Beyond Testing for Pathogens

Testing for pathogens in products and plants is part of food safety, but not all of it. “The tests we provide are a look at what pathogens may be there,” said Mike Clark, a microbiologist and global marketing manager in molecular food diagnostics for Bio-Rad Laboratories. “But these tests are certainly not preventive.” The reason is, these…

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Food Safety Checks and Balances

While meat and poultry slaughterers and processors are always looking for ways to make their plants and products safe, they must embrace at least two approaches to accomplish these goals. They must take steps to prevent pathogens in the products they produce. In addition, and just as important, they must determine if there are pathogens…

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Navigating the non-G.M.O. Landscape

Bakery foods, bread and prepared meals are among product categories generating increased demand for non-G.M.O. options, said Bethany Rahja, commercial analyst for Cargill’s global edible oils business in North America. Cargill offers an extensive non-G.M.O. ingredient portfolio that includes texturizers, sweeteners, fats and oils, starches, fibers, flour and ancient grains, cocoa and chocolate, Ms. Stauffer…

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Canada, US Listeria Outbreaks Possibly Linked

An outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes under investigation in Canada could be linked to a Listeria outbreak that has claimed the lives of two people and affected two dozen other individuals in the United States. As of Aug. 23, a total of 24 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 13 states, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease…

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Sanitation First

While sanitation tasks are performed at the end of production shifts, they should never be considered an afterthought when it comes to operations at meat and poultry processing facilities. Sanitation plays a crucial role in the safe production of food. The Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) have developed guidances,…

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The Benefits of Outsourcing Sanitation Services

Operators of processing facilities might encounter any number of reasons for not tackling the sanitation shift in-house. Whether the reasons stem from environmental issues, microbiological, staffing, leadership or otherwise, the benefits of outsourcing sanitation services are many. Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) provides contract sanitation services to processing plants facing issues which keep them from…

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Government Shutdown Leads to Fewer Food Recalls

Food and beverage recalls initiated by the Food and Drug Administration during the first quarter of 2019 fell 36.5% to 99, the second lowest quarter since the third quarter of 2015 and the third lowest total since at least 2010, according to Stericycle Expert Solutions’ Recall Index. Stericycle Expert Solutions attributed the decline primarily to…

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Standards and Goals in Poultry Pathogen Reduction

On Feb. 14, 2019, at the International Production and Processing Expo (I.P.P.E.) in Atlanta, the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia and the US Poultry and Egg Association (USPOULTRY) organized the educational session, “Salmonella and Campylobacter Control in Poultry Production and Processing – Meeting Food Safety Goals.” Along with the University of Georgia and USPOULTRY the event was put…

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Don’t Forget About Sanitation

When expanding or building a new bakery, don’t forget to involve sanitation staff in the process. Too often, engineering/ operations teams focus on the equipment purchases without thinking about ongoing operating costs. Failure to do so may lead to the sometimes-forgotten sanitation team cleaning a mess from decisions made early in a project. “Making pies…

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The Benefits of Outsourcing Sanitation Services

Operators of processing facilities might encounter any number of reasons for not tackling the sanitation shift in-house. Whether the reasons stem from environmental issues, microbiological, staffing, leadership or otherwise, the benefits of outsourcing sanitation services are many. Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) provides contract sanitation services to processing plants facing issues which keep them from…

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