There has long been a divergence between how well large and small businesses are able to weather the challenges of the food industry, and the winds of change carried in with the COVID-19 pandemic have served to only intensify the inclement climate.

“A lot of the challenges that small companies have became magnified with COVID,” said Foah International Vice President Shawn McBride. When companies plan for crisis management and business continuity, they plan for hurricanes, fires, and such. No one had anything in place for a pandemic, she said.

In speaking with McBride and other small business executives, the primary challenges of small food businesses — both before and during the pandemic — were said to be those related to the workforce, supply chain, and regulation.

THE WORKFORCE. Finding and attracting qualified people is an issue for a lot of food companies, and for those for which demand escalated during the pandemic, the problem escalated as well. With fewer employees to cross over into needed positions, some small companies had to operate around the clock just to keep up.

Beaverton Foods is seeing that very challenge, as sales increased 25% because of its strong retail presence in specialty condiments — “an affordable luxury,” said CEO Dominic Biggi. But even without the business increase, hiring to replace retirees, of which the company has had a lot, has been difficult, he said. “We’re trying to replace them, but it’s really hard to find the talent — both on the floor and in management.”

The company provides generous pay, benefits, upward mobility, and employee safety practices, and has even added temporary incentives for its workers to help combat the increased levels of unemployment pay. With only three of its 90 employees “opting to go a different route,” the company has done pretty well, Biggi said. But it still has needed to use temporary agencies to fill some positions and continues to seek warehouse, production, and middle management employees.

The pandemic also brought in new employee concerns and management issues. With employees seeing all the bad news when they go home, and hearing about a friend of a friend who has the coronavirus, everyone is nervous, he said. So managers now also need to manage that anxiety and help to keep everyone calm and rational.

That fear became an excuse for some to not came back to work at facilities that had temporarily closed, McBride added. So companies not only had the issue with wages not equaling unemployment benefits, they had to implement new worker safety protocols — and the expense that that entailed — then effectively communicate what had been put in place to make the workplace safe. Add to that the difficulties in getting employees to understand how important it is to disclose to their manager if they have come in contact with a person who tested positive, and the situation becomes even more complex.

REGULATION. Staying up to date with all the regulations with which food facilities must comply is another of the challenges that can have a greater impact on small companies, which have fewer people in-house to focus on them. WaterBox, a provider of spring waters in environmentally friendly packaging, has had procedures in place for years related to regulatory requirements for food safety, recalls, logistics, supply chain, and other key areas, said Vice President of Sales & Business Development Trish Pohanka. And to stay up to date on new regulations and other changes, they follow the information from the California Department of Public Health, she said.

Beaverton Foods also uses local resources to help keep them updated, Biggi said. With his company located in Oregon, he has found Food Northwest to be his best resource — and he advises others to do the same. “Get to your association,” he said. “They should be able to help.”

With all the employee safety protocols that were required with the pandemic, McBride said, companies also had to rethink and revise their food safety plans, particularly those related to employee hygiene and sanitation. And, she asks, “What other kinds of regulations could we be expecting longer-term to have these practices — will they become best practices or regulation?”

While a positive outcome of the pandemic has been the increased awareness of health, we may see some of the added standards, such as those implemented for sick leave, remaining. “We can’t go backward,” she said.

SUPPLY CHAIN. One of the greatest supply-chain challenges for smaller companies is that of economies of scale, Pohanka said. While full truckloads would rarely be needed for distribution, the trucking companies want to ensure minimum runs, so it can be difficult to keep costs down. But, even with the supply limitations that have been seen with the pandemic, the company has not had issues with sourcing because its water comes directly from Mt. Shasta, Calif., and Blue Springs, Ga., so requires no other ingredients, mixing, etc. The company does, however, test every batch and partners closely with its downstream manufacturing facilities to ensure they are following all public health regulations.

When the pandemic brought the new health requirements, “we were very confident in our policies and protocols, so we just ramped up,” Pohanka said. “Because we’re direct source, we don’t have people touching the product.” Even, so every employee is taking every precaution possible — and going beyond, she said. “We have no employees as of today that have tested positive.”

With such a limited supply chain not being the norm for food facilities, many faced challenges in bringing on suppliers for ingredients that had become scarce, McBride said. And, this, along with quickly developing confidentiality agreements and other documents to be ready to roll right away — “That’s different than what was needed for a hurricane,” she said.

