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Tuesday 30 December 2014

Distinction Hallmarks of SSQA

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Posted by Felix Amiri
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Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Confinement in Com-Zones

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.
Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Monday 15 December 2014

The Standardized Food Industry Mistake

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.
Posted By Felix Amiri
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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Friday 28 November 2014

Food Fraud: The Date Change Kind

The National
THE NATIONAL | Nov 26, 2014

Stores caught cheating on best before dates

Hidden cameras reveal that packaged meat may be older than the labels suggest

We have other kinds of fraud that have not made the news like these reported findings: Read more on Systemic Fraud

Wednesday 26 November 2014

After We Have Come this Far in Food Safety and Quality Management:

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate. 


Saturday 22 November 2014

Food Safety in Search of the Most Suitable and Neutral Third Party

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Friday 21 November 2014

If Canada's Food Safety System Ranked World's Best . . .

With the claim made in the above press release that Canada's food safety system ranked world's best, the following questions immediately come to mind:
  • Why are so many food recalls still reported in Canada?
  • Does Canada have fewer reported recalls than the other countries to which it was compared (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States of America)?
  • What exactly is the measure of a "world's best food safety system” in lieu of the goal of food safety management system?
  • Is how well food safety failures are assessed, managed and communicated an acceptable and sufficient indicator of success?
The boasting about Canada’s food safety system appears to be based on the examination of the wrong criteria. Even if interviewed Canadian consumers expressed confidence in the strength of Canada's food system (should this be the claim by Minister of Health Rona Ambrose), such expressions of confidence can be misleading. Interviewed consumers may not have considered the full scope of health problems that are linked to food while responding to the questions about how much confidence they have in the Canadian food safety system. They may not even be aware of how many food-related problems affect them directly. For example, how many stomach upsets they have suffered in a given period, whether they have one of many chronic conditions caused by food such as obesity, diabetes, heart problems, etc.
The most appropriate measure of a successful food safety assurance system is the actual absence of food-related health problems. Any legitimate claim about food safety success must include real data to support at least a clear, consistent and continuing reduction in food-related health problems. Anything else constitutes an attempt to deceive.
Posted By Felix Amiri
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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Saturday 8 November 2014

Food Poisoning and the Economy – “Upset stomachs cost UK 11 million working days”

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.


Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Wednesday 5 November 2014

A Look at One Argument Supporting Unannounced Audits

Should food companies be forced to comply with regulations or standards through unannounced audits or inspections? If so, when should food businesses feel the most enforcement pressure:
  • Long before the audits or inspection?
  • Right before the audits or inspections?
  • Right after the audits or inspections?
  • Long after the audits or inspections?
  • Never feel pressure?
  • Always feel pressure?
How many unannounced audits does it take to build sufficient trust in the party audited?
 
Other posts that may be of interest to you:





Posted By Felix Amiri
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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Equal Offenses

As a food industry professional, are you sometimes driven to the point of exasperation as you interact with other professionals who should know better but fail to demonstrate adequate knowledge or concern about essential food safety considerations and measures? I am not talking about professionals who are starting out in their careers. The inexperience of young professional is understandable because we all start out with such inexperience. I am talking about individuals who have been in the industry for very long and claim to be knowledgeable. Lately I am finding myself almost always encountering this sort of thing but I realize that, as professionals, we have to be patient with each other. Both causing and showing exasperation are equal offenses. For the sake of achieving real progress in the industry, we need to be open to learn from and educate each other. 
The saying is true in more ways than can be imagined: "A little knowledge is dangerous."

Do you have additional advice for fellow professionals?
Posted By Felix Amiri
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Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection 

Monday 3 November 2014

The Cherry Processor and the Ice Cream Topping Manufacturer:

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate. 

Saturday 18 October 2014

A Sampling of Food Safety & Food Poisoning Stories

http://gcse-food-health-protection.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-blight-and-plight-of-restaurants.html

(GI) illness cases In Cruise Shipshttp://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

Indifference can be Fatal - http://gcse-food-health-protection.blogspot.ca/2013/02/fatal-indifference.html





More Stories Published Elsewhere (not in chronological order)


Deadly Milk Tea

By Rebekah Carter
March 26, 2015 | Posted in Food PoisoningNews



PRESS RELEASEIce Cream RecallsMarch 13, 2015 — Brenham, TX. "Three deaths have been reported."

Posted February 12, 2015: 7 deaths in a Multistate Outbreak of ListeriosisLinked to Commercially Produced, Prepackaged Caramel Apples  - http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/caramel-apples-12-14/


The cantaloupe Death Trail
Mother and daughter, 14,  . . . died of possible food poisoning in Bali 

Food Safety Conference Hit by ... Food Poisoning

Canadian Sisters Found Dead in Thai Hotel Room

"Mum dies after eating Christmas dinner at pub 'which had not been properly cooked'"
"In sickness and in health: Wedding ruined by mass food poisoning"
and Other Stories in the Mirror (UK):

Friday 17 October 2014

One Good Turn

Spreading the SSQA Dawn and Favour to ALL:

Watch Video

The GCSE-Food and Health Protection SSQA Development Team is strategically offering reduced price copies to selected individuals and companies. Some of the ways to qualify for these offers are listed below:

The social media "LIKE" Challenge Offer:
Check the web with the phrase "GCSE-FHP SSQA concept", write a post about why you like the SSQA concept that obtains at least 20 likes on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media, send the link or other proof to show the number of likes (minimum 20) that you have received to gcse@afisservices.com and request your free searchable PDF (single copy) of the current SSQA Implementation Manual. Unless extended, this offer ends on May 31, 2017 


