http://www.foodquality.com Columns Section Rss http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/810045/Fight_Pathogens_and_Microbes_in_Processing_Areas.html Purchasing new or used equipment that adheres to the 2005 Food Code’s criteria and has National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) approval gives you a chance to properly clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces in your facility. No matter who approves the equipment, if you do not sanitize properly, the food safety risk will remain huge for your operation and your customers. We will now concentrate on some critical equipment sanitation issues. 2010-08-15T23:29:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/810023/The_FDA_Shifts_From_Food_Safety_to_Public_Safety.html In recent years, food-related illnesses followed by highly publicized product recalls have created concerns that food product regulation in the United States is inadequate. The food industry has a complex regulatory structure, divided among many federal, state, and local authorities, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handling almost all federal food inspections other than meat products. 2010-08-15T21:53:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/810017/Controlling_Pests_Requires_Staff_Participation.html In any food processing plant, a pest management program is only as strong as the employees who implement it. To ensure a successful pest management program, the staff should be given training about prevention of pest problems before they occur. Not only does this serve as a low-cost training opportunity in a stressed economy, but it also can save money long-term by preventing pest problems that would require costly remediation. 2010-08-15T21:46:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/810011/Outsourcing_Sanitation_a_Smart_Alternative.html After a string of high-profile nationwide foodborne illness outbreaks in 2009, food safety reform is a high priority for legislators and consumers alike. Big changes are on the horizon to overhaul the federal agencies that ensure that consumers are protected against the bacteria and disease that contaminate food and threaten overall security. 2010-08-15T21:28:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/809981/Editors_Letter.html These are times of change. The economic turmoil of the last 18 months has shaken global confidence, and many wonder what the future will bring. It has also been a challenging time for the food industry. Numerous food recalls and scandals in this country and other parts of the world have led people to question things that were once unassailable, such as the quality and safety of their food. 2010-08-15T20:01:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/809977/Send_a_Strong_Message.html Last week a colleague forwarded an eNewsletter to me that jogged my memory. I just can’t believe it’s true. During a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions food safety hearing on October 22, Freshman Senator Al Franken asked Margaret Hamburg, MD, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) commissioner, about the status of the criminal prosecution of Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). 2010-08-15T19:49:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/809809/Back_to_Basics_Sanitation_Training_and_Education_.html After an extended holiday from my column, I would like to get back to basics and examine how to educate sanitation crews. If a sanitation crew knows both why they are doing the job and the importance of doing it correctly, they can take pride in the accomplishment of a job well done. I will use my sanitation handbook as a reference guide. 2010-08-15T14:56:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/809721/Mmmm__Bacon.html The end of the year is always an opportunity to make lists of things like the top news stories of the year, the top scientific breakthroughs, and other great advances. But when a decade is ending, the lists come even more fast and furious. 2010-08-15T12:55:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/809715/QAQC_Finally_Gets_Some_Respect.html Nearly two decades ago, Food Quality was launched as the first publication to exclusively target the food quality and safety market. The world—and the food industry—were a lot different back then. 2010-08-15T12:40:00Z http://www.foodquality.com/details/news/807331/Sanitation_Equipment_to_Fit_Your_Needs.html My last article focused on sanitation training and the five basic steps for cleaning a food plant. In this article I address the pitfalls, as well as the results, you can expect when you implement a high-quality food safety/sanitation system. 2010-06-01T02:27:00Z