Baking is in Dave Krishock’s blood. His grandparents owned a bakery outside of Milwaukee, where he grew up. He was involved with the family business from an early age. “My six brothers and sisters and I were cheap labor,” he says. Early on, he was “the short guy,” so his job was scraping the floor […]

With the shift from Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC), the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has redefined the way food facilities must treat food safety hazards. This article reviews the new two-step hazard analysis required under HARPC. Step 1: Hazard identification In step one, the […]

For most food facilities, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduces a new requirement to implement risk-based preventive controls. But, what exactly are they? The FDA defines preventive controls as “those risk-based, reasonably appropriate procedures, practices, and processes that a person knowledgeable about the safe manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of food would employ to […]

Every food manufacturing process creates solid waste. What to do with that waste is a perpetual question in the industry. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a very high-priority question. Respondents to Food Processing magazine’s 2014 annual manufacturing trends survey ranked solid waste and wastewater management among their lowest priorities. It makes sense, perhaps, that companies focus […]

One of the biggest changes the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has introduced is a transition from a reactive to a proactive approach to food safety. This is demonstrated in the shift from critical control points to preventive controls. For many companies, the implementation deadline for Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) is this […]

Compliance dates for the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food rule start this September. Are you ready? FSMA and the Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) requirements apply to almost all food facilities. But there are some exemptions as well as some areas of complexity where being informed is […]

PROCESS EXPO University Manufacture of Fresh Sausages Joe Cordray | Iowa State University  

Considerations for Validation of Thermal Processes used in the Manufacture of Low Moisture Foods Recent outbreaks/recalls due to Salmonella in low-moisture foods, and pending FSMA Preventive Controls rules, make processing interventions an imperative to ensure product safety. Technologies including, ’legacy’ technologies previously designed to achieve quality outcomes, but not designed as ‘kill steps’ (e.g., drying […]

When you think about industrial-scale food preservation, it’s unlikely that old-fashioned Mason jars come to mind. Until relatively recently, however, most food manufacturers relied on processes similar to traditional canning. While such hot-fill methods produce shelf-stable products, they necessitate expensive packaging and can compromise product integrity.  Enter aseptic processing and packaging. This ever-growing technology has […]

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation deadlines are looming, with the Preventive Controls Rules for Human and Animal Food becoming mandatory for many facilities this September. To help you prepare for this upcoming deadline, as well as for the future, here is a quick overview of the seven core FSMA rules. Preventive Controls for […]