WHY CANNABIS COMPANIES NEED HACCP TO SUCCEED

By Icicle

As a young, innovative, and tech-oriented industry, cannabis companies are growing a whole new multi-billion dollar industry in almost no time at all. But in such a quickly expanding sector, only recently legalized in Canada and other jurisdictions, it’s more important than ever for cannabis companies to ensure that their products are safe to consume. With the right outlook and the right technology, securing public trust and producing the best product on the market are two wholly compatible goals.

Look to Canada for Cannabis Regulations & Compliance

As cannabis becomes legal in more and more places worldwide, the biggest bureaucratic shift will be toward regulation in an industry that has never been regulated before. Many governments are unsure how to proceed, especially when cannabis occupies a grey legal area as a product with limited legality (e.g. if only medical cannabis is legal or if it is federally illegal, as in the US). For this reason, it is practical to look to Canada, the first G7 and G20 country to legalize marijuana, for a safer path into the future.

Since cannabis was legalized in Canada in 2018, companies that wish to produce or sell cannabis have to comply with many regulations, including filing a monthly report with 477 fields. There is every reason to expect that as legalization rolls out, stringent oversight will be a necessary part of a business’ survival – and it must go far beyond the GMP certification that is a basic component of most food safety regulations. As those in the food industry know, GMP can be the beginning of compliance, but it is never the end.

The Clue is in the Edibles

More than any other industry, cannabis companies know that even the slightest shortcoming in safety compliance is a sure way to slam the door on success. It is here that the food industry can give cannabis companies an invaluable clue – and invaluable tools – to look ahead and embrace the possibilities of the future.

It is also here that Canada can point the way forward yet again. Edibles will only become legal in Canada this fall, a full year behind other types of cannabis products. According to Deloitte, the market is estimated to be worth $2.7 billion annually. And while there is a good argument for treating all cannabis products (which come from a plant that must be grown and harvested) like a food product, the edibles industry is certainly about to be hit with the regulatory requirements from the food industry.

In fact, the control measures that the government is requiring of edibles manufacturers are, in the words of Health Canada spokesperson Tammy Jarbeau, “in large part drawn from and align with requirements that apply to food under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.” These regulations are designed to specifically reduce the risk of food-borne illness and contamination by requiring edible and extract producers to create, among other things, hazard analysis (5.2.13) and preventative control plans (5.2.14) starting on October 17, 2019.

The writing is certainly on the wall: the government is taking its regulatory cues from the food industry, and cannabis companies that succeed must follow along. The good news is that, unlike many of the regulatory software for the cannabis industry, there is no need to start from square one.

HACCP: The Future of Cannabis Compliance

The gold-standard of the food industry, required in Canada since the Safe Foods for Canadians Act was passed into law in 2012, is the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) program. While it’s not a certification itself (more so a systematic approach to identifying hazards and creating plans around them), most food safety and quality certifications do require or build upon it, including higher-level certifications like SQF. Business partners generally require HACCP to do business all over the world, particularly in North America.

So if HACCP is increasingly a prerequisite for business in the food industry, you can bet that most cannabis regulations will draw from it. And while much of the food industry still uses outdated, manual approaches to HACCP that take months or years to implement, the cannabis industry is perfectly situated to jump ahead and adopt the new technologies that are specifically geared toward compliance.

From Food to Cannabis: Automated One-Click HACCP Plans and Traceability

In fact, the cannabis industry is already looking to compliance and traceability technology built specifically for the sector. But those software systems don’t treat cannabis as a food product – and so miss a huge opportunity to anticipate the needs of the industry (like the necessity of robust traceability) and capitalize on the knowledge and experience of a parallel and even intersecting one (that is, food).

An ERP like Icicle, designed for the food industry and seamlessly adapted for cannabis businesses and supply chains, transforms the process of implementing HACCP from spanning months or years to just weeks, and takes what once took shelves and shelves of binders, and now puts it all in one digital space.

Thanks to automation and IoT technology, Icicle can:

• Manage compliance and traceability from seed to (whole)sale: Streamline traceability down to the farm level, generate traceability reports in seconds, and protect businesses throughout the supply chain from costly and dangerous recalls.
• Generate HACCP plans and other compliance documents in one-click: Automate those 477-field reports and other types of documentation with a single, interconnected ecosystem for your entire business — sales, shipping, safety, traceability, and beyond – that can update in real-time.
• Implement a sustainable system that will grow with your business: The fastest solution is also the best and most forward-thinking one. Icicle provides complete licensing documents and related SOPs so you can achieve full compliance with the Cannabis Act, including any changes down the road and requirements in new markets, because we will get you set up the right way.

