19fbtechreview.comSEPTEMBER - 2022Doing your best might not be enough. I am in no doubt that the majority of people working in the field will try to do their best, but unless they have the knowledge and understanding required then their best simply won't do. When you audit a site that vacuum packs meats and the senior food safety person doesn't know about anaerobic organisms, or a canned foods processor who cannot explain the log reduction process nor what D and Z values are, you know it's not going to go well. The reliance on the CFIA hazard database or a process authority just doesn't cut it. Our health and wellbeing are too important to be part of an experiment. For the longest time, it looked as if third-party audit standards might fulfill the role of the "qualifying standard" but now, I am not so sure. The certification bodies are not leading in this area. Too many auditors being approved without enough technical knowledge, and a system that requires too much time to be spent reviewing records and writing reports. When these standards were launched, the auditors were typically former quality and technical managers who really understood the process. There was a lot less focus on a report and a lot more focus on findings. The move to the standards becoming "accredited" had a detrimental impact, as there were now other factors affecting the audit process. The audit grade is also a factor as it seems that just about everyone is the top grade. The standard owners, certification bodies can run reports on this. This is one area that accreditation bodies could truly add value as they should be able to challenge CB's about the skew of audit grades. Education and Training There are many people who are delivering training and education, in this sector, who themselves have never had any real experience in the workplace. This isn't a theoretical business.Students are graduating from Colleges and Universities who then have to be trained when they start working. As someone who hires quality and technical staff, I have yet to be presented with a recent graduate who is able to quickly add value to the team. Graduating does not mean qualified and we need to remember this.There are also people who are appointed into roles and are accepting jobs for a title, as companies are often looking to avoid paying properly for the talent. I know of people holding senior positions in food safety who failed auditing and HACCP courses, and another who said, "Pre-requisite programs do not manage hazards and risks."Everyone Needs to Know About Food SafetyThere is no such thing as zero risks when it comes to food. There is however a sense that all of the responsibility lies with growers and manufacturers. Wrong--consumers must The food industry, like all others, is about making profits, and no one would deny this is vital as we all need to get paid, but this must never be at the expense of consumer safety
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