When it comes to food manufacturers improving plant efficiency using overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), simply looking at output figures is not enough, says Clara Gavriliuc, Vice President of Data Analytics for SafetyChain Software.

“Without analyzing the data of each of the three OEE components during the production day, it is hard to address the root cause of inefficiencies that will contribute to significant long-term costs,” explains Gavriliuc. 

For optimum data collection and analysis, the opportunity lies with real-time plant performance software that is capable of tracking anything from downtime to how long it takes ovens to get to the right temperatures, to packaging.

“There are certain time inefficiencies that are easy to see and easy to calculate what impact they’ve caused,” says Gavriliuc. “However, there are many inefficiencies that may be hidden and only revealed when looking at data that isn’t typically captured by paper-based documentation.” 

Identifying the biggest pain points
Often, these hidden data can be used to avoid or minimize production loss from the easier to see inefficiencies. Hands down, one of the biggest and easiest to see pain points for reduced output in food plants is unplanned downtime from breakdowns. 

“From an availability standpoint, breakdowns are simple: The inefficiency cost is calculated by the amount of time you’re down and what that would have been worth if product was produced. However, what often happens is that food companies will look at this figure at the end of the day and not progress it further to identify the true root cause,” explains Gavriliuc. 

When analyzing real-time data, employees can monitor different components of the production line that may signal a potential breakdown risk. For example, if the data is showing time per unit is slowing down in one specific area of the line, that area can be assessed immediately for what is causing the performance issues. 

“What they may find is that a product isn’t feeding well into a machine and is at risk for jamming or a piece of equipment needs to be recalibrated,” says Gavriliuc. “So, what may seem like a small pain point that is slowing down production may actually be the culprit of something much larger. We don’t want to wait until something breaks – we want to be proactive. Addressing the root of the issue immediately can have huge savings in downtime production loss later.” 

While real-time data can be used to help head off any major downtime issues, they can also be used to justify upgrades into equipment or signal the need for investments into personnel training. For example, say there are two lines that are producing the same exact product. Line one is keeping up with throughput targets and moving along seamlessly. Line two is starting to bottleneck. 

Having real-time data will help to operators and supervisors to quickly identify which area of the line is slowing things down. 

“Perhaps a machine just needs to be calibrated and it is back to operating. Or, if the machine just isn’t capable of operating at the capacity required, OEE can help determine if it is cost justifiable to make an upgrade,” says Gavriliuc. “If the cause of slow throughput happens to be a personnel issue, then new training can be put in place to help get workers operating at the level they need to be. Whatever the root cause is, real-time data gives managers actionable data that will allow them to make immediate decisions to help improve overall efficiency of a food processing facility.” 

Analyzing the data
When it comes to analyzing data to determine what actions can be taken to mitigate the biggest pain points, they must maintain a balance of the three areas of OEE: Availability, Performance and Quality.

“You can focus on increasing availability and performance, but if it jeopardizes quality and you’re wasting product, then you’re not efficient. Or you can focus on quality, but if your machine availability and performance isn’t keeping up with demand, then you’re not efficient,” concludes Gavriliuc.

“Remember, OEE is a good indicator of how you are performing in all areas of production.” 

Organizers specifically said they based their decision on the fact that the virus continues to spread, calling the pandemic “persistent.” The event usually attracts thousands of attendees from around the world. The organization’s (IAFP’s) website includes a page to submit virtual registrations. Registration opens Aug. 10 for the Oct. 26-28 meeting and symposia conference.

“IAFP is committed to producing a high-quality program in the virtual setting, including presentations, general sessions, exhibits, and award recognitions. After-hour options are being planned to offer conversation and networking opportunities,” according to the organization’s announcement.

Attendees can find information about this year’s virtual event on the IAFP’s page of frequently asked questions.

No action is required for attendees who registered for the in-person event. The registration will be transferred to the Virtual Annual Meeting. Registrants will receive an email confirming registration by Aug. 15, according to IAFP officials.