Congratulations to Chi Samuel, winner at the 111,111 winning sequence point !!!
The next winning Sequence: 222,222
Watch the top right corner of the blog page for the winning numbers that will be shown from time to time. When you see a winning number, take a screen shot of the page and post it on LinkedIn, Twitter or send it to GCSE-Food and Health Protection at - gcse@afisservices.comThe first person to post or send the screen shot will win a free PDF copy of the SSQA Implementation Manual 


AFISS Offer:
You may take advantage of this offer and receive your free PDF copy of the current SSQA Implementation Manual if you are willing to work with AFISS on the development and implementation of SSQA concepts in your operation. If you are interested, go to “AFISS Offer Details”:

One Year Free Online Access Offer:
If you are a food safety and/or quality manager in a company that has turned a new leaf, the SSQA Development Team is offering to grant you free access to the online SSQA Implementation Manual for one year. Evidence of what your company is currently doing with internal audits, external party audits and regulatory inspections is required. You will receive the free access only if the SSQA Development Team determines that your approach to internal/external audits and regulatory inspections aligns with the principles of the GCSE-Food and Health Protection SSQA concept. This offer is currently open but a time limitation may be applied depending on the number of requests. If interested, you may contact the SSQA Development Team for details.


Saturday 11 October 2014

Safest Times to Eat Out

I had a brief interview with William, a chef with very good knowledge of restaurant food safety measures who has worked at restaurants that are affiliated with high-end hotels. I am using only his first name to protect his identity. You probably can already guess what he said about the extent to which he and his fellow kitchen staff were committed to ensuring that food is safe for patrons. "At the off hours," he said, meaning outside of the breakfast, lunch and dinner rush hours, "it is possible to follow food safety rules". "However," he added, "the rules go out the window when the rush is on." Incidentally, these are the times when a majority of people are served at restaurants with the increased chances of getting more people ill at once.


He did not say this but I suspect he saw no reason for anyone to worry. After all, a few rules ignored until it is more convenient to obey them will not hurt any of the hungry patrons during the rush hours, right?

Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate. 

Friday 19 September 2014

Ebola and Food Risks

In the not so distant past, the Ebola virus devastation in West Africa posed a global threat according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Is Ebola still a threat to the entire world? Watch the Ebola documentary video and see what some investigators are saying: 
Video: https://youtu.be/EaZqfwFVjgQ

Clearly, the death rate associated with Ebola may still be of some concern. Is there any connection or similarity between Ebola and food? Is Ebola conveyed through food? In the past, the World Health Organization has published a table of global health risks. How many of these risks can be attributed to food?

Many people do not care but we are all food consumers. Although we may feel invincible at times, it only takes one instance to change our invincibility with very regrettable consequences. In some cases, the regrettable consequences are suffered for life where life is not altogether lost.

With food, as it is with the Ebola virus disease, indifference can be fatal. The false security of being far away from West Africa is insidiously deceptive in a shrinking, highly mobile and continuously mingling world.



Saturday 6 September 2014

FSMA – Is a Re-think Happening?

How far will the published "Operational Strategy" go? Should further re-thinking be happening? Do the math: If enforcement has not stopped or even reduced incidents of fraud, what gives us confidence that enforcement will lead to better protection of consumers against food-borne hazards and illness under FSMA than has been achieved under previous regulatory measures?

The “Operational Strategy for Implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)” was published by the FDA On May 2, 2014. It addresses some of the challenges that I posted in January of 2013. In that post, I said: “Disappointment awaits us if these initiatives are pursued without serious modifications to address the points listed  . . .  and other limiting factors that are implicit in the current proposals.” You may read the full 2013 post - The New Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 

The published FDA’s Operational Strategy appears to have partially addressed some of the points I listed in support of the disappointing prediction. I find this to be inspiring although some specific details are still lacking and several of the listed points have not been as clearly addressed. For example, the FSMA rules are still too vague (generalized) and leave too much room for confused interpretation, deliberate misinterpretation and manipulation; the narrow focus on food production, manufacturing and distribution businesses persists to the neglect of other significant parties – e.g. the roles of restaurants, canteens and consumers; etc. Although the strategy identifies the use of public health-oriented outcome metrics for evaluating the success of FSMA, specific details are not provided to show how consumers will be engaged and encouraged to actively participate in the process of evaluating the success achieved.

Radical changes are needed in the FSMA as in other regulatory initiatives worldwide. The most challenging is re-thinking the punitive approach to regulatory enforcement. The proposed incentive of compliant establishments receiving fewer inspections by the US FDA is a good direction. It provides a more targeted approach that is necessary for enforcement efficiency and success. However, it does not go far enough. With the fewer inspections incentive, the proposed regulatory changes still maintain the “catch-and-punish” focus. A strategy for a sustained collaboration of all parties towards the desired goal of consumer protection is not sufficiently developed within the proposed regulatory framework.  

The proposed new regulations, still cloaked in the old policing mentality, are poised to increase the burden for law-abiding operators and abate the pressure for dubious food business owners who are very good at dodging inspectors' surveillance techniques. Catch-and-punish methods only deter until the criminally-minded find ways around them. As violators cause undesirable events, they force regulators to spread the surveillance net. With such broadened surveillance that wastes resources on looking at compliant along with non-compliant operators, the burden is increased for law-abiding operators who will do everything to comply with any extra imposed cautionary (often unnecessary) measures. On the other hand, due to regulatory resources that are often spread too thin to effectively go after the dubiousthe pressure is abated for them. The