[AIB Up Front] 'Going Green' in the Food Safety Industry

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz in the food industry about going green. I’ve seen increasing instances of retailers and branded companies pushing the green movement down through their supply chains with matrix reporting systems and audits. Many large companies are even adding new executive positions to lead their sustainability efforts.

But, this movement is somewhat confusing because many “green” activities seem more like good business tactics that are presented solely as environmentally-friendly modifications. I recently read that a major retailer has established a goal of reducing packaging 5 percent by 2013. The changes would result in an estimated reduction of 667,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and save the company $11 billion.

This is very impressive, but I am confused about whether it originated as a good business decision or a “green” decision. It seems as if the traditional duties of the process engineer have been passed down to the sustainability officer.

Someone else recently told me about how a company was able to cut out 585 truck deliveries by reducing product packaging size. This was presented to me as an effort in promoting the green movement, but traditionally it would have been a business problem solved by logistics managers and processing engineers.

One of the most popular marketing trends right now is using environmental-friendly words like sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and carbon footprints to describe a product or company. I support the green movement in the food industry because it brings about things like improved efficiencies, reduced water and energy usage, less waste produced, fewer chemicals released into the atmosphere, etc. But, I am concerned about how this popular movement will affect food safety efforts.

Food safety is a non-negotiable agreement between you and the customer. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, the food industry was encouraged to raise refrigerated temperatures to save energy. Can you imagine if officials neglected to consider the science of temperature and food safety concerns in the energy savings plan and asked companies to follow them blindly? Raising temperature requirements for refrigerated and frozen foods to reduce costs or limit environmental impact is not a good decision unless the scientific impact to food safety is also considered. Remember, cost-savings and green modifications are not beneficial unless risk-based food safety issues are assessed to ensure product safety.    

There are always going to be opportunities in the food industry to reduce waste, water and energy usage, chemicals, etc., and we welcome pressure from the supply chain, retailers and consumers to help us stay focused. But, don’t let market-driven movements trump science-driven food safety. Support the green movement within your company, but always be involved in the decision-making process to make sure that food safety is at the forefront of every decision.

The author is Vice President of Food Safety Education, AIB International.