Two other key FAQs are included on the page:

Q: I am currently registered for the Annual Meeting and do not plan to attend the Virtual Annual Meeting. What do I need to do?

A: You may request a full refund by sending an email to Julie Cattanach at jcattanach@foodprotection.org.

Q: I had canceled my registration for the previously scheduled Annual Meeting, but I am now able to attend the Virtual Annual Meeting. Can I reinstate my registration?

A: Yes. You may register beginning the week of Aug. 10 for the Virtual Annual Meeting.

Other FAQ questions cover housing, trade show details, and information for presenters.

All registration related questions should be directed to Julie Cattanach at jcattanach@foodprotection.org.

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Digital inspections can help authorities manage a build-up at lower risk establishments and minimize risk of contamination as inspectors can visit multiple sites in a short space of time.

Inspections are completed by food businesses electronically uploading documentation. Then they can be guided around the premises by an inspector who can carry out observations, ask questions and capture mark-up images for their assessment.

Tendring District Council’s Environmental Health team piloted Digital Inspections from Scores on the Doors (SOTD), allowing staff at the council in Essex, England, to inspect food premises from their home offices during the lockdown.

Restaurateurs use smartphones to do a tour of their property and share important documents, under direction of an Environmental Health Officer (EHO). The tools enable video interaction and capturing of annotated photographs.

Help navigate the new normal
It meant lower risk sites could be reviewed without the risk of contamination by an officer visiting several premises, and preventing a backlog of inspections required once lockdown restrictions were eased.

These tools help local authorities regulate changes of use more quickly, ensuring establishments that switched to takeaway and delivery are compliant with food safety standards. While the government relaxed planning measures during lockdown to allow establishments to adapt, inspections were paused due to potential further spread of COVID-19.

All planned food hygiene, food standards and animal feed interventions were suspended from April 18 to July 17. However, some inspections may have taken place at high risk businesses, new companies, those changing practices, or that have had enforcement action or customer complaints.

Carol Archibald, fellow of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said digital inspections can help navigate the way through the “new normal.”

“Councils throughout the UK are now facing a 3-month backlog at a minimum, this is not only due to rescheduling postponed inspections that were scheduled to take place prior to, and during lockdown, but also due to thousands of businesses that adapted and switched to takeaway services to keep the country moving,” said Archibald, who is also team leader for food, health and safety, port health and animal welfare at Tendring District Council.

In March, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) said it will not recognize any certificates re-issued following a virtual or remote audit and provided six-month extensions for audits by its certification bodies. For sites unable to have an on-site audit and renew certification before it expired, GFSI proposed using a food safety risk assessment. It is now allowing part of certification audits to be conducted remotely and has updated its benchmarking requirements.

Focus on low risk sites
An average inspection costs the taxpayers about £150 (U.S. $190) and there are half a million food firms across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2018-19, there were 238,000 inspections, taking the figure to more than £37 million ($46.7 million) with the current backlog, that amount would further increase without remote support if all physical inspections were to take place, according to SOTD.

Michael Talbot, Tendring District Council cabinet member for environment, said it is important businesses have good hygiene measures in place for coronavirus and food.

“Tendring, like councils across the country, potentially faced a big backlog of inspections; not only from those re-scheduled due to lockdown, but with the number of businesses switching their trading model to takeaway services, for example,” he said.

Each business is given a risk score from A to D with A being the highest risk. For example, a hospital would be classed as A, while a local café would be classified as a C; a corner shop with pre-wrapped sweets would be a D. To qualify for digital inspections, establishments would typically be operating at levels C and D. Inspectors update their back-office systems in the same way as physical inspections and this updates the FSA’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) database.

Paul Hiscoe, founder and managing director of SOTD, said digital inspections ensures lower risk establishments are analyzed safely and inspectors are free to visit the higher risk ones in person.

