Food Protection Trends - November 2008 - 846

I. J. K. Global Food Safety Initiative and Its Effect on Food Safety –Third Party Auditing Systems Impact on Food Safety – with FDA proposing the recognition of third party auditing systems and the retail food industry mandating GFSI-recognized third party auditing systems (SQF, BRC, Dutch HACCP, German system), this proposal would investigate the various types of third party food safety auditing systems, their effectiveness, the resources invested in them by the food processing industry and identify why food processing plants are subjected to so many different food safety audits by customers expecting the same level of food safety. Allen Sayler explained the idea. Dennis Bogart talked about why need by retailers for third party auditing system. Third party auditing systems can raise the government “bar” on food safety. Could include NCIMS third party certification system. Get the European perspective as well. Include ISO 22000. Include retailers to get “why” they are support this increased emphasis on third party certification system. Differentiate third party standards versus third party auditing certification. Moving from third party auditing to third party certification, i.e. Randolph and Associates, Quality Chekd to GFSI, ISO, etc. There was a discussion about whether the proposal should include government to government certification systems and it was decided this would expand the topic beyond one symposium. The PDG clearly supported the need to include a roundtable at the end. Patrice Arbault commented that third party audit certification is an issue because of the French government cutting of budget but still required the food processing industry to achieve the same ALOP. EU directives recognize third party auditing certification. Dan Erickson stated the BRC is not a (product) standard, but a management standard. Dennis Bogart stated this year is very much a year of transition from audits to certification for US food processors. He noted that food processors are very tired of having 15 different audits of their plants. SAFE tried to reduce the variety of audits, but was not entirely successful. The symposium proposal needs to address whether these new third party certification systems will actually improve food safety or continue to drain food safety resources from the plant floor to shadow third party auditors. The proposal should attempt to measure whether this new third party certification initiative will reverse that. Room Temperature Display of RTE Foods – many retail food stores are or would like to have room temperature displays of foods to attract the attention of consumers. What are the food safety issues related to the various classes of dairy products, particularly cheese that are displayed at room temperature. Include mail-order cheeses in this review of the safety. PDG supported submitting this as a symposium. Allen Sayler will write up. Coordinate with the Retail Foods PDG. Safety of other types of milks and cheeses – soy milk, rice milk, sheep/camel/yak/other animal milk products, possibly include a taste testing of some of these products. Discussed but there was a lack of support. • • Steve Sims shared 3-A CPS recommendation that July Food Protection Trends article by Dr. Floyd Bodyfelt and Dr. Lizabeth Godik on small cheese manufacturing avoidance of Listeria. Shorten and have DQS PDG have a booklet. Dennis Bogart suggested that measures to control Listeria in a small cheese plant is not that different than such control in a small fluid milk or ice cream plant. Recommendation was to expand idea to include small dairy plants of all kinds (example was the Whittier Farms incident). Stephanie Olmsted will talk to authors about doing this shortening and making it more generic for all dairy plants. Will be included in recommendation to IAFP Executive Board. PDG supported having two booklets, one for small cheese manufacturers to be completed now and another, later targeting fluid milk and ice cream manufacturers. Bob Sanders stated it would be helpful for regulators. He also recommended this idea be spread to other parts of the food industry, such as meat, produce, bakery, etc. Joseph Odumera was nominated for Vice Chair by P.C. Vasavada, nominations closed. He was elected and will begin his term at the 2009 Annual Meeting. recommendations to executive Board: 1. Booklet on Control of Listeria for Small Cheese Manufacturers. Future booklet for small milk and ice cream manufacturers. 2. 2009 Proposal Recommendations: a. Third Party Certification: Does This Improve Food Safety. b. 2009 NCIMS Outcomes & Updates. c. RTE Foods Displayed at Room Temperatures – Food Safety Implications. d. Listeria monocytogenes Update. 3. Endorse DQS PDG establishment of subcommittee on human raw milk consumption. 4. Approve Joseph Odumeru as Vice Chair, beginning his term at the 2009 Annual Meeting. next Meeting Date: July 12, 2009. Meeting Adjourned: 4:00 p.m. Chairperson: Loralyn Ledenbach. Food Chemical hazards and Food Allergy PDG Members Present: Peter Slade, Lindsay Arthur, Todd Rossow, Tong-Jen Fu, Tom Schwarz, Gary Pruitt, Linda Leake, Ginny Edleman and Maria Nazarowec-White. new Members Present: Eric Braekevelt, Ken Davenport, Gale Prince and Kurt Buckman. visitors Present: Visitors were not identified on the signin sheet. Board liaison Present: Isabel Walls. Meeting Called to Order: 9:04 a.m. recording Secretary of Minutes: Linda Leake. new Business: • Chair volunteered to update DQS PDG Web page, after her term. 846 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | NOVEMBER 2008

Food Protection Trends - November 2008

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