Monday, November 27, 2017

Open Position: Quality Assurance Coordinator


One of our clients is looking for a QA Coordinator for their Site in Atlanta area (Griffin, GA). If interested please send your resume in LinkedIn:

Position/ Job Title: Quality Assurance Coordinator

Department: Quality Assurance

Status: Non-Exempt, Hourly

Shift: 6:30 am – 3:30 pm

Immediate Supervisor: Plant Manager, FSQA Manager

Positions Supervise: Blending, Brewing, Filling, Packaging

JOB SUMMARY

  • The Quality Assurance Coordinator ensures that day to day production meets the established standards of quality and food safety. The position is responsible for monitoring and maintaining key indicators of product quality and safety through inspection, testing and communication.
  • The Quality Assurance Coordinator guarantees the operations and procedures on the plant floor meet and align with corporate quality policy. This includes maintenance of the SQF and quality programs, HACCP, allergen control, ingredient control, cGMP’s, document control, traceability, product quality reviews, and corrective/preventative action.

The Quality Assurance Coordinator is responsible for notifying any deviations in quality processes to personnel-in-charge in manufacturing assembly and responsible for reporting compliance and all deviations to the Plant Manager and FSQA Manager.

If this opening is of your interest, please submit your resume via LinkedIn or write an e-mail at info@superiorfoodsafety.com subject: QA Coordinator – Atlanta Area

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Training in English and Spanish


Classes Available in English & Spanish and Consulting Services

WE OFFER PUBLIC AND ON-SITE TRAINING CLASSES:
  • HACCP Workshop
  • Implementing SQF Training - Version 8.0 - English and Spanish
  • FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods
  • FSPCA For Human Food Compliance
  • Produce Safety Rule Training Official Program
  • SQF Quality Systems For Food Manufacturers
  • Internal and External GFSI Audits
  • Crisis Management
  • Gluten Free Certification Program
  • SQF Advance Practitioner Course
  • Prerequisite Programs

WE ALSO OFFER:

  • Food Safety Consulting Services

Please visit our website or send us an email for more information!

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Monday, November 20, 2017

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.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Training Classes At Your Location


Classes Available in English & Spanish and Consulting Services

WE OFFER PUBLIC AND ON-SITE TRAINING CLASSES:
  • HACCP Workshop
  • Implementing SQF Training - Version 8.0 - English and Spanish
  • FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods
  • FSPCA For Human Food Compliance
  • Produce Safety Rule Training Official Program
  • SQF Quality Systems For Food Manufacturers
  • Internal and External GFSI Audits
  • Crisis Management
  • Gluten Free Certification Program
  • SQF Advance Practitioner Course
  • Prerequisite Programs

WE ALSO OFFER:

  • Food Safety Consulting Services

Please visit our website or send us an email for more information!

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Superior Food Safety at the SQF Conference


Superior Food Safety is at the SQF conference in Dallas, Texas. We represent Gluten Free Certification program on the west coast.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Congratulations To Marukan Vinegar USA


Congratulations to our client Marukan Vinegar USA on the Grand Opening of the new plant located in Griffin, GA. Oscar Camacho with The President of the company Jon Tanklage.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Top 6 Benefits of On-Site Training


On-site training is becoming more and more of a necessity for organizations around the world, specialized training in accordance with the organization's needs helps teams become more productive and innovative. On-site training has also grown from just training employees in a specific location to training employees globally via online training which reduces cost and allows multiple branches of the organization to learn together.

1. Location
The biggest advantage of on-site training is the location. With the training done on the company's premises, employees save valuable time, which otherwise would have been lost on commuting from another location to the trainer. On-site training also allows the organisation to be free to make last minute changes and make additional changes to who might or might not be helpful to include into the training, for example an operations manager who could share a few experiences with the class or an up-and-coming executive who might be willing to sit in the next available training program

2. Privacy
Delicate organizational data can be shared by members and utilized as solid illustrations amid intuitive and confidential workshop sessions in complete confidence. Upper-management may train specific mid-leveled executives on the internal workings of the organization.

3. Tailored Program Content
Organizations have the ability to tailor each and every aspect of the training process as well as customize the lessons according to the company's own policies. Guiding employees on which area's the organization would like them to focus on for a specific time period or financial year.