Visionary thinkers and leaders understand that these changes are coming, that they should be embraced, and that part of embracing higher standards of safety and quality means adopting automation solutions that help you get ahead of – and even mostly eliminate – paperwork, recalls, and inefficiencies.

Cannabis companies need to move beyond the basic pharmaceutical and GMP requirements and start thinking about the long-term implications of upping their food safety game. And those that are the first to adopt HACCP plans will gain access to massive market share potential long before their slower competitors.

Want to stand out as forward-thinking, proactive, and trustworthy?

Request your free HACCP plan sample for Cannabis Producers now >>

Request a demo of Icicle’s Cannabis ERP System >>

Superior Food Safety has partnered with Icicle Technologies Inc. to bring Icicle, a smart food manufacturing software, to the food & beverage and the growing industries. 

November's FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Course - Spots Still Available!

NAPA: FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food - 2-1/2 Day Course #75479

Date And Time

Wed, Nov 13, 2019 Fri, Nov 15, 2019

Location

Napa Valley College

2277 Napa Vallejo Highway BLDG 3000, RM 3004

Napa, CA 94558

Register HERE

Description
In partnership with Superior Food Safety, Napa Valley College is hosting this timely and important workshop for wineries.

Through the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), Napa Valley College is able to offer a discount of $550 to qualified companies. Click on the following link - https://tinyurl.com/ybf76a6a and complete application to see if your company is eligible for an ETP discount (please note that an ETP 104 form must also be completed for each attendee from your company). After your forms are completed, please send all forms to Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250 / VBible@napavalley.edu. Once you are certified, you will receive the code to register for the ETP pricing of $300. If you are already ETP certified and need a code, please contact Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250/VBible@napavalley.edu.

Attend this 2-1/2 day course starting on Wednesday, November 13th and ending on Friday, November 15th.

Course Description - What You'll Learn:

• Meet the requirements for training under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117.155 for the Preventive Controls “Qualified Individual”
• Learn and understand the responsibilities of a preventive controls qualified individual
• Learn How preventive controls build on established food safety principles
• Understand and identify the Components of a Food Safety Plan
• Learn how to conduct Food Safety Plan activities such as developing and reviewing a food safety plan
• Provide the necessary skills for validating preventive controls, verifying and validating process controls among others.

Three-Day Course:
Wednesday, November 13th from 8 AM-5 PM
Thursday, November 14th from 8 AM-5 PM
Friday, November 15th from 8 AM-12 PM

Who Should Attend:
Companies, especially small and medium sized, producing human foods that must comply with the Preventive Controls for Human Foods rule that is part of FSMA.

• Food Industry Senior Management
• GFSI Leads (SQFP)
• Operation and Production Managers
• Quality Assurance Managers and Supervisors
• HACCP Coordinators
• Supply Chain Management Personnel & Purchasing Managers
• Auditors
• Food Plant and Facility Managers
• Risk Management Managers
• Government and Food Regulatory Personnel
• Food Safety and Quality Management Consultants

Oscar Camacho has more than 28 years of experience managing food safety and quality systems. Mr. Camacho's special insights come from years of first-hand experience in the food industry, and from client weaknesses he identified and solved while providing auditing and consulting services.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR SQF CERTIFICATION WITH ICICLE

There are three different layers of oversight that every food business must consider. The first is government regulations like FSMA, which are mandatory in your jurisdiction and for the purposes of exporting to others. The second layer is specialty foods regulations, such as organic, non-GMO, vegan, Kosher, Halal, and the like. The third layer is driven not by government or consumers, but by retailers. This is where the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized certifications come into play. In the North American market, chief among these certifications is the Safe Quality Food (SQF) program.

The Benefits of SQF Certification

In a recent survey, researchers found that 92% of SQF practitioners, auditors, and stakeholders believe that passing SQF certification provides trust in the food manufacturing process. The same study showed that 86% of those surveyed report that big customers and retailers demand GFSI certification, such as SQF. This is the case with big name retailers like Costco, Sobeys, Target, Tesco, and Walmart.

