New Era of Smarter Food Safety Begins 2022 with New Projects

The FDA highlights the importance of food safety culture and the Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan

The FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety, a 2020 initiative aimed at building a more digital, traceable, and safer food system, is now in its second year. This plan focuses on four key areas, including food safety culture and smarter tools for prevention and outbreak response. These were central topics during a collaborative session held in early 2022.

In February, the FDA, in partnership with Stop Foodborne Illnesses, hosted a webinar titled “How to Make Leaders Risk-Aware and Push Them to Reduce Risk.” The session explored how strong food safety culture can help manage risks across the food industry. Key insights from the discussion included:

• According to a survey by Lone Jespersen of Cultivata SA, only about 48% of top executives are aware of food safety risks. She recommends that senior leaders engage more directly by walking through facilities with frontline staff to better understand operational challenges.
• Nancy Wilson of Wawa Foods emphasized the need for companies to identify food safety issues and their business impact, and to seek support from partners outside the food safety team who share similar goals.
• Randy Huffman of Maple Leaf Foods stated, “A strong food safety culture thrives when there's a bottom-up approach that involves not just the minds, but also the hearts of every employee.”
  

Later in April, the FDA held another webinar on its Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan (FORIP), which outlined strategies to improve the speed, coordination, and communication of outbreak investigations. These efforts are crucial for identifying the root causes of outbreaks and preventing future incidents. Experts from the U.S. food safety sector shared updates, and Frank Yiannas, FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Outreach, stressed the importance of using modern tools like Whole Genome Sequencing to enhance response capabilities.

Remco has been actively involved in the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiatives since the beginning. We align with the vision of enhancing food safety through innovative solutions such as color-coded material handling tools, including scoops, tubs, scrapers, and mixing paddles. As part of Vikan, we also provide high-quality, hygienically designed cleaning tools like brushes, brooms, and squeegees for food producers and manufacturers in North America. If you're looking to improve food safety at your facility, 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