Category: Food Safety

Food Defense – Who You Gonna Call?

Posted by Wendy Johnson  – Food Safety, General, Laboratory & QA/QC
May 1, 2012

The idea of food defense has been on the minds of many of us at Nelson-Jameson, Inc., especially since September 11, 2001. The actions of terrorists in this country have brought a wide variety of changes and improvements to the food business, including everyone involved from farm to fork. We are proud to be an important link in the food industry chain.

As a distribution warehouse for a large variety of food ingredients and food grade chemicals, we have implemented policies and procedures to protect our products and the process of getting them to customers. Annually, Nelson-Jameson, Inc. undergoes vigorous inspections by third-party auditing firms such as American Institute of Baking (AIB). Currently, we are working on our SQF 2000 (Safe Quality Food) certification to become one of the newest members of this globally-recognized food safety alliance.

With SQF certification we are required to have intensive food safety programs in place. We have been working on these programs for many years, and finally, we are getting a chance to show you what we are doing to protect our products, personnel and customers. In addition to third-party audits, Nelson- Jameson, Inc. is inspected by the USDA and FDA. We are registered with the FDA for the Bioterrorism Preparedness & Response Act 2002 as well as having our site security plan filed with The Department of Homeland Security.

Food safety and security requires the utmost diligence. Although all acts of terrorism can’t be foretold, we feel confident that we are validating each threat brought to our attention. Verification procedures we carry out “behind the scenes” allow us to help keep products and consumers safe.

Food Engineering Magazine  recently published an article about processors protecting their products from intentional criminal acts, you can read the article here.

“Mad Cow Disease” Back in the Spotlight

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Dairy Farm, Food Safety, General, Laboratory & QA/QC
April 27, 2012

“Mad Cow Disease:” this may be a reference that many American consumers might associate with the U.K. and the 1990s, or the 2003 American outbreak. April of 2012 might change those associations. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known commonly as “Mad Cow Disease,” was thrust into the American mindset again after the fourth confirmed case in the U.S. in the past fifteen years was discovered in a dairy cow from California.

The cow in question, according to USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford, “was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health.”  According to Clifford, the cow tested “positive for atypical BSE, a very rare form of the disease not generally associated with an animal consuming infected feed.” Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack called the case “atypical,” and offered that such a case could be attributed to genetics.

Though an isolated case, there is concern about the potential fallout. According to the CDC the threat to consumers is miniscule (estimated at one in 10 billion, “even after consuming contaminated products”). Often markets have not taken much comfort in such estimates. For instance, after the 2003 case “Beef exports dropped by more than 70%”.

As of the publication date of this article, it looks as if the beef industry will not be too adversely affected. Negative reports centered on South Korea. There, according to CNN, “at least one major South Korean retailer” has pulled American beef from their shelves.  Other markets, such as the European Union and Mexico, at this juncture, appear undeterred, while there may be further conversation/concern from countries such as Taiwan and Russia. The following weeks will likely highlight further details of the international reaction, but the USDA has stated this confirmed case of BSE will likely not effect trade significantly.

The USDA asserts that it will continue to monitor BSE concerns within the food supply.   Currently, they test approximately “40,000 cows a year.” More information on BSE can be found here.

You Asked…We Listened!

Posted by Dakonya Freis  – Food Safety, Production & Material Handling, Sanitation & Janitorial
April 5, 2012

Color-coding is an important topic for food processors and at Nelson-Jameson, Inc. we understand this. We continue to work with our suppliers to provide the products necessary for you, our customer, whether that be the same products in new colors or completely new products to fill a void.

One request we’ve continued to hear is the need for additional colors. About a year ago we began offering orange products and we heard rave reviews, but that we needed still more colors. So, we are happy to announce that we are now adding purple to our product offering. You will find that many of our most common products are now available in purple to allow you to expand your color-coding programs.

Whether you need a shovel, floor sweep, utility cart or knife in purple, we now have you covered. We continue to look for more products in purple to expand our offering, but if there is something you are in need of, please let us know. Customer feedback is what drives our color-coded program and we encourage you to let us know what you need.

Click here to view our new Color-Coded Catalog on our website, or call 800-826-8302 to request your copy today!

Preventative Controls – Focus of FDA

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Food Safety, General
February 29, 2012

It looks like 2012 will be a busy year for Food Safety Modernization Act developments. According to the FDA, the agency is “expected to issue proposed rules during early 2012, that would require facilities that make or handle food for people and animals to put measures in place to help prevent foodborne illness.” These rules will pertain to all levels of the food industry, in businesses both large and small. Keeping this in mind, the FDA announced a partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health (IIT IFSH) to “help food companies access food safety information and materials to comply with pending FDA rulemaking.”

A recent press release from ITT IFSH states, “The new Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) is a one-year, $1 million partnership grant funded by the FDA Office of Foods through the IIT-IFSH-FDA collaborative agreement. Funding has been allocated to the development of a standardized industry- oriented training curriculum, including hands-on and web-based training modules.” The resource is specifically aimed at smaller operations that may desire some assistance as the new proposed rules are implemented. The establishment of a preventative controls alliance was one of many discussed concerns recently in “The Federal Food Safety Working Group Progress Report released in December 2011.   You can check out the full report here.

Handwashing 101

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Food Safety, General, Safety & Personnel, Sanitation & Janitorial
January 12, 2012

Handwashing is a front line of defense when it comes to food safety. It is also a commonly misunderstood practice that deserves some careful attention, as seemingly self-apparent as it might appear.

The Mayo Clinic states that “frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness,” and “offers great rewards in terms of preventing illness. Adopting this simple habit can play a major role in protecting your health.” In the food industry, proper handwashing is a practice that can keep both your customers and your employees safe and healthy.   For many folks, there are many misconceptions about handwashing that are out there because of its supposedly obvious nature.   The Center for Disease Control recommends the following as standard protocol.

See how this compares to your ideas about proper handwashing:

•       Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
•       Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
•       Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
•       Rinse your hands well under running water.
•       Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Though it may be strange for visitors to your operation to hear employees humming “Happy Birthday” throughout the facility, consider it the sound of properly ensuring enough time to effectively combat germs and thus, avoid contamination of the final product.

Continue reading →