stakeholders in the assessment. We did not understand how the risk assessment was going to be used and the fear that it engendered.
• Lack of technical understanding of the organization, function, or process being risk assessed. It is very difficult to establish a peer level dialogue for risk based problem solving and risk based decision making if the process owners do not perceive the facilitators as technical or management peers.
• Lack of involvement of critical risk assessment While we planned the risk assessment carefully using a structured framework, we missed and did not consult with critical process owners. Critical process owners thought we were disregarding their expertise and dismissing them. Big mistake. The risk assessment took much longer than we anticipated and budgeted. Lesson Learned: Address each of the above challenges that are relevant to your organization in the business case. This will help ensure you have a realistic expectation of what is involved in RBT and becoming a risk aware organization

 

This entry was posted in ISO9001:2015@Risk™ - Greg Hutchins and tagged Greg Hutchins, Risk Assessment Challenges by greg. Bookmark the permalink. 

 

Article source:  http://insights.cermacademy.com/2015/11/114-risk-assessment-challenges-greg-hutchins/

Safety Controls in the Food Industry

The consequences of food-borne illness can be catastrophic not only for the consumers but also for retailers and other organisations in the supply chain. All organisations in the food chain should apply applicable basic hygienic practices to provide food which is safe and suitable for consumption. In deciding whether a requirement is necessary or appropriate, an assessment of the risk should be made using a HACCP approach to implementing a food safety management system (FSMS).

A fundamental part of achieving safe food is the implementation of a structured FSMS that is incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. The Food Safety Management System should address quality and legal requirements in addition to food safety hazards. Food business operators are required to think logically about what might go wrong with the food that they sell and what they must do to ensure it is safe for their customers.

Implementing a HACCP based FSMS is essential in achieving food safety. The HACCP system and guidelines were developed Codex Alimentarius Commission and require a logical approach to assessing chemical, physical and biological hazards. Starting from a process flow diagram of the operation food business should assess which hazards need to be controlled at each step of the process. The key steps where control is needed are known as critical control points. Measures to control each hazard and the food safety limits should be established for each critical control point. Records of checks at critical control points should be completed as these will provide a due diligence defence if necessary.

Some organisations use both HACCP and ISO 9001 to form a food quality and food management system. ISO 9001 focuses on consumer satisfaction and one of the most important customer expectations is food safety so this is a logical approach. Applying HACCP within an ISO 9001 quality management system can result in a food safety management system that is more effective than implementing ISO 9001 or HACCP separately. Both HACCP and ISO 9001 provide systems work on the philosophy that prevention is better than cure although correction of problems or deficiencies is required when they occur.

When choosing a standard for their FSMS to be approved against many organisations select ISO 22000 Management Systems - Requirements for any organization in the food chain. ISO 22000 is an international standard that combines and supplements the core elements of ISO 9001 and HACCP to provide a framework for the development, implementation and continual improvement of a Food Safety Management System. It has core requirements for Food Management System General Requirements, Documentation Requirements, Management Responsibility, Management Commitment, Safe Food Policy, Planning Communication, Resource Management Infrastructure, Work Environment, Planning and Realization of Safe Products, Prerequisite Programmes, Hazard Analysis, Verification, Planning, Traceability, Control of Nonconformity, Validation, Monitoring and Measuring and Improvement. It would be reasonable to expect some element of these in any food safety management system.

Tony Connor is a colleague of the author and is especially interested in developing a quality management system for your organisation. There are many merits to the BRC food safety standard that he'd be happy to discuss.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carl_Barton/2388

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4578693

Superior Food Safety Testimonials

Superior Food Safety is based in Napa, CA and provides US and Latin American businesses with consulting and training for certification, implementation, management, and maintenance of FSMA and GFSI food safety and quality systems. Customized training is available to clients worldwide and all courses can be delivered in English or Spanish.

Testimonials:

“Our plant received a 99 score on our first SQF audit thanks to Oscar Camacho’s training, support and extensive knowledge of food safety. Oscar’s Superior Food Safety team were encouraging and kept us focused and on task when the process seemed daunting. We have a better functioning Food Safety system and a better business as a result of Oscar's involvement.”

Mary H. Johnson
SR. Vice President
TRANSMAR GROUP / Cocoa Services West

“After attending the Safe Quality Food training with Oscar Camacho, our company has the necessary tools to implement a successful food safety system with a common sense approach. Our goal is now clear and attainable.”

Cindy Sment, Controller
Young Guns Produce

“Oscar was very detailed in his training sessions for implementing SQF as well as in the training for our HACCP Team and internal auditors. Without his superior knowledge, direction, expertise and encouragement, it would have been impossible to reach our goal of becoming certified.”

Kevin Oliphant
Food Safety Manager – Advanced SQFP Professional Produce Inc.

Perishable Goods and HACCP Planning

Nowadays, hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) planning is a critical part of the cold chain management. The protection of our food supply is significantly improved due to the recent food safety legislation that extends the powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the first of its kind change since 1938.