In looking at the downstream chain, state “stay-at-home” orders also made it difficult for small companies to attract buyers to get their products to consumers. Trade shows and in-person visits had always been the primary way this had been done, and few were prepared to do the kinds of presentations needed for virtual selling through video conferencing.

In crisis management planning, No one had anything in place for a pandemic.

Additionally, with spring being the season in which new and specialty products are introduced for holiday sales, the timing of the pandemic couldn’t have been worse. But with consumer sales stabilizing in retail, stores are again looking for these products, finding that consumers are hungry for new products and flavors.

So it is critical that small companies work with their customers, Biggi said. Shortages still remain; “there is not a grocery store in the nation that’s not running out of stuff,” he said. Which translates to manufacturers not being able to get ingredients to provide the products to keep the stores in stock. “Every day is different; I feel like a MASH unit,” Biggi said. “Every day we hold our breath. It’s been an adventure.”

Biggi credits Beaverton Foods owners for the success the company has had in maintaining supplies. Because they don’t have a lot of debt, he said, they are able to motivate suppliers by paying cash on delivery. “Not having debts is a huge advantage for us.”

And in this case, there are advantages to being small. “We’re more nimble; we can make decisions fast,” he said.

“It’s all about cash flow. You have to manage your costs and cash flow … and keep your people.” For a small business, he said, the key is: “Keep your people happy.”

The author is Senior Advisor and Former Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.

“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.”
— Zig Ziglar

It has been nearly five years since the highly publicized foodborne illness outbreaks at Chipotle Mexican Grill, but those years have enabled the company to gain a distinct “bounce” that has significantly enhanced its food safety programs, while positioning it to proactively address the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2015, Chipotle has introduced progressive food safety policies and procedures, and brought on new executive leaders to enhance its existing practices through farm-to-fork safety and quality measures. Among those new leaders is Vice President of Food Safety Kerry Bridges, who previously worked with Frank Yiannas at Walmart as senior director of supplier food safety. At the same time that FDA called Yiannas, who became Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response in December 2018, Chipotle called on Bridges, who joined in January 2019 to lead the company’s food safety/quality assurance team and food safety restaurant operations teams in Canada and Europe.

Bridges’ work with Yiannas and Dave Theno, who is credited with having saved Jack in the Box after a massive foodborne illness outbreak, significantly advanced her own knowledge and experience in ensuring the food safety of a multinational food business. “I’ve grown up with some of the best in food safety,” Bridges said. “If ever there’s a situation I may not be prepared for, I have people to call on.’’

Additionally, she said, “In keeping up with all of Frank’s initiatives at Walmart, I got used to working with a business of that size.”

It also was at Walmart where Bridges was introduced to food safety culture — which she was pleased to find alive and well at Chipotle. “I really do buy in to how that defines success,” she said, adding, “I drank the food safety culture Kool-Aid.” But, in all seriousness, she added, “I got the message on convincing people how important food safety is — and that message doesn’t fall on deaf ears at Chipotle.”

While Bridges is now responsible for leading the food safety charge, she was provided with a bit of a road map, with food safety needs having been identified by Chipotle’s Food Safety Advisory Council, which was formed in 2016. Consisting of top food safety experts, the council includes former FDA Associate Commissioner of Foods Dr. David Acheson; former USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, Ph.D.; former CDC Research Scientist and Chick-fil-A Director of Food Safety Hal King; and retired Chipotle Head of Food Safety and Meat Sciences Professor James Marsden. As independent, external experts, the Food Safety Advisory Council is charged with evaluating Chipotle programs, both in practice and implementation, and advising the company on ways to continually elevate its standards for food safety and ensure its food safety program is as robust as possible.

“The council did a great job identifying what needed to be done before I got there,” Bridges said. “So the first thing I did was put together a food strategy from that. There was a lot happening, but the team needed a strategy.” That “world-class” food safety strategy is based on six pillars: Remove Risk Early, Reduce Restaurant Risk Factors, Enhance Regulatory Compliance, Drive Global Consistency, Manage Emerging Issues, and Cultivate Food Safety.

