Category: Laboratory & QA/QC

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.

Over the Hills and Far Away

Posted by Tammie Feit  – Dairy Farm, General, Laboratory & QA/QC
January 18, 2012

Even though Christmas was only three weeks ago, it feels more like months have gone by.  Time is a funny thing.  Days can feel like weeks or go by in minutes depending upon what you are doing.  I am not sure why (It could just be me, I am weird like this), but fall seems less long ago to me than the holidays  do.  This past fall I had the opportunity to attend and run our booth in Platteville, Wisconsin for the Focus on Goats Conference.

First, I would like to commend our truck drivers who weekly have to drive the routes in this area.  For those of you who have never been to this part of Wisconsin, it is quite a trip.  There seems to be some unwritten rule that outlaws any road that goes in a straight or non-hilly direction for more than a few feet.  It was like some crazy roller-coaster ride with farms peppering the hilly terrain.  In my mind I could see our trucks rolling up and down these hills bringing our customers their orders like Santa Claus.

The purpose of our presence at the goat show was to build relationships with the producers and let them know we have many lab items that would be a great fit for testing their milk and animals.  They learned a lot about what we do, but not as much as I learned about the goat dairy industry.

Goat folks, as I like to call them, are a different breed (really- no pun intended).  They are a down to earth, hard working, not afraid to get dirty, loyal people.  They take what they do very seriously, and don’t waste a lot of time on silly non- important matters.  Animal care, quality milk, and a happy life are some of their cornerstones. I visited with some of the youngest attendees who had goat herds of 30 or so.  They sold milk, soap, lotion, ice cream and yes, goat meat.  These girls also had other animals but they were now “in the freezer” I was told.

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New Procedure for Lactic Acid Bacteria Testing

Posted by Cathy Laube  – Food Safety, Laboratory & QA/QC, Production & Material Handling, Sanitation & Janitorial
January 5, 2012

Don’t have enough room for a large incubator to perform bacteria testing?  We have learned there is another option to detect lactic acid bacteria without using gas packs or gas jars. 3M™ has validated a procedure in salad dressings, ready-to-eat meats, ready-to-eat salads and stainless steel surfaces – using Aerobic Count Petrifilm™, double-strength  MRS broth  and Chlorophenol Red as an alternative to the older method,  which requires a modified atmosphere.  Save space, time, labor, materials and clean up, while improving recovery of these troublesome organisms in food and environmental samples.

3M™ Petrifilm™ Plate performance has not been evaluated with all combinations of microbial flora, incubation conditions and food matrixes. Call one of our Technical Sales Specialists at 800-826-8302 for more information about this easy three-step method.

Food Modernization Act Update

Posted by Mat Bartkowiak  – Food Safety, Laboratory & QA/QC
November 17, 2011

The Food Modernization Act (FSMA) has been a continued and focused project for the FDA throughout 2011.   The FDA is actively working on shaping and implementing the Act, and has been asking the food industry for input.  Developments in numerous aspects of the Act continue to occur.   Two topics within the FSMA that have been garnering some industry attention lately are user fees and tracing capabilities.

According to Quality Assurance and Food Safety, the FDA has implemented new user fees: “FDA has also identified an hourly rate for authorized user-fee situations, meaning that the charge will be based on the severity of a problem and the clarity of documentation and corrective action demonstration. FDA is now authorized to collect fees for reinspections, recall activities, and import reinspections/examinations.” The FDA did announce on its site that “Importer Reinspection User Fees” have been postponed and the “FDA will not invoice for any fees prior to January 1, 2012.”

The continued implementation of FSMA and the reality of financial implications of the Act come at a time of economic struggle for many, including a shortage of funding for the FDA. As Dr. David Acheson cites in his “Nine Month Food Safety Modernization Act Implementation Update”,  “FDA will be looking to build on existing best practices and leverage programs where possible.” This means that those involved in the food industry have a capability for being influences and valued voices in this new age of food safety.

Also, the FDA announced this September the launch of two pilot programs involving product tracing. The pilots are intended “to explore and demonstrate methods for rapid and effective tracking and tracing of food, including types of data that are useful for tracing, ways to connect the various points in the supply chain and how quickly data can be made available to FDA.” Much like the user fees discussed above, the FDA is interested in garnering insight from the industry. You can check out opportunities to volunteer for the pilot project at the FDA site.

Nelson-Jameson will continue to update you on the Food Modernization Act as news develops.   We’ll also share with you sources and reports that can help your operation navigate any issues that may come up.

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Voice your comments to the FDA via e-mail at FSMA@fda.hhs.gov.