New Era of Smarter Food Safety Begins 2022 with New Projects

The FDA highlights the importance of food safety culture and its role in improving outbreak response strategies.

The FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety, launched in 2020, is a comprehensive strategy aimed at making the food system more digital, traceable, and secure. As this initiative moves into its second year, it has started to show real results in reducing foodborne illnesses. One of the four core components of the plan is building a strong food safety culture, along with using smarter tools for prevention and responding to outbreaks. These topics were discussed in detail during a collaborative session in early 2022.

In February, the FDA partnered with Stop Foodborne Illnesses, a non-profit public health organization, to host a webinar titled “How to Make Leaders Risk-Aware and Push Them to Reduce Risk.” The session focused on how a robust food safety culture can help manage risks in food retail and other establishments. Key insights from the discussion included:

• According to a survey by Lone Jespersen of Cultivata SA, only about 48% of top-level executives are aware of food safety risks. She suggests that senior leaders should engage more directly with front-line staff through factory walk-throughs to better understand operational challenges.
• Nancy Wilson from Wawa Foods emphasized the need for companies to identify food safety issues and their business impact. She also recommended involving partners outside the food safety team to align with overall goals.
• Randy Huffman of Maple Leaf Foods highlighted that a successful food safety culture requires a bottom-up approach, engaging both the minds and hearts of every employee.

Later in April, the FDA held another webinar on its Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan (FORIP), which outlined the agency's roadmap for enhancing the speed, coordination, and communication during outbreak investigations. These efforts are critical in identifying the root causes of outbreaks quickly and preventing future incidents. Experts shared progress updates, and Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Outreach, stressed the importance of using modern tools like Whole Genome Sequencing to improve response times and accuracy.

Remco has been actively involved in the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiatives since the beginning. We support this vision by offering high-quality color-coded material handling tools such as scoops, tubs, scrapers, and mixing paddles. As part of Vikan, we also provide innovative, hygienic cleaning solutions—like brushes, brooms, and squeegees—to food producers and manufacturers across North America. If you're interested in learning how our products can enhance your food safety protocols, feel free to reach out to us.

References:

FDA Releases the ‘New Era of Smarter Food Safety’ Blueprint (vikan.com)

Collaborating on Culture in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety - 02/16/2022 | FDA

New Era of Smarter Food Safety: FDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan | FDA

New Era of Smarter Food Safety | FDA