Food Safety Guidelines Can Overwhelm Processors, Says Group

Maintaining up-to-date knowledge on industry guidelines and developing a strong quality processing system add to the pressures faced by food processors in the current climate of high input costs, claim U.S. food safety consultants.

The global sourcing of ingredients and products along with recent factory recalls has led to increased calls from consumers for more rigorous safety programs and close monitoring of suppliers.

Debra Harrison, chief consultant at Harrison Consulting, told FoodProductionDaily.com that keeping up with guidelines, especially for globally based companies, can be very time consuming and with companies running leaner and budgets tighter, the drive to cut costs while ensuring safety is difficult.

The group said that it offers assistance to U.S. and European food processors of all sizes that need to become familiar with industry guidelines or that need an on-site technical expert for a season.

“Many growers and processors find programs required by industry guidelines and customer requirements overwhelming. We specialize in working with them to set up systems that will be easy to use while meeting consumer and industry expectations,” claims Harrison.

Source: FoodProductionDaily.com