4. Boosts employee productivity and profits
Employees are able to build new skills, develop existing skill sets, and gather new knowledge about products and services that will boost their on-the-job productivity. Given that most training programs from universities and training institutes are quite time consuming and expensive on individual based training. With on-site training employees do not have to time out of the office and instead clock back to work as soon as the training is complete and since they are based on group lessons, the cost for such training is significantly reduced.

5. Employees have access to training that work around their schedule
With on-site training, training can be scheduled to the organization's needs and learning and development professionals can plan training to suit their own employees rather than the usual classroom style of universities which have a specified schedules that often clash with work hours.

6. Keeps employees up to date on current company protocols
While many employees are offered entrance training when they first join an association, continuing onsite training offers them the capacity to further build up their aptitudes and extend their expert learning. Since company processes are constantly evolving, it's critical that representatives are offered access to new training and stay up-to-date. On-site training gives professionals the opportunity to grow their abilities or find out about new subjects inside of their specialty so as to stay competent and innovative with industry trends or new insights that may give them an advantage at work.

Article Source: https://www.findcourses.com/prof-dev/l-d-articles/top-6-benefits-of-onsite-training-9873

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Five Tips to Add Food Fraud Prevention To Your Food Defense Program


With the rising awareness of food fraud prevention and control regulated by FSMA and GFSI schemes, these 5 tips will help your compliance and enhance your current food defense program.

Food defense is the protection of food products from intentional contamination or adulteration, as well as biological, chemical, physical or radiological agents. It addresses additional concerns including physical, personnel and operational security. A traditional food defense program is generally perceived as a program that includes site security, visitors control or even on-site personnel monitoring. However, with the new FSMA Preventive Controls Rules and GFSI Guidance for all the recognized schemes, additional to consumer demand on product transparency, we must now take food fraud into consideration within our food defense program.

What is food fraud? According to the study from Michigan State University, food fraud is a collective term used to encompass the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or food packaging, or false misleading statements made about a product, for economic gain. It becomes not just a potential for food safety issues, but also a severe issue that could potentially damage your brand reputation. It is hence critical to have appropriate protection and prevention, as the umbrella encompasses both food defense and food safety.

What does this mean to food manufacturers? The awareness of traceability and transparency certainly should rise. Most facilities should have a food defense program in place to comply with any GMP or GFSI requirements. To make it more competent for food fraud, what could we do? Here are some quick tips to strengthen your food defense program with food fraud prevention:

  • Tip 1: Review your entire supply chain one more time, considering fraud risks
  • Tip 2: Use the HACCP concept for food fraud risk analysis
  • Tip 3: Double-check incoming goods
  • Tip 4: Make the entire supply chain transparent
  • Tip 5: Document all records

Tip 1: Review your entire supply chain one more time, considering fraud risks
The unknown could potentially hurt you or your program. You would prefer to be aware of what might go wrong before it goes wrong, which is why a review should be one of the key steps in your food safety program. It might be a familiar terminology in the industry; however, we could not eliminate its importance to your entire food safety management system. To maintain product authenticity, understanding where your ingredients come from and who your business partners and suppliers are become the first step to success. It also gives you an excellent opportunity to analyze the risks and potential risk sources. A thorough review should include all the approved suppliers and vendor information. Knowing the source of your product provides you with a good foundation for your food defense program. How can we efficiently review our own supply chain?

  • List all approved suppliers and contract vendors
  • Make sure all ingredients are used accordingly and as intended
  • Keep the supplier registration list up to date

The more you understand your own supply chain, the more helpful it will be to your food defense program.

Tip 2: Use HACCP concept for food fraud risk analysis within supply chain
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), as defined by FDA, is a management system in which food safety is ensured by addressing through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards throughout the entire supply chain. This mentality of HACCP could be used and very helpful to analyze the potential fraud risks. Its seven principles and 12 steps could be implemented to identify your own fraud risks. And it is important for us to identify the hazards from potentially adulterated ingredients to determine the next step for what needs to be controlled. Utilizing the 12 steps, we can list all the key points and steps that could potentially impact your products’ authenticity. The risks can come from personnel, visitors or the ingredients themselves. There are many resources out there; for example, US Pharmacopeia (USP) has developed a global food fraud database that is a good resource for all ingredients that have been falsely used in food products.