REMOVE RISK EARLY. With a key focus on “real” (“Real Ingredients. Real Purpose. Real Flavor”) and a commitment to making food fresh daily using no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, Chipotle uses “a ton of fresh produce”; has no freezers, microwaves, or can openers in its restaurants; and uses only 53 ingredients. So, both supply-chain and facility food safety are critical. But, Bridges said, “When you have only 53 ingredients, you have to get creative.” Particularly when they are 53 ingredients consumers can “recognize and pronounce,” as stated on Chipotle’s Values webpage.

Transparency of the supply chain is a key aspect of this, with Chipotle scanning every case of fresh produce that comes into its restaurants. Suppliers are required to identify each food item with a unique Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), and then label each case of ingredients following GS1 standards with a barcode containing the GTIN, lot number, and pack date or use-by date.

By scanning every case of refrigerated food at each point in the supply chain, Chipotle is able to track and trace every refrigerated ingredient at every restaurant back to the originating supplier at the lot code level.

In this way, “if there is an ingredient or product withdrawal, we can easily see which restaurants may have received the shipment,” Bridges said. She also can see very quickly which restaurants have executed a withdrawal — and which haven’t, “and get on the phone with them,” she said. That level of traceability and transparency also put the onus back on suppliers, growers, and farms to ensure the products they are providing are food safe.

While emphasizing the value that Chipotle places on transparency, Bridges also understands that there are challenges. But, she said, “My team is interested in partnering with suppliers to get through those challenges.”

With Chipotle having built this consistent traceability into its supply chain, Bridges sees it as only a matter of time until the entire food industry becomes just as consistent. “I see a light at the end of the tunnel for suppliers to be engaged and everyone asking the same thing,” she said. “I don’t see it taking 10 years; I see it moving quickly.”

For suppliers interested in partnering with them, she said, “Understanding Chipotle is really important.” Know its values, requirements and processes, and ensure that you are willing and able to reflect those (values). “We maintain a limited list of approved suppliers, many of whom are among the top suppliers in the industry,” she said.

Early risk assessment and removal once product arrives at Chipotle is focused on the use of natural antimicrobial wash of all produce, leveraging of inhibitors, and implementation of innovative processes. For each menu item, Bridges said, “We ask: What can we innovate? What can we do with this menu item to ensure food safety?”

Included among those is discontinuing the use of raw beef in the restaurants. Instead, the beef undergoes a sous vide process at the commissary level. The beef is placed in a vacuum-sealed package and heated at low temperatures for extended periods of time, which preserves the quality and consistency and provides a kill step for food safety. In the restaurant, the sous vide meat is then seasoned and grilled. Chipotle also blanches all fresh jalapenos, which are known to be high-risk produce, before they are diced for the salsas to reduce bacterial loads.

Chipotle has long been known for its focus on local food sourcing. Because this often involves small growers who may face obstacles in meeting the restaurant’s supplier requirements, Chipotle developed a Local Grower Support Initiative, through which it provides training and funding to small, local growers so they can implement programs to meet its standards of food quality and safety.

Chipotle supports its local growers by providing and covering the cost of facility improvements/design for food safety, food safety recordkeeping templates, and tools to help them comply with new regulatory requirements (e.g., the Produce Rule).

Earlier this year, Chipotle partnered with the National Young Farmers Coalition to offer 50 young farmers and ranchers $5,000 grants to start or grow their own business. More recently, Chipotle launched its Virtual Farmers’ Market, which allows farmers in its supply chain to launch improved versions of their own eCommerce websites.

“We invest in young farmers because they are the future,” Bridges said. “We help with training, and ask, ‘How can we help your program?’” But, regardless of size, every supplier has to meet Chipotle’s food safety requirements.

REDUCE RESTAURANT RISK FACTORS. Although it is not a typical foodservice practice, the company implemented HACCP in every restaurant, identifying critical control points (CCPs) and monitoring them. “That’s what we’re measuring, documenting, and training to,” she said.

To ensure the restaurant workers have a full understanding of, and follow, all food safety measures, Chipotle has instituted a wellness check before each shift at each restaurant. It also performs quarterly in-field training and is building out food safety teams in each region of operation to help support the restaurants in their food safety efforts.

To reduce the potential risk inherent in the food preparation conducted in the restaurants, such as ingredient chopping and dicing and guacamole making, there are now a limited number of employees who work with the prep. These teams of “culinary champions” come in in the morning to make the food, limiting the exposure of the food and the number of workers who touch it.

