Baking & Snack - June 2017 - 28

FSMA

The war on water
It's time to start treating water like glass. According to Karl
Thorson, food safety and sanitation manager, General Mills,
Inc., the risks associated with water are being overlooked
when it comes to food safety.
"Everybody understands the risks and hazards of having
glass and brittle plastic in our plants. If it breaks, people rally
very quickly, clean it up, repair it and follow up," Mr. Thorson
said. "We need the same type of rigor around uncontrolled
water in our environments because that's where we have issues. It's not only about environmental pathogens and spoilage
organisms, but it also causes issues with equipment reliability
and human safety."
There are many reasons to believe focusing on water is
the right thing to do, and many are aligned on the subject.
Engineers don't want to spend extra dollars to deal with water
or a new system because the old one was damaged by water.
For maintenance and reliability departments, water damage is
one of their top issues. Those focused on sustainability want to
reduce its usage, and those in food safety want to control it.
"This is going to be a huge initiative to get people to rally
around and make significant changes, which include the
design of our equipment as well as getting procedures to
change," he said.
Mr. Thorson is currently working with BEMA's Baking
Industry Forum to determine what tools the industry needs
to move forward in the war on water. He hopes that, in the
future, water audits and assessments will be available so
plants can control the resource.

tion, packing, distribution and storage locations searching for physical deficiencies and sanitation violations
and conditions that allow bacteria to grow. Throughout
the process, the investigator should be accompanied by a
designated guide to observe and immediately document
and respond to to any concerns.
At the time of the records review, FDA will have wide
access to most documents within the organization.
However, the agency is not entitled to review or copy
any recipes or data pertaining to finances, pricing, research, sales or personnel, other than to ensure that the
company's employees have received training appropriate
to their position and responsibilities. If the FDA requests
copies of any records the company deems confidential,
be sure to mark those records accordingly.
Once investigators enter the plant floor, they will collect approximately 100 to 200 microbiological samples
from incoming ingredients, outgoing finished products and various environments within the facility. Staff
charged with accompanying the inspection should carefully document the areas where samples are being collected. If any samples are positive, this information will
be critical to determine the most appropriate response.
If FDA collects finished product or processing line
samples to test for the presence of Listeria Monocytogenes,
salmonella or any other pathogens, that facility should
hold back any products made from the same lot or batch
until the results come back. If any are positive, and the
product has been held, a recall will not be issued.
Once the inspection is complete, the investigator
will conduct an exit interview and share the findings.

High temperature
humidity sensor for industrial ovens
» 0...100 Vol% Humidity
» Temperature compability up to 325 °C
» No reference gas is needed
» Extremely long lifetime
» Maintanance-free
» Excellent longtime stability
» Analog output signal: 4...20 mA
» With or without display
» Made in Switzerland

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Zurich, Munich

Conctact us:
Phone +41 44 877 35 00
Phone +49 89 260 38 47
sales@pewatron.com

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Baking & Snack - June 2017

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