Tip 3: Double-check incoming goods
Many articles address the importance of vulnerability assessments to prevent food fraud plus any documentation your suppliers have provided. Yes, it is critical; however, as one of the important steps in the HACCP program, verification is also important to make sure what goes into your finished products is safe and guaranteed. This could be addressed and monitored by implementing genetic testing. Each product and ingredient has its own DNA, just like our fingerprints. Nowadays, there are many methodologies developed for this type of test. The DNA testing could be a helpful tool to help your facility verify the authenticity of your incoming raw materials. Genetic testing using techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect the DNA of the product upon receiving the incoming goods. Moreover, as fast as it can be, facilities can now receive the test results within one to two hours. The testing itself might seem like an extra step with more effort and labor. However, the return is a huge saving on damages caused by food fraud. You can now start to verify and control your supply chain from the beginning to avoid any potential adulteration.

Tip 4: Make the entire supply chain transparent
This transparency not only applies to internal employees but also outward to your customers and vendors. That way you can familiarize yourself with your own supply chain, while at the same time establish brand reputation and confidence to your customers.

Tip 5: Keep all records documented
The records you should keep, besides a registration list of all your ingredients and vendors, should include the inventory list, how ingredients are used, whether it is used outside of its intended use and authorized personnel signatures. The following are some tips for an efficient document control:

  • Make it clear and straightforward
  • Categorize it based on your own facility operations
  • Keep the records in the same order of your supply chain from ingredients to end consumers

After all, with the newly released requirements, as QA professionals, we need to start developing a mindset that considers food fraud as a type of hazard, and develop monitor and control strategies for mitigating it. Just like we are now so familiar with the physical, chemical and biological hazards within our production facilities compared to decades ago, food fraud will no longer be a scary term once it is proficiently understood and properly controlled.

Article Source: https://foodsafetytech.com/column/five-tips-add-food-fraud-prevention-food-defense-program/

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Final Available Class for 2017


GFCP Gluten Free Certification Program
November 6th, 2017 Dallas, TX


GFCP (GLUTEN FREE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM) TRAINING FOR AUDITORS AND CONSULTANTS

SQFI in conjunction with the Allergen Control Group (ACG) is pleased to provide an opportunity for interested auditors to achieve approved auditor certification at the SQF Conference

The Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) is a management system and facility certification used by ingredient and processing manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to the implementation of responsible practices, related to the safe and reliable production of gluten-free foods.

GFCP is endorsed by the Beyond Celiac (formerly the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) in the USA and the Canadian Celiac Association. GFCP standard is an incremental core set of fundamental operating requirements that provide a facility with the preventative gluten management systems needed to demonstrate a commitment to gluten controls and social compliance. Successfully, implementing these requirements ensures the facility have the tools in place to meet or exceed regulatory outcomes and avoid dependency on random end-product testing.

Course Description:
The objective of this course is to provide the food industry and internal auditors with the knowledge about the ANAB Accredited Gluten-Free Certification Program, Standard Policies and Procedures, as a necessary step for a facility to successfully complete a third-party audit. The course is based on the auditing methodology documented in ISO 17021 and the technical skills necessary to train and implement the GFCP standards. A Certificate of Attendance will be issued indicating the participant has completed GFCP Industry Training as one of the competencies recommended to acquire a GFCP Certificate of Recognition for the facility and or becoming an approved GFCP auditor. Retailers, consultants and supplier organizations are also welcome to attend this training, to learn about the GFCP Standard and how the auditor will audit in the standard.

Pre-Requisites:
Although there are no set requirements to sit for this course, there are specific pre-requisite competencies in order to become a certified GFCP approved auditor.

The goals of this one-day course are:
Gain a clear understanding of the GFCP standard.
Comprehend the requirements to be an approved GFCP internal or third-party Auditor
Learn the GFCP Standard Certification Assessment Requirements

Instructors:
Oscar Camacho, President Superior Food Safety Inc., SQF License Training Center & SQF Certified Consultant – High Risk and SQF Certified Trainer
Paul Valder, President, Allergen Control Group Inc.

Date: Monday, November 6, 2017
Time: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Cost: USD $375.00 per person (includes course materials and lunch)