Similar to the five points of food safety implemented at Walmart while Bridges was there, she has developed a seven-point food safety list. The Top 7 Food Safety Things to Remember, posted in the restaurant kitchens as a visual reminder, include:

1. Work healthy
2. Work clean
3. Keep produce safe
4. Cook food to correct temperatures
5. Hold hot and cold foods at specified temperatures
6. Maintain sanitary conditions
7. Call for help when needed

Since 2015, Chipotle has significantly increased the number of internal and third-party inspections of its restaurants, following the requirements of state and local health department inspections. These include unannounced third-party audits, intended to determine and understand any criticals that occur, particularly any repeat criticals.

Bridges’ team also reviews the health department inspections, both for any issues and to compare Chipotle’s results with other restaurants of its size; and Chipotle’s field operations team conducts food safety checks. The field leaders use a software application that allows for real-time visibility into task completion rates, from which they complete a comprehensive monthly review of the food safety standards at each restaurant. They also complete a shorter “Owners’ Path” assessment at each restaurant visit, auditing the location against Chipotle food safety standards.

With regular, real-time feedback from the inspections and audits, Chipotle is able to identify both best practices and areas needing improvement. “We have a lot of food safety communication with the field,” Bridges said. “There is a lot of visibility.”

MANAGE EMERGING ISSUES. With many of its food safety improvements incorporated to mitigate the chance of a norovirus outbreak recurring, Chipotle was ahead of the curve in developing protective practices for COVID-19. The restaurants were already conducting wellness checks and other practices to ensure workers stayed home when ill.

“No one can get into the kitchen without a wellness check, and we were doing that before COVID,” Bridges said. “If someone reports to work who is not feeling well, they are immediately sent home; and if a wellness check isn’t conducted and a supervisor is pressuring someone to work, “the result is termination,” she said.

To help maintain worker health and prevent incidents, Chipotle implemented a norovirus preventive program (NPP), for which it works with a third-party clinical team of three nurses to support its food-safety hotline team. Employees who experience a foodborne illness symptom are contacted by a nurse to make a determination about the NPP and employee exclusions. This process has since been expanded to include employees who may experience COVID-19 symptoms.

“So the team is trained for NPP,” Bridges said. “They understand how important it is to work healthy.” The company has enhanced some of its practices for COVID, such as increasing handwashing to once every 30 minutes from once an hour and adding masks and physical distancing. But, she said, “We did not have to introduce new language.” Workers were told to “keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

With increased health protections now a part the COVID-19 norm, “we’re hoping that the silver lining of all this is that people get the message,” Bridges said. “We’ve been pushing public health for so long, but now people understand how important it is to keep yourself and others safe.”

ENHANCE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. Bridges sees having good relationships with officials at the regulatory agencies, such as CDC, FDA, and state and local health departments, as very important. Increased communication helps the agencies see the effectiveness of Chipotle’s food-safety program and its dedication to food safety. “Chipotle’s constant communication and interactions help ensure early alignment if there are potential concerns,” she said.

Public-private partnerships also enable Chipotle to share best practices it has developed to help the entire industry combat foodborne illnesses. Bridges has talked with CDC about all it has done to combat norovirus, and, she said, “I’m looking forward to that day I can sit down with them and discuss a solution.” Since there is currently no silver bullet to address it, they are doing everything they can to mitigate it and design risk out of the supply chain.

By also holding board seats and participating in technical working groups with associations, Chipotle food safety and quality assurance team members get the opportunity to learn and share knowledge and expertise with other food safety professionals as well as the regulatory agencies.

DRIVE GLOBAL CONSISTENCY. With more than 2,650 restaurants, the U.S. remains Chipotle’s stronghold, but it also operates 40 restaurants outside the U.S. in Europe and Canada — where it ensures consistent practices are in place.

And such consistency is proving to be of value. According to recent research, Chipotle is at the head of the class in food safety, having the least number of nonconformities of the brands the research agency studied. “It tells me that we’re very critical on ourselves — and we absolutely have to be; we have to be the leader,” Bridges said.

CULTIVATE FOOD SAFETY. “Food safety culture is something we put in our strategy to keep the message alive,” Bridges said. In addition to the practices discussed earlier in this article, Chipotle makes a point of investing in its people — both in the field and in the support center — to help them grow.