Researcher Tetty Havinga writes that there are several drivers for retailers to require such certifications:

• Certifications like SQF are a safeguard against liability claims
• Programs that focus on quality, in addition to food safety, ensure high-quality products
• SQF helps standardize requirements across their suppliers
• SQF helps avoid recalls and bad press
• Higher standards help build consumer confidence in the retailer’s brand
• SQF helps companies outsource expensive quality controls

SQF certification carries international recognition of safe, quality food that leads to worldwide possibilities with the biggest retailers. The newest version of the SQF Code reflects the demand for safer sourcing, production, and transportation of food. So why not get this certification yesterday?

The reality is that SQF certification can be difficult to attain and maintain, with lots of paperwork, procedures, and annual renewals. Icicle can make SQF certification much easier – here’s how.

Steps to SQF Certification

Becoming SQF Certified is a straightforward process of seven steps:

1. Learn about the SQF Code.
2. Register your company in the SQF Assessment Database.
3. Designate and train an SQF Practitioner.
4. Obtain proposals from certifying bodies.
5. Conduct a gap analysis.
6. Choose a certification body and schedule an audit.
7. Work with the certifying auditor as they conduct two initial audits:

• Documentation review to ensure you’re ready on paper. This also allows time to correct mistakes before the facility audit.
• Facility audits verify that the SQF System is effective and all elements interact properly, hazards are identified and controlled, and the company is committed to meeting SQF standards.

Passing the initial audit doesn’t guarantee continued certification. Depending on your score, your company will have annual or bi-annual re-certification audits, including one unannounced audit within the first three years. SQF certified companies and those working toward certification must familiarize themselves with SQF Code Edition 8 and update their procedures before an audit occurs.

New Things to Know: Food Fraud and Food Defense

SQF (and other GFSI-certified programs) are focusing more and more on the global problems of food fraud – the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food products or false or misleading statements made for economic gain – and food defence, which is aimed at preventing intentional food contamination by biological, chemical, physical, or radiological hazards.

Two new prevention systems, closely related to HACCP, have been introduced to address food fraud and food defense. VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points) plans address the global food safety and quality problem that has been widely reported in markets like olive oil and honey. VACCP plans can help satisfy new SQF code requirements, like Item 2.4.4.5: “The site’s food fraud vulnerability assessment… shall include the site’s susceptibility to raw material or ingredient substitution, mislabeling, dilution and counterfeiting which may adversely impact food safety.”

TACCP (Threat Assessment and Critical Control Points) is a program that focuses on employee background and facility security. By systematically analyzing employee’s background checks and increasing security, threats are minimized. A TACCP plan can satisfy new parts of the SQF code, like item 11.6.8.3: “Vehicles (e.g. trucks/vans/containers) shall be secured from tampering using a seal or other agreed upon, acceptable device or system.”

How Icicle Prepares Your Company for SQF Certification

SQF Code is beginning to push automation and software solutions as a way to maintain excellence. Item 11.2.11.1 requires that software be validated as appropriate, and auditors will determine if the SQF system in use is truly effective. Meeting the demands for software is a small reason to choose Icicle; the big reason that users love Icicle is that it makes every aspect of managing a food business simple, including certifications.

Whether your company is just beginning or needs a better solution to earn and maintain certifications, Icicle helps you through each step with integrated and time-saving features.

Templates

Reusable templates can be created in Icicle to enable employees to efficiently react with corrective actions to events that can place the business such as recalls. This feature also improves efficiency for routine tasks such as lab tests, inspections, and preventative maintenance.

HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP

Icicle walks you through setting up HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP plans – step by step – so that you can satisfy food safety, food fraud, and food defense requirements. The intelligent system aggregates anonymized data to provide smart suggestions, which makes the whole process faster. By setting up your HACCP, TACCP, and VACCP plans in Icicle’s digital model of your facility, you benefit in the long-term as your plan can change and grow easily with your company.

Assessments

TACCP and VACCP concerns are addressed in Icicle’s Assessment feature. Managers answer customizable questions about an employee’s or vendor’s potential economic or ideological motivations that could lead to food adulteration or fraud. It also looks at the potential of ingredients, materials, and packaging to be adulterated for financial gain or terrorist purposes. The feature uses statistical algorithms to generate a risk profile score, allowing risks to be mitigated.

