1. I hear that the boar's head recall changed things in the industry. what's different?

Mainstream media has made recalls more visible, increasing the cost of mistakes
More recalls have resulted in the erosion of trust in the safety of the food supply
Heavy scrutiny is happening related to auditor competency, pushing more detailed audit reports, and lower scores
Unannounced validation audits by GFSI programs can take place weeks to months after the annual audits are completed to ensure they were correctly graded.
Net effect? The industry wants stronger programs, tighter controls, fewer recalls and grading that galvanizes change to the better

SQFI is using the Tips and Topics Sheets to provide insight into what they expect to see in a program. Check them out here to be in compliance.

2. Recall root causes - what's causing so many recalls?

Insufficient sanitation programs
Poor corrective actions from inspection findings or not inspecting well – You want to find things before they become a problem that you can’t fix
Poor commissioning and preventive maintenance for equipment, and infrastructure replacement
Not looking at the whole picture – Zone 1-4 in all directions (above, beside, below) for risk, on all shifts, on all lines, for potential contamination vectors – saying “what if?”
Insufficient review of supplier approval, formulas, and packaging (at graphic design, receiving, line start up, and regularly through the run, at last item, and before release
Weak Environmental Monitoring Programs that don’t find effective permanent corrections
Insufficient reinvestment into people, plant, and equipment

Recalls can and do happen at sites with scores of 96-100.
There’s a first time for everything. Keep checking.
Without strong leadership, a food safety program can go from good to “out of control” in 2 months. It can take up to 2 years to make it run smoothly again.
Complacency, burn-out, cost-cutting, stretched resources, and questionable food safety culture can make the unthinkable happen.

Vigilance is key, doing it right, the first time and every time.

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