Rigid plans for monitoring and taking corrective actions are mandatory actions imposed by the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in order to prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens and other contaminants in food products. Every registered food operation must perform a hazard analysis of their facilities and distribution assets in order to identify potential areas that endanger food safety and to then determine what preventive controls should be implemented preventing food specification violations.

Due to the Food Safety Modernization Act regulations, the Food and Drug Administration will depend upon qualified hazard analysis critical control points planning to estimate operational compliance as measured by inspectors and accredited third party auditors. The need for product recalls or mandated corrective actions will be determined by the credibility of the hazard analysis critical control points plan and verification that procedures were adhered to. The smooth running of the plan then resides in the ability of the food handler to monitor and document actions taken with end results. Therefore, whenever technologies that provide dependable monitoring and management of critical control points can be used the risk of a catastrophic event is greatly reduced and relationships with regulatory agencies and customers are enhanced predicated upon the dependability of actions taken and recorded.

In addition, following the FSMA regulations and enhancing the food safety preservation measures using professional tracking tools in order to manage and supervise in a real time manner the surroundings of refrigerated perishable goods will help businesses to reduce the amount of spoiled goods and losses, variables that up until now were considered to be a part of the food business. It is now the perfect time to diminuate the inventory shrinkage and gain a real competitive advantage.

An unique wireless technology was designed specifically to manage and verify real time temperatures and safety parameters surrounding refrigerated perishable goods throughout the supply chain. By incorporating this web based solution as part of their HACCP planning, all the involved parts regarding the food supply chain significantly improve their ability to prevent foodborne contamination illness or any intentional terrorist type deterioration of products they manage.

To learn about Cooltrax solutions, view a demo, or request a 30-day hassle-free trial, visit www.cooltrax.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tom_Chicoine/1295892

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7147442

Still Time to Register for Training Classes

Superior Food Safety, Manex and Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Invite you to attend training classes in the Napa Valley, California
December 9, 10, 11th from 8:00am to 5:00pm

IMPLEMENTING SQF-SQF CODE, 7.2 EDITION

Two Day Course - December 9, 10 (Napa Winery Inn)

The goals of the Implementing SQF course are to:

• Promote an understanding of the SQF Code.
• Create a knowledge base to facilitate the successful implementation of an SQF System.
• Show how a HACCP-based approach manages food safety and quality hazards in an operation.

Course Content Outline

• Section 1. SQF Overview
• Section 2. Preparing for SQF Certification
• Section 3. SQF Certification Process
• Section 4. SQF Certification Process (HACCP and HACCP for Quality)
• Section 5. SQF Systems Elements
• Section 6. Food Safety Fundamentals and Prerequisite Programs

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GFSI AUDITS WORKSHOP

One Day Course - December 11 (Napa Winery Inn)

The goals of the Internal and External GFSI Audits course are to:

Provide and improve the knowledge, skills and abilities required by GSFI auditors, food industry professionals and internal auditors on:

• Food Safety Management Systems
• Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices
• HACCP Program
• Review ISO-19011 Auditing Principles
• Gain understanding of the GFSI schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC2200, Global G.A.P.) from the auditor point of view

This workshop complies with the training requirements for GFSI professionals and Internal auditors for GFSI approved schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC22000, Global G.A.P. among others)

This workshop has been designed by MSc. Oscar Camacho with more than 28 years of experience managing Food Safety and Quality Systems in the food industry, and based on the weaknesses found with his customers while providing auditing and consulting services.

Download flyer for complete details and pricing

SQF IA Training Napa December 9-10-11-2015

SQF IA Training in Napa December 9th, 10th, 11th - Sign Up Now

IMPLEMENTING SQF-SQF CODE, 7.2 EDITION

Two Day Course - December 9, 10 (Napa Winery Inn)

The goals of the Implementing SQF course are to:

• Promote an understanding of the SQF Code.
• Create a knowledge base to facilitate the successful implementation of an SQF System.
• Show how a HACCP-based approach manages food safety and quality hazards in an operation.

Course Content Outline

• Section 1. SQF Overview
• Section 2. Preparing for SQF Certification
• Section 3. SQF Certification Process
• Section 4. SQF Certification Process (HACCP and HACCP for Quality)
• Section 5. SQF Systems Elements
• Section 6. Food Safety Fundamentals and Prerequisite Programs

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GFSI AUDITS WORKSHOP

One Day Course - December 11 (Napa Winery Inn)

The goals of the Internal and External GFSI Audits course are to:

Provide and improve the knowledge, skills and abilities required by GSFI auditors, food industry professionals and internal auditors on:

• Food Safety Management Systems
• Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices
• HACCP Program
• Review ISO-19011 Auditing Principles
• Gain understanding of the GFSI schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC2200, Global G.A.P.) from the auditor point of view

This workshop complies with the training requirements for GFSI professionals and Internal auditors for GFSI approved schemes (SQF, BRC, FSSC22000, Global G.A.P. among others)

This workshop has been designed by MSc. Oscar Camacho with more than 28 years of experience managing Food Safety and Quality Systems in the food industry, and based on the weaknesses found with his customers while providing auditing and consulting services.

Download flyer for complete details and pricing

SQF IA Training Napa December 9-10-11-2015