Vendor Management

The Vendor Management feature checks for vendor certifications to ensure every ingredient entering your facility is as safe as possible. This feature also helps create plans for alternate sourcing, fulfilling VACCP requirements. Learn more about what Icicle’s Vendor Management can do here.

Virtual Audits by Remote Access

The SQF Practitioner can grant the auditor online access to facility documents, building trust and transparency and minimizing auditor time in the facility.

Alerts

The most cost-effective way to prepare for audits is to never find your company unprepared. Icicle helps you continuously maintain audit-ready standards so that you’ll never have to play expensive catch-up or fail an unannounced audit.

Icicle’s Alerts feature goes a long way toward preventing mishaps by notifying users of deviations at Critical Control Points (CCP), like a refrigerator’s temperature rising above its operational limit, so that the problem can be corrected immediately. Other mandatory records, like waste storage and disposal, are readily accessible and, tied into the Alerts infrastructure, help employees stay on top of tasks before they become mistakes.

Real-time alerts are one of the reasons that Food Safety and Quality Coordinator Christopher Foster of recently SQF certified company Ontario Pride Eggs finds Icicle’s automation a worthwhile investment:

“Our immediate return on investment for Icicle is real-time reporting that can capture non-conformities as they happen. If you receive real-time information and alerts, then you can act on it within minutes instead of hours – and fix it before it becomes a problem. It’s all on my dashboard; I can access Icicle through my computer, my tablet, or my phone.” — Christopher Foster, Ontario Pride Eggs

Incident Management

The Incident Management feature quickly allows the SQF Practitioner to launch an incident and reference suggested corrective actions. Root cause analysis and preventative measures can be added to the CCP’s plan. Employees can be flagged for re-training if necessary, and documents can be flagged for review.

Task Management and User Teams

Any task, whether day-to-day preventative maintenance or one-time assignments like a major equipment overhaul, can be assigned to individuals in User Teams through the Task Management feature. Integrated with Incident Management and Alerts, supervisors can monitor and be certain that corrective actions have been taken to fix any problem and maintain readiness.

Visitor Access Component

Per TACCP, visitors to the facility are required to be fully trained in safety or be escorted at all times. Icicle’s Visitor Access Component creates an account for regular personnel like delivery staff and contracted maintenance so that they fill out entry paperwork only once, saving time and building trust. Icicle can print temporary badges for visitors, increasing facility awareness of who should and shouldn’t be in sensitive areas while also fulfilling TACCP requirements. When threats are identified, visitors can also be flagged and locked out.

Automated Traceability

Enhanced Traceability and Automatic Mass Balance Calculations identify exactly which lots contain which ingredients, and how much of that ingredient remains, and does so in 90 seconds. When responding to a potential recall or simply pulling up the data during a re-certification audit, the speed and detail of Icicle’s traceability is unparalleled. This information is centralized and available on more devices than binder or spreadsheet systems.

Icicle users report that audit times have been cut 40% due to the readiness of thorough documentation and the ease of finding information. The ease of keeping records and finding them during audits is one reason Terry Goulah, Vice President of Operations and co-Founder of allergen-free snack company FreeYumm, uses Icicle:

“To be honest, I don’t think we could have [achieved SQF certification] without Icicle. They were impressed that we could show them any information they wanted, like where those products went. From my standpoint, that made the audit go very smoothly.” — Terry Goulah, FreeYumm

Earning SQF certification is only the beginning. You need a plan to stay certified. Automation never sleeps and never takes a day off. Icicle’s 24/7 watchful eye is the easiest way to grow your brand and increase profits by earning and maintaining certifications. Your company goals are closer than you think with the right management system to help you there.

Learn more about Icicle HERE

Superior Food Safety has partnered with Icicle Technologies Inc. to bring Icicle, a smart food manufacturing software, to the food & beverage and the growing industries.

Classes Available for Registration - NEW January Classes Added!

CLASSES AVAILABLE at Napa Valley College

November 13, 14 and 15, 2019

FSPCA Food Safety Preventive Controls for Manufacturers

Regular Price $850, ETP Price $300

CLASSES AVAILABLE at Butte College Training Place

January 17, 2020 *NEW DATE

PSA Produce Safety Rule

For Price Email: The Training Place

January 29, 30 and 31, 2020

FSPCA Food Safety Preventive Controls for Manufacturers

For Price Email: The Training Place

All SQF classes are official, advertised by SQF, and provided by Superior Food Safety a SQF Licensed Training Center. 

