[Up Front] 2010 - A Year of Change

Change is coming. The food industry can expect 2010 to be a year of change. And while some of the changes will be very beneficial, I am worried about other changes we face.

The industry should expect to see more regulations and more regulatory oversight. The first of these new changes will start passing through lawmakers’ hands early in 2010. We will also start seeing imposed requirements from many of the new GFSI scheme audits, which numerous retailers and large companies are requiring for supplier approval. Although many say that these government and audit scheme changes will bring improvement, my concern is we will become so focused on satisfying the requirements and relying on records to evaluate food safety programs that we will lose sight of the plant floor.

A few years ago I read a study on food industry recalls (failures) and their causes. Overwhelmingly, the cause was a lack of employee training. The study indicated that written food safety plans were in place at these facilities, but not being carried out on the floor or understood by employees.

Several elements are needed to assure us that our food safety programs are being implemented and there is a culture committed to food safety from management to line workers. All of the necessary programs can be in place, but without the commitment of management and personnel, they won’t be successful. Employee training and education is the critical step for program success. We need to ensure that employees understand why and how each food safety program is to be implemented, verified and validated. Training and education elements must be supported by management and employees, and be encouraged and supported by the plant culture.

Next, we need to evaluate program implementation and measure the success or failure. This requires in-depth audits and inspections and processes for correction. Then, the value of the auditing and inspecting processes is evaluated to ensure that programs are functioning to move food safety programs forward. While each element is important, the commitment of the facilities, its employees and management staff is mandatory for success.

While a lot of change is expected for 2010, the key ingredient for a successful food safety program will remain the same…a strong culture for food safety found on the plant floor. Developing this culture is our responsibility, not the government’s responsibility. It is the key to success for all of our programs and it makes change very easy to deal with. AIB

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