“I don’t know if everyone realizes how much has gone into these programs and what is happening today,” she said. “But it’s a journey. It’s been a journey and will continue to be.

There is a lot of innovating in the food safety space, and Chipotle is always one to raise our hands and say, ‘Let’s try it,’” she said.

There will always be scenarios when it is difficult to determine what should be done. But, when these come up, Bridges said, she remembers the sage advice of Yiannas, who said, “When you don’t know what to do, do what you know to do.… Go with your gut, with public health in mind.”

The author is the Senior Advisor and former Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.

Having driven the direction of QA since its near beginning, I’ve seen many of my food industry peers change direction — switching companies for upward movement; moving to a different segment within the food industry; and, more and more frequently, taking an early retirement of sorts to move into more of a consulting position.

Even when self-initiated, these changes likely left the person with conflicting emotions — from somberness at leaving behind coworkers and friends to the anticipation that comes with starting anything new.

But with all that oscillation, change is good. It can be revitalizing for the person, the company to which one is headed, and that which is being left behind. And that was exactly my intent in drawing down my position with QA magazine and accepting a role with The Acheson Group (as seen by the changed author description at the end of this column, and all the articles I wrote in this issue).

It is an invigorating time for both QA and me, but you can be sure that I have been having my own conflicting emotions. QA has been good to and for me. The team has always been supportive; I have met incredible people and made lasting relationships at QA and industry wide. I have enjoyed driving the direction of the magazine and helping it grow and develop — just as it has helped my own experience and expertise grow and develop. But I truly feel that, after 16 years, it is time for a change. It is time for QA to be carried further into the 2020s in a new, contemporary direction.

But I am thrilled to say I will still be a small part of that new direction. As I shift to Senior Advisor, I will continue have a strong presence through year-end as we bring on a new editor. Then as we move through 2021, I will be a member of the QA Advisory Board; you will continue to see “by Lisa Lupo” on some features; and you may hear from me with a Cover Story request, for citation in an article, or to write your supplement or advertorial.

I suppose it is significant that this change is occurring in the year of so much other change. But I see 2021 as bringing positivity in so many areas, and I look forward to continuing to work with industry communications, and potentially many of you, in my new positions.

In the past, general discussion of testing would likely bring to mind a lab setting in which technicians were sampling product to identify the presence of pathogens, allergens, or even pesticides. Today, the first thought, and discussion among both industry and consumers, is more likely to be that of individuals being tested for COVID-19. While the pandemic has changed our world, there are some new understandings that have come out of it that can be applied to other areas.

Testing is one of those. Take, for instance, the increased discussion of test “sensitivity” and “specificity.” With the continuing introduction of new viral and antibody tests for COVID, these words have become increasingly important to distinguish the efficacy of the various tests. And the concepts are just as critical in microbiological testing.

In simple terms, “The sensitivity of a test tells us how well the test identifies a pathogen, and the specificity of a test tells us how well it determines the absence of a pathogen,” said Auburn Health Strategies President Robin Stombler. “Both are important factors to consider when utilizing a test for detection of specific food pathogens and spoilage microorganisms.”

Providing further definition, Safe Food Alliance Senior Director of Analytical Services Thomas Jones explained: Analytical sensitivity refers to the lowest number of organisms that a method can detect; sensitivity can also refer to the inclusivity of the method, or its ability to detect all of the microorganisms in the category being tested (ex: all of the strains of Salmonella). Specificity is the ability of the method to distinguish the target from similar but genetically distinct non-target organisms (ex: Salmonella from other enteric microbes).

“Ideally, we want a test method that does not waste time or resources generating false-positive results (good specificity) while being able to detect even a single viable pathogen in the sample (high sensitivity),” he said.

Building on the concept of false results, when false positives occur, pathogen-free foods may be rejected erroneously, but when false negatives occur, foods that contain harmful pathogens may be shipped to consumers, Stombler said. “In real terms, a false-positive result may mean that a food product is withheld from market, leading to economic losses for the food producer or manufacturer. A false-negative result may risk public health with the distribution of a potentially contaminated food,” she said.