“Once the current need to avoid contact subsides, we expect digital inspections to remain as a permanent feature. It is more cost and time-efficient than physical visits, and particularly useful for low-risk premises and revisits. Pricing is on a per completed inspection basis and dependent on volume. It is almost always lower than travelling costs,” he said.

“It is strongly recommend to get a floor-plan in advance so that the EHO or Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) can direct the food business operator around the premises to investigate the areas she or he wants to see. If the EHP is not satisfied, then a physical confirmatory visit should be undertaken.”

The platform is being used by a number of local authorities in the country and others are piloting the software. Uptake has also included animal welfare, animal licensing, trading standards, and the police, according to SOTD.

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The summit will bring together scientific experts, regulatory officials, academics, and industry executives worldwide to better understand the threat and challenges the virus poses to food and food handlers.

The current list of panelists includes LeeAnne Jackson, Co-Chair of FDA’s Food and Agriculture Sector’s Government Coordinating Council; Gudrun Gallhoff, Minister Counsellor for Health & Food in the Delegation of the European Union in Beijing; Chen Junshi, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment’s Chief Scientific Advisor; John Donaghy, Nestle’s Head of Food Safety; and Markus Lipp, head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ Food Safety and Quality Unit. Marler Clark’s managing partner, Bill Marler, among others, is also scheduled to participate..

The event’s agenda includes:

• COVID-19, food safety and security – a global perspective
• How can regulators support food safety and food security in times of a pandemic?
• How can we best translate new knowledge to create best practices and promote risk reduction?
• International Issues in Food Production
• An overall risk-based approach for COVID-19 management includes appropriately directed hygiene protocols, training and verification.
• Considerations for developing and implementing an optimal hygiene program
• Best practices for implementing physical distancing
• Suppliers and food chain dynamics

A report on the summit highlights will be published by Food Safety Website and the Journal of Food Protection, the official media partners of the event.

Register online at: http://www.worldservicesltd.com/covidsummit/regform.htm.

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Like Jack and his proverbial candlestick, “nimble approaches” are among the promises in the blueprint published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

And, as the Lennon hit and the blueprint’s conclusion urge, “imagine” how life would be if the food system could be nimble enough to effectively trace food during outbreaks and recalls. “So, imagine these aspirations becoming the norm, . . .” the blueprint’s conclusion states.

The blueprint, which was supposed to be out this spring, was stalled while the agency scaled back operations during the COVID-19 shutdown. When the “New Era of Food Safety” was announced by FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas in early 2019 the nuts and bolts were promised by early 2020. 

Now that the blueprint document is out, it is clear that parts of the project are not yet clear.

The “New Era” information thus far has included a lot of phrases such as new approaches, planned changes, modern approaches, and more efficiencies. With the rollout of the blueprint the FDA continues to rely on those phrases as well as concepts like “leveraging technology” and the evolution of the food industry.

There are few details in the blueprint in terms of what specifically the end game is and how specifically to get there. But that’s not what the blueprint is supposed to do.

“The blueprint is not a detailed action plan,” Yiannas told reporters during a news teleconference Monday afternoon. “The goal is to outline a decade’s worth of work.”

Before any of the specifics of that work can be determined, the FDA blueprint says the government will need to gather information from stakeholders including businesses, governments, academia and the public.

Yiannas told reporters that while the blueprint is being executed, industry-to-industry pressure will result in some of the ultimate goals of the “New Era” being achieved before government can research, propose, revise, and publish industry guidance or rules.

Retailers are increasingly requiring traceability on some foods, Yiannas said. As that practice grows the entities in the food system that supply grocers and restaurants will have to implement modern traceability technology to remain viable in the marketplace.

Traceability is just one aspect of the blueprint released by the FDA. It has four key elements.

“These are the foundational pillars of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety, covering the range of technologies, analytics, business models, modernization and values that are its building blocks,” according to the blueprint. 

