Snack World - February 2011 - (Page 9)

Food Safety A PRIMER. In an interview with Snack World, Mr. Hahn, who is an expert on the new law, urged snack food manufacturing companies to take action now to comply with key provisions of the new law, rather than waiting for final implementation, which is slated to take place in stages during the next two years. “Don’t wait for the regulations,” Mr. Hahn advised. “The law codifies into the statute as requirements procedures that many companies in the industry are already doing today.” So for some, compliance may not be a difficult task, while for others, it will be more time-consuming and difficult. He cautioned that just because a company may be operating under a HACCP program, its program may not meet the specific requirements of the new law. New responsibilities for food companies that will affect daily operations of all registered facilities include: • Food Safety Plans and preventive controls • Supply chain management requirements • Maintaining accurate records and making them accessible • Food defense plans. FOOD SAFETY PLANS. The law requires companies to conduct analysis of hazards reasonably likely to occur and put into place controls designed to significantly reduce or prevent those hazards, Mr. Hahn explained. Companies must implement preventive controls through monitoring, corrective actions and verification activities, which include environmental and finished product testing. Reanalysis of the HACCP plan is required every three years, and the Food Safety Plan and all related records must be available to FDA during inspection. The analysis in the plans must cover hazards that may occur naturally or be unintentionally introduced. Companies must identify and evaluate known or reasonably foreseeable hazards that may be associated with the facility. The law defines these types of controls that are required: • Sanitation for food contact surfaces and utensils, including food contact surfaces of equipment • Supervisor, manager and employee training • Environmental monitoring program • Recall plan • Current good manufacturing practices • Supplier verification activities that relate to the safety of food. The Food Safety Plan must identify and implement preventive controls at critical control points, if any. Plant operators must verify that preventive controls are adequate to address identified hazards, that monitoring of controls is in place, that appropriate decisions are being made regarding corrective actions, and that preventive controls are effectively and significantly minimizing or preventing the occurrence of identified hazards. In addition, there must be documented periodic reanalysis of the hazard plan to ensure it is still relevant to the facility and to new and emerging threats. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT. “Know who your suppliers are, and not just your distributors,” Mr. Hahn advised. “Have a plan for [ensuring] adherence to food safety requirements, and make sure the plan is risk-based according to the product type and facility history.” The goal, he added, is to make certain the product is not adulterated or misbranded — specifically with regard to undeclared allergens, which received considerable emphasis in the new law. In a Nutshell The Food Safety Modernization Act: • Grants the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) additional powers, including the power to demand a food be recalled upon evidence that it is adulterated • Requires food processors to demonstrate to FDA they have a riskbased approach to food processing in each facility and that their Food Safety Plan is being implemented. There must be supportable paperwork for FDA to review. www.sfa.org February 2011 Snack World 9 http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - February 2011

Snack World - February 2011
Letter from SFA - See You at SNAXPO
Rudolph Foods receives level 2 SQF certifi cation
Popcorn, Indiana launches chip’ins to commemorate National Popcorn Day
Better Made Snack Foods makes key promotions
Dawn of a New Era
In a Nutshell
Snyder’s-Lance becomes powerhouse snack company
Snack Sessions
Focus on the Future
Capital Spending Rebounds
New Snacks
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - February 2011