All Food Safety Preventive Controls for Human Food classes are authorized and posted by FSPCA, and provided by Oscar Camacho a FSPCA Lead Instructor.

The fees to attend these classes are subsidized through a joint venture between Napa Valley College-Superior Food Safety and funded by ETP-Employment Training Panel Program of California.

PRICE STARTS AT $180.00 + Administrative Fees PER CLASS (See each link below for details)

Please DOWNLOAD, COMPLETE and SUBMIT the forms below to CMonahan@napavalley.edu before you begin the registration process.

Certification Application
Employment Training Panel

Register Now for November's FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food Course

NAPA: FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food - 2-1/2 Day Course #75479

Date And Time

Wed, Nov 13, 2019 Fri, Nov 15, 2019

Location

Napa Valley College

2277 Napa Vallejo Highway BLDG 3000, RM 3004

Napa, CA 94558

Register HERE

Description
In partnership with Superior Food Safety, Napa Valley College is hosting this timely and important workshop for wineries.

Through the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), Napa Valley College is able to offer a discount of $550 to qualified companies. Click on the following link - https://tinyurl.com/ybf76a6a and complete application to see if your company is eligible for an ETP discount (please note that an ETP 104 form must also be completed for each attendee from your company). After your forms are completed, please send all forms to Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250 / VBible@napavalley.edu. Once you are certified, you will receive the code to register for the ETP pricing of $300. If you are already ETP certified and need a code, please contact Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250/VBible@napavalley.edu.

Attend this 2-1/2 day course starting on Wednesday, November 13th and ending on Friday, November 15th.

Course Description - What You'll Learn:

• Meet the requirements for training under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117.155 for the Preventive Controls “Qualified Individual”
• Learn and understand the responsibilities of a preventive controls qualified individual
• Learn How preventive controls build on established food safety principles
• Understand and identify the Components of a Food Safety Plan
• Learn how to conduct Food Safety Plan activities such as developing and reviewing a food safety plan
• Provide the necessary skills for validating preventive controls, verifying and validating process controls among others.

Three-Day Course:
Wednesday, November 13th from 8 AM-5 PM
Thursday, November 14th from 8 AM-5 PM
Friday, November 15th from 8 AM-12 PM

Who Should Attend:
Companies, especially small and medium sized, producing human foods that must comply with the Preventive Controls for Human Foods rule that is part of FSMA.

• Food Industry Senior Management
• GFSI Leads (SQFP)
• Operation and Production Managers
• Quality Assurance Managers and Supervisors
• HACCP Coordinators
• Supply Chain Management Personnel & Purchasing Managers
• Auditors
• Food Plant and Facility Managers
• Risk Management Managers
• Government and Food Regulatory Personnel
• Food Safety and Quality Management Consultants

Oscar Camacho has more than 28 years of experience managing food safety and quality systems. Mr. Camacho's special insights come from years of first-hand experience in the food industry, and from client weaknesses he identified and solved while providing auditing and consulting services.

Superior Food Safety and Icicle Team Up to Deliver Food Safety Technology and Expertise

RICHMOND, CANADA (March 12 2019) – Icicle Technologies Inc. and Superior Food Safety have partnered to drive the adoption of unparalleled food safety technology and expertise throughout the American and Latin American markets.

Superior Food Safety, based in Napa, California, has brought an unparalleled level of food safety expertise through consulting and training for certification and maintenance of FSMA and GFSI food safety and quality schemes for the past decade. By combining Superior Food Safety’s expertise with Icicle’s food production management technology, the two companies will provide a strong platform for companies seeking food safety excellence and GFSI-recognized certifications.

In recent years, new regulations across the globe have emphasized the importance of technology in an increasingly complex global food supply chain. Manual tracking for food safety and traceability are no longer adequate; not only do companies need to reach higher to meet new safety requirements, but the biggest food retailers are requiring even higher standards from their suppliers as a precondition for doing business.

Superior Food Safety conducted a rigorous review of food safety software applications before launching the partnership with Icicle Technologies Inc., which was over two years in the making. With the introduction of farming to Icicle’s sophisticated infrastructure just this year, Icicle is set to make waves in the food industry around the world.