“There is a lot of synergy; an idea in one element may be relevant to one or more others. For example, analytics crosses over into traceability and new business models. The themes of mutual reliance between federal and state partners and the importance of food safety culture are woven throughout. There are common needs for metrics and reliable third-party audits. These elements, working together, will bring us into the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.”

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The project involves scientists at Texas A&M, Stanford University, and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service U.S. Meat Animal Research Center’s pilot meat processing facility in Clay Center, NE. Their work has the backing of a $479,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

While the project could ultimately benefit food facilities from fresh produce processing plants to candy makers, the researchers will be taking an extra close look at the meat industry.

Led by Sapna Chitlapilly Dass, a faculty member in Texas A&M’s Department of Animal Science, the team will be looking at “hotspots” that easily harbor biofilms, also known as slime. Dass and the other researchers are trying to figure out not only where bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli O157: H7 are hiding, but what sanitizers they have become resistant to.

“In the processing industry,” Dass said, “They hide in areas such as the back of conveyor belts or drains, which have poor accessibility for sanitation and therefore result in biofilms with greater sanitizer tolerance and antimicrobial resistance. We want to control food contamination by investigating the biofilm hotspots.”  

Drains are predisposed to develop biofilms, because of the nature of their function, and have a natural pathogen distribution system — microscopic droplets and other fluids going down drains and standing liquids at drain sites can easily carry bacteria to foods and food contact surfaces. That kind of contamination is dangerous in more than one way.

“Reducing contamination of our meat supply by pathogens such as E. coli O157: H7 and Salmonella will reduce recalls that trigger significant financial losses, but more importantly will reduce the incidence of human illness and death associated with contaminated food,” said Cliff Lamb, Ph.D. and head of Texas A&M’s Department of Animal Science.

“The development of new strategies for controlling accidental contamination of food with these pathogens will have significant impacts on human health and reduce economic losses.”

While examining drains and production and packaging equipment the research team expects to confirm that multiple species of foodborne pathogens live in biofilms. That helps makes containment and removal of the pathogens complicated. For example, certain strains of Salmonella that are present in biofilm may be susceptible to sanitizers, but others can survive certain chemicals and other sanitizing substances.

“One segment of the study will compare and characterize diversity, stability, and resilience of the food pathogens and meat processing drain mixed-species biofilm in response to commonly used meat processing sanitizers,” according to a statement from Texas A&M. “Another segment of the study will examine whether spatial organization and location of the food-pathogen within the multi-species biofilm impacts sanitizer tolerance.”

The project will also evaluate how foodborne pathogens are detached and transmitted through a food processing facility. Dass stresses the double-pronged value of the project with positive outcomes expected for public health and reducing economic costs associated with foodborne illnesses.

“. . . designing low-cost sustainable materials for drainage systems with microscale surface patterns that can prevent dispersal of pathogens to food (is one goal),” she said.

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Originally scheduled for August, the annual conference and meeting of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) was indefinitely postponed earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Monday the board announced dates in the fourth quarter of the year were being considered.

“This meeting will mark the first major food safety conference to take place after so many events were canceled due to COVID-19,” according to IAFP’s Tuesday statement. 

“There are some things that can be done virtually, but many others are best accomplished in face-to-face discussions and meetings. Presentation and discussion of the latest science affecting food safety is one that is best accomplished in person.”

The IAFP event is still set for the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, OH. Event organizers have set up a page of frequently asked questions.

Anyone who has already registered for the annual conference and meeting and plans to attend the event in October will automatically be registered for the new dates.

The association leadership said in the Tuesday statement that they are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Ohio state government on health guidance and practices for the event.

Work is underway to determine which sessions will take place in person and which can be accommodated through virtual presentation formats. The IAFP meeting rooms, exhibit hall, poster sessions, lunch areas, and receptions will all be reconfigured to allow for proper separation, taking into account meeting industry guidance and health agency directives. Attendees will be expected to follow all recommended precautions to prevent transmission of infectious diseases.

“We recognize that attendance will be reduced compared to our normal attendance, but this will help allow for proper social distancing

to take place,” according to the IAFP statement.