Because microbial detection, whether viral or bacterial, requires sensitive and selective methods, “it is crucial to pick the correct test platform and validated methods for your product,” added Cherney Technical Liaison Lauren Ellie. So, it is important that your in-house or outsourced lab ensures sample integrity, follows best practices by utilizing the proper media for enrichment, and follows specified incubation times and temperatures to be able to detect pathogens. “The testing platform utilized needs to be sensitive and specific to the pathogen you are testing for,” she said.

DETECTION DIFFICULTIES. The greatest challenges of COVID-19 testing tend to be related to all the unknowns of the newly emerged virus. But in food, the difficulties often revolve around the challenges of detection within the food. As noted in the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) presentation, “Understanding and Evaluating Microbiological Sampling and Testing,” pathogens are hard to detect because:

• They are typically not evenly distributed.
• They occur at low levels.
• They are often injured when found in the product.
• Detection may be inhibited by material in the food product; its food matrix.

The fact that pathogens are typically low in number and sporadic in distribution makes sampling a major challenge, Jones said. And because the specific food types or matrices can interfere, the analytical methods must be validated for each food type. Additionally, he said, “Pathogens can enter into a dormant state where they may still be viable and capable of causing disease, but not capable of growing and being detected by the test method.”

Similarly, during processing of the product, bacterial cells are typically injured, which can add another layer of difficulty in testing, Ellie said. Other obstacles can be related to product type that includes the presence of antimicrobial compounds, such as natural or added preservatives, oily product types, and products with a lot of particulate matter, she said.

Even monitoring of the environment of food facilities to assure recognized testing standards are followed can cause challenges, Stombler said.

Sampling. According to FSIS, all sampling plans have limitations. Thus, the relative rigor of the sampling program must be evaluated, with the best sampling plans providing the opportunity for, but no guarantee of, detection.

Ellie recommends that sampling plans take into account the product type and production volume, adding that it is important to know and understand pathogen risk based on water activity, pH, salt content, etc. “Be conscious of the potential sources of pathogen contamination that can result via cross contamination from raw materials, as well as the potential for environmental contamination,” she said. “Good manufacturing practices, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and a strong environmental monitoring program can help reduce the possibility of contamination.”

Because bacteria are not necessarily evenly dispersed throughout a product, “pathogen detection can feel like you’re searching for a needle in a haystack,” Ellie said. “And obviously you can’t test 100% of your product, so ultimately it comes down to sample size taken versus production size.”

As such, when pathogen testing your product, it is crucial to obtain a representative sample, Ellie said. Pathogens are more likely to be evenly dispersed in a liquid that is easily homogenized, while in solid foods, pathogens are not necessarily present throughout the entire product. “It’s important to understand when conducting sampling that you need get the correct volume of sample relative to the amount of product produced, as well as a good representative sample for your plan to be comprehensive and thorough.”

Jones also discussed the use of a two-class plan for pathogens that varies by the amount of sample enriched/tested. In general, he said, the more non-uniform the microbial distribution in the food, the larger the sample that is needed to enrich/test for pathogens. Then, he said, “Method performance can be evaluated by validation studies involving sample spiking with live microorganisms and by comparing the test results obtained with any known published data for that food type, such as prevalence studies.”

If sampling is not done correctly, the subsequent testing will not be meaningful, Jones added, noting that:

The sample has to be taken with proper aseptic technique and be representative of the lot to be tested.

• The methods used to analyze the sample should be official methods that are properly validated and conducted by an accredited laboratory.
• End product and environmental testing alone are not enough. “The preventive controls mandated by FSMA and at the heart of food safety programs like HACCP must be in place to ensure food safety,” he said.

As such, Stombler said, “Accurate and reliable test results should be the foundation for every food laboratory. While laboratory standards exist, there is no mandate or assurance that food laboratories follow them.” As such, she recommends that food manufacturers ask any laboratory which is testing its food for human consumption, “Are you accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017?”

This is becuase laboratories that are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 demonstrate an adoption of recognized standards, including the use of quality controls, proficiency testing, and competence assessment, she said. “Accreditation to this standard also indicates that a laboratory has proven its ability to perform tests consistently.”

Whether your lab is in-house or outsourced (and whether testing for pathogens or COVID-19), it is critical that you always strive for accurate and reliable test results — no matter how challenging the course. Even in the fast-paced world in which we live where time is money, there is no short cut when dealing with food safety.

The author is Senior Advisor and Former Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.