The expansion into Latin America follows Icicle’s participation in a recent trade mission to Colombia and Mexico with Wavefront and the Canadian Trade Commission Service. Last year, Icicle also launched a partnership with Canada’s largest telecommunications company, Bell Canada, to deliver IoT solutions to the food industry.

“Automation has become an absolute necessity for all food businesses,” says Icicle founder Steven Burton. “We’re excited to partner with Superior Food Safety because the combination of their deep GFSI systems and regulatory expertise combined with our unique technology is helping people create safer, higher quality, products at lower cost. We’ve created a one-stop shop for food safety, traceability, vendor management, maintenance, inventory, production, and more, and now provide the knowledge needed to bring the benefits of Icicle automation to companies globally.”

“We searched and evaluated several software applications globally, that could fit the needs of our niche and Icicle was the only one that met our criteria related to in-depth functionality, user-friendliness, rapid deployment, iPad/tablet capability to monitor control points, scalability, and much more,” says Superior Food Safety’s founder and President Oscar Camacho.

The partnership with Icicle will allow Superior Food Safety to leverage its consulting business and outsource food safety services, even for those food companies that can’t afford a food safety professional on their payrolls.

About Superior Food Safety

Superior Food Safety is a Consulting Company and Training Center on GFSI, Gluten Free Certification, and regulatory programs from system design, implementation, maintenance, continuous improvement, and program updates. The key differentiator is our knowledge of how to organize for success throughout the Food industry by designing food safety and quality management systems for effectiveness and cost efficiency that rewards integrity, reduces associated risks and protects your Business. Visit our web site to learn more about our services. www.superiorfoodsafety.com

For Icicle inquiries, visit www.superiorfoodsafety.com/software-system/

Food safety is everyone’s concern. In that, we can help ensure your success! Food safety is our business.

About Icicle

Icicle is an advanced food production software that enables food processors and producers to manage most aspects of their food business in one unified system. Through connecting food safety, traceability, quality assurance, inventory, procurement, production, maintenance, and more, Icicle simplifies operations and ensures compliance with the latest industry standards so users can focus on profitability, growth, and long-term goals. Learn more and request a demo at icicletechnologies.com.

On-Site Private Classes in English & Spanish and Consulting Services

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 Advanced Practitioner Course
• Prerequisite Programs

WE ALSO OFFER:

Food Safety Consulting Services

We offer On-Site private classes in English and Spanish. Please email us for a quote: info@superiorfoodsafety.com

NEW FEATURES: HIGH PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS TO RACKING, PICKING, MOBILE INTERFACES

By Icicle

The name of the game for this installment of Icicle’s new features is “improvement” –- improvements in speed, efficiency, choice, and mobile responsiveness that help you manage your workflows better. Check out more below.

Blazingly Fast Warehouse Management

When was it released? April 29, 2019 (Picking) and May, 2019 (Racking)

What does it do? Icicle users love our warehouse management solutions, including the highly sophisticated and integrated racking and picking interfaces, that are specifically designed to increase the throughput of warehouse operations. Now they are even better – we’ve cut down on the time that Icicle sends information back and forth by keeping a snapshot of your inventory, sales orders, and purchase orders locally to deliver incredibly fast speeds.

We’ve also redesigned the workflow based on user feedback. Now it’s easier to use, more efficient, and better integrated with purchasing and sales orders. These improvements also specifically help you load products onto trucks more efficiently and eliminate errors.

Where did the idea come from? This feature upgrade was a real team effort, and we’re thankful to Chris from Ontario Pride Eggs, Terry from Free Yumm, and Emily and Joel from SoyBoy for helping us pull this off!

First Mobile-Friendlier Interfaces

When was it released? April 2019-forward

What does it do? Our users know that Icicle is getting some upgrades – we are revamping the entire app with new graphics and a mobile-friendly responsive design. Head over to the new racking and picking interfaces to see the first examples of the new interfaces – you’ll see the rest of Icicle slowly conform to that design going forward.

Where did the idea come from? The Icicle team has been working on this for a while behind the scenes.

Customizable Homepage

When was it released? March 23, 2019

What does it do? Icicle users have already found the usefulness of the new homepage design, which allows you to customize which links and (new!) widgets are displayed on the front page for quick access. If you need some help figuring out which links and widgets are most relevant for your day-to-day, or how to customize them – feel free to reach out to our support team.