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The association (IAFP) officials released a statement Monday regarding this year’s conference and meeting, indicating the event would remain in Cleveland, OH, as originally scheduled. The IAFP board anticipates making a decision about the specific dates for the annual event no later than June 10.

Thousands of food safety professionals from more than 100 countries attend the event. Attendees include representatives from academia, government and industry. Research results are presented at the conference and emerging areas of food safety concerns are covered in dozens of lectures and panel discussions.

“Developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) including statements and guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are being continually monitored,” according to the IAFP statement.

“If the meeting is held as a person-to-person meeting, attendees of IAFP 2020 will be expected to follow all recommended precautions to prevent transmission of infectious diseases.”

The annual meeting, conference and trade show were originally scheduled for August, but organization officials postponed it indefinitely earlier this year when shelter in place orders were beginning to be enacted. 

The event is still set for the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Local officials are working with the IAFP executive staff on potential arrangements.

“IAFP will continually follow updates from public health authorities throughout this worldwide crisis. You may continue to monitor the IAFP 2020 website for updates,” according to the statement.

For further questions or concerns, contact the IAFP office at 515-276-3344 or info@foodprotection.org.

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Registration is now open for the summit, with early bird pricing available before Aug. 31.

The Food Safety Summit is the country’s leading interactive forum on food safety with an in-depth conference program offering solutions for today and planning for tomorrow. The summit features the world’s leading authorities examining the most up-to-date innovations in the food industry.

The event will is scheduled to begin on Oct. 19, and will offer four certification programs followed by three days of interactive education sessions along with a trade show with hundreds of exhibiting companies, governmental entities and academic institutions.

About the 2020 event
This year’s keynote address and opening session will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the food industry.

During this pandemic, food manufacturers have met the challenge of performing as an essential business and have shown the world how well the industry responds to a crisis. They have worked together to maintain a safe work environment for the employee and produced safe food, according to a statement from summit organizers.

The impact of COVID-19 will be addressed in the opening session for the Food Safety Summit and the keynote address by Will Daniels, president of the produce division at IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group. Daniels’s talk is titled “Back to Basics: Consumer Focused Food Safety.” 

“The food industry has always risen to a crisis and taken a challenge head-on. The result is usually very innovative and sometimes severe to reach the desired outcome. The COVID-19 pandemic response is no different. The food industry has stepped up the challenge and has developed some novel ways to protect their workforce,” Daniels said in the summit organizations statement.

“Now is the time to change our paradigm and refocus on the consumer and their wellbeing. We must remember that the food we make goes into the mouths of the people we love and how important it is to have food safety programs that go above and beyond regulation to protect the consumer while still being profitable.”

The focus of the keynote address will be on:

• The strong relationship between the cook and the consumer and how food safety is key to survival.
• How the industrialization of food has forced us to focus on costs and market share to compete and stay in business.
• The impact of government required regulation.

The talk will answer such questions as: 

• What if we could use this time to change the way we think about our food safety programs and focus more on the consumer? 
• Could we change the way our food system is subsidized and focus those dollars on food safety efforts? 
• Can we personalize food safety in ways that make the senior leadership in a company want to do more?

The summit’s opening half-day workshop will also focus on COVID-19
The “New Normal for the Food Industry” workshop is where attendees will hear, learn and discuss firsthand with subject matter experts from epidemiology, regulatory, distribution, manufacturing, foodservice and retail on what they did to address the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis for their organizations, customers and consumers. 

Attendees will find out what worked and what did not work from experts and those on the front lines such as Steve Mandernach, executive director of Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO); Jorge Hernandez, vice president of quality assurance for the The Wendy’s Co.; and Craig Wilson, vice president of Costco, and others. 

Summit registration is now open.

For additional information about the Food Safety Summit, visit the summit website.

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The non-profit group has thousands of members worldwide, including government leaders and employees, academics, industry representatives and others interested in food safety.

