PET Food Processing - March 2021 - 56

OPERATIONS

Crisis planning
involves a crossfunctional team
identifying all the
possible scenarios
and working
through each
to establish
a response.
©JonoErasmus stock.adobe.com

" Your stakeholders need to know how you are handling a crisis that affects them - and clear communication is at the core of addressing these needs, " she said.
" This extends to your own employees who should not be
overlooked as having their own communications needs
in the midst of a crisis. "
In the haste to respond to such an event, many forget to inform their own teams about what is happening. Employees may be concerned about their job or
the impact of the crisis on the company's overall stability, and they often are getting questions from their personal circles about what is taking place, Mitchell shared.
Communicating, even over-communicating, can help
prevent undue worry or misinformation.
" The best form of preparation is knowledge, " said
Chris Hamilton, president and chief executive officer,
Red Collar Pet Foods, Franklin, Tenn. " Establishing a
clear and robust crisis management plan is crucial to
establish roles and responsibilities as well as the circumstances that would trigger an assembly of a Crisis
Management Team. A plan enables employers to respond to a crisis much quicker. "
Another crucial aspect of preparation is employee
training on essential best practices like GMPs, HACCP
and Food Defense, according to Ray. Training on these
and other topics empowers frontline workers to learn
and apply basic aspects of food safety, while also helping
the operation avoid issues that may prompt a crisis, like
a product recall. For instance, in a recall situation, employees should know and be able to execute on assigned
responsibilities to make the process go as smoothly as
possible, she shared.
Red Collar Pet Foods' comprehensive crisis plan has
enabled the company and its associates to react calmly
with a high level of resilience in unexpected situations.
Considered a non-negotiable, all associates and leader-

PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2021 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

" Establishing a
clear and robust
crisis management
plan is crucial to
establish roles and
responsibilities as well
as the circumstances
that would trigger an
assembly of a Crisis
Management Team. "
Chris Hamilton, Red Collar Pet Foods

ship go through site-specific safety training. As part of
its highly proactive approach, Red Collar Pet Foods is
one of the only FSSC 22000-certified manufacturers of
pet food in the United States. The FSSC 22000 certification has the strictest requirements regarding quality and
food safety and is used by many human food companies.

Remaining proactive

To increase preparedness, Quinn advised having a communications playbook in place. The playbook should
outline who is responsible for communication in a crisis
and spell out everyone's role on the crisis team, identifying the stakeholders important to the business - all
viewed through the lens of communications and stakeholder engagement.
" One of the most crucial elements in a playbook is
the inclusion of various crisis scenarios, " she continued.
" Give some thought to what scenarios might hit your
business and outline the approach you would take in
communicating about them. Consistently pressure test
this playbook with a cross-functional team and walk
them through each scenario, testing the roles, responsibilities and communications processes. "
The development of a crisis plan can save critical time
and downplay the natural reactions that could exacerbate the crisis. Defining roles in advance is key in avoiding any " turf " battles or other conflict, Mitchell advised.

http://stock.adobe.com http://www.petfoodprocessing.net

PET Food Processing - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PET Food Processing - March 2021