Where did the idea come from? This upgrade is part of our user interface revamp, stay tuned for more!

All-in-One HARPC Solution

When was it released? February 15, 2019

What does it do? Icicle is famous for generating HACCP plans with just one click – but what about HARPC? Icicle has supported full HARPC compliance for years, but we hadn’t yet consolidated everything in one easy package like we’ve done for HACCP. This new feature takes elements from all different parts of Icicle and combines them into one, central HARPC plan that includes every requirement you will need to comply with FSMA (for American companies) and FSVP requirements (for non-US companies shipping to the US).

Where did the idea come from? Thanks to Victor from Pura Vida Dairy for working with us on this one!

Track Products Through More Stages

When was it released? January 28, 2019

What does it do? Some products take longer to make than others – for example, certain foods that are fermented or cured meats – and now Icicle keeps track of the particular stage of a product in the process flow. It also filters out incomplete products from your shipping interfaces so you can’t ship the product until it’s completely finished.

Where did the idea come from? A big thanks to Emily and Joel from SoyBoy, who are the experts when it comes to fermentation!

Mass Reminders to Vendors

When was it released? February 7, 2019

What does it do? Icicle already keeps track of all your vendor certifications for you with our vendor management (or supplier management) interface. Now we’ve added a feature to send mass reminders to multiple vendors when their third-party certifications are expiring so you don’t have to follow up with them one at a time. This is just another way that we continue to help out our friends in QA departments.

Where did the idea come from? This idea comes from Felicia from Fresh Direct; thank you!

See Everything That Goes into Your Products

When was it released? February 24, 2019

What does it do? Ever wanted to know exactly what you used during a particular production run? We recently added a new input trace feature that brings up a report to show you all of the ingredients, materials, and packing that were consumed during a particular production run. This report goes down through precursor iterations to give you all of the base raw materials used in that run – making it extremely useful information for both traceability and costing.

Where did the idea come from? Ideas with efficiency like this often come from our friend Paul over at P&S Frozen Foods.

Superior Food Safety has partnered with Icicle Technologies Inc. to bring Icicle, a smart food manufacturing software, to the food & beverage and the growing industries.

Remaining 2019 Classes Open for Registration

CLASSES AVAILABLE at Napa Valley College

November 13, 14 and 15, 2019

FSPCA Food Safety Preventive Controls for Manufacturers

Regular Price: $850, ETP Price $300

CLASSES AVAILABLE at Butte College Training Place

October 16, 17, 2019

SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing

Regular Price: $525, ETP Price Email: The Training Place

October 18, 2019

Internal and External GFSI Audits Workshop

Regular Price: $325, ETP Price Email: The Training Place

All SQF classes are official, advertised by SQF, and provided by Superior Food Safety a SQF Licensed Training Center. 

All Food Safety Preventive Controls for Human Food classes are authorized and posted by FSPCA, and provided by Oscar Camacho a FSPCA Lead Instructor.

The fees to attend these classes are subsidized through a joint venture between Napa Valley College-Superior Food Safety and funded by ETP-Employment Training Panel Program of California.

PRICE STARTS AT $180.00 + Administrative Fees PER CLASS (See each link below for details)

Please DOWNLOAD, COMPLETE and SUBMIT the forms below to CMonahan@napavalley.edu before you begin the registration process.

Certification Application
Employment Training Panel

Only 1 Week Until Our Basic HACCP Workshop in Spanish - Register Today!!

NAPA: Basic HACCP Workshop for Manufacturers in SPANISH - 2 Day Course

Date And Time 

Thu, Oct 10, 2019 - Fri, Oct 11, 2019

Location

Napa Valley College

2277 Napa Vallejo Highway BLDG 3000, RM 3004

Napa, CA 94558

Register HERE

Description

In partnership with Superior Food Safety, Napa Valley College is hosting this timely and important workshop.

Through the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), Napa Valley College is able to offer a discount of $475 to qualified companies. Click on the following link - https://tinyurl.com/ybf76a6a and complete application to see if your company is eligible for an ETP discount (please note that an ETP 104 form must also be completed for each attendee from your company). After your forms are completed, please send all forms to Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250 / VBible@napavalley.edu. Once you are certified, you will receive the code to register for the ETP pricing of $250. If you are already ETP certified and need a code, please contact Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250/VBible@napavalley.edu.