The free webinar sessions are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

The series begins May 26 and wraps up  on July 22.

The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) has the goal of advancing food safety worldwide. Following are IAFP’s descriptions of the webinar sessions and the panelist who are scheduled to participate.

May 26 — How to get Buy-In, Develop Metrics, and Properly Implement

Building a culture of food safety is important, but how do you do it? In this webinar, attendees will go through a three-part process corresponding to essential, practical measures for developing a culture of food safety: leveraging leadership support, identifying learning needs and corresponding metrics, and strategic roll-out of effective programs.

• Lone Jespersen, moderator, Cultivate, Switzerland
• Austin Welch, moderator, Sage Media, Colorado, USA
• Neil Coole, presenter, BSI, Virginia, USA
• Richard Fleming, presenter, Sage Media, Colorado, USA
• Megan Kenjora, presenter, The Hershey Co., Pennsylvania, USA

June 8 — Food Safety Culture & Communication – It’s about People

In 2019, FDA established priority areas of focus for internal working groups and stakeholders and they are 1) Tech Enabled Traceability and Foodborne Outbreak Response 2) Smarter Tools and Approaches for Prevention, 3) Adapting to New Business Models and Retail Food Safety Modernization and 4) Food Safety Culture. 

In spite of the release of GFSI’s position paper on Food Safety Culture, several food industry professionals are at a loss in terms of where to start. Those of us in quality and food safety often believe that food safety is our sole responsibility. But is it only our responsibility? Are we being too exclusive and not allowing open conversation with our peers in sanitation, HR, operations, marketing or business leaders? Perhaps we are not sure how best to communicate the importance of package integrity in preventing recontamination, or swabbing to seek the source of the problem as a topic of interest to our peers. 

How can we engage others, and have an influence on employees and companies to commit to food safety? We are very interested to help the audience walk away with a toolkit that they can use to connect with various stakeholders in their organization.

• Akhila Vasan, moderator, Institute for Food Safety and Health Illinois, USA
• Neil Coole, presenter, BSI Group Virginia, USA
• Lone Jespersen, presenter, Cultivate Switzerland
• Linda Smith, presenter, SmithCom, Toronto, Canada

June 22 — Latest Food Safety Culture Research From Four Doctoral Researchers

Get five practical insights from five passionate researchers in the field of food safety culture. From the role of regulators, application of GFSI dimensions, impact of communication, to assessments in SMEs and processing facilities.

• Lone Jespersen, moderator, Cultivate Switzerland
• Sophie Waung, presenter, Purdue, Indiana, USA
• Emma Samuel, presenter, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
• Rounaq Nayak, presenter, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom

July 6 — SQF and Culture Improvements – Hear Practical Learnings From Two Companies

More information to come. LeAnn Chuboff, moderator, SQFI Virginia, USA

July 13 — Evolving the Retailer Stand on Food Safety Audits; Culture and Behavioral Assessments

Learn how leading retailers are Incorporating culture and behavioral assessments into their food safety audit.

• Lone Jespersen, moderator, Cultivate Switzerland
• Andrew Clarke, presenter, Loblaws, Toronto, Canada
• Ray Bowe, presenter, Musgrave, Ireland

July 22 — Dynamic Leadership by Supervisors = Strong Organizational Cultures

Spending the time in leadership development of your supervisors and management team translates to a stronger culture and proven return in that investment to your organization. Against the current backdrop of the current COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever leaders and emerging leaders must tap into skills of adaptability, managing vs. leading, building and maintaining trust and increased engagement to successfully navigate these new challenges. 

Hear directly from industry leaders sharing their approaches to investing in their leaders to affect positive cultural change and bring added value to their organization.

• Lone Jespersen, moderator, Cultivate Switzerland
• Laura Nelson, presenter, Alchemy Systems, Texas, USA
• Kent Summers, presenter Daily’s Premium Meats
• Kristin Kastraup, presenter Alchemy Systems, Texas, USA

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