Please note that this training will be taught in Spanish.

Course Description - What You'll Learn:

• Provide the attendee with the tools to build the company’s HACCP food safety program.
• Understand basic principles behind Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Provide the attendee with major government regulatory requirements and industry information.
• Satisfy the training requirement for certification.

Who Should Attend:

Owners, Managers, Chefs, Sous Chefs, servers, and employees of Food Service and Retail business, especially very small, small and medium sized according to the following non-inclusive list:

• Food Industry Senior Management
• GFSI Leads (SQFP)
• Operation and Production Managers
• Quality Assurance Managers and Supervisors
• HACCP Coordinators
• Supply Chain Management Personnel & Purchasing Managers
• Auditors
• Food Plant and Facility Managers
• Risk Management Managers
• Government and Food Regulatory Personnel
• Food Safety and Quality Management Consultants

Two-Day Course: Thursday, October 10th & Friday, October 11th, 8 AM-5 PM each day.

Oscar Camacho's experience spans the globe and the entire range of the industry. He has over 32 years of experience in the food industry, including ownership of two food processing plants and extensive work with two of the largest food manufacturers in the world. His accounts of food safety successes and failures put accountability into sharp focus. Oscar is a registered FSPCA-Human Foods Lead Instructor and Consultant, PSA-Produce Safety Alliance Lead Instructor, GFCP-Gluten Free Certification Program Consultant and Trainer, SQF Consultant and Trainer, and a former SQF Auditor. He holds a BS in Biology and an MS in Food Science and Engineering from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain. He also holds a Certification in International Management and regularly continues studies in food safety and business administration.

There's Still Space Available for the Basic HACCP Workshop in Spanish - Sign Up Now!!

NAPA: Basic HACCP Workshop for Manufacturers in SPANISH - 2 Day Course

Date And Time 

Thu, Oct 10, 2019 - Fri, Oct 11, 2019

Location

Napa Valley College

2277 Napa Vallejo Highway BLDG 3000, RM 3004

Napa, CA 94558

Register HERE

Description

In partnership with Superior Food Safety, Napa Valley College is hosting this timely and important workshop.

Through the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), Napa Valley College is able to offer a discount of $475 to qualified companies. Click on the following link - https://tinyurl.com/ybf76a6a and complete application to see if your company is eligible for an ETP discount (please note that an ETP 104 form must also be completed for each attendee from your company). After your forms are completed, please send all forms to Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250 / VBible@napavalley.edu. Once you are certified, you will receive the code to register for the ETP pricing of $250. If you are already ETP certified and need a code, please contact Valerie Bible (707) 256-7250/VBible@napavalley.edu.

Please note that this training will be taught in Spanish.

Course Description - What You'll Learn:

• Provide the attendee with the tools to build the company’s HACCP food safety program.
• Understand basic principles behind Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Provide the attendee with major government regulatory requirements and industry information.
• Satisfy the training requirement for certification.

Who Should Attend:

Owners, Managers, Chefs, Sous Chefs, servers, and employees of Food Service and Retail business, especially very small, small and medium sized according to the following non-inclusive list:

• Food Industry Senior Management
• GFSI Leads (SQFP)
• Operation and Production Managers
• Quality Assurance Managers and Supervisors
• HACCP Coordinators
• Supply Chain Management Personnel & Purchasing Managers
• Auditors
• Food Plant and Facility Managers
• Risk Management Managers
• Government and Food Regulatory Personnel
• Food Safety and Quality Management Consultants

Two-Day Course: Thursday, October 10th & Friday, October 11th, 8 AM-5 PM each day.

Oscar Camacho's experience spans the globe and the entire range of the industry. He has over 32 years of experience in the food industry, including ownership of two food processing plants and extensive work with two of the largest food manufacturers in the world. His accounts of food safety successes and failures put accountability into sharp focus. Oscar is a registered FSPCA-Human Foods Lead Instructor and Consultant, PSA-Produce Safety Alliance Lead Instructor, GFCP-Gluten Free Certification Program Consultant and Trainer, SQF Consultant and Trainer, and a former SQF Auditor. He holds a BS in Biology and an MS in Food Science and Engineering from the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain. He also holds a Certification in International Management and regularly continues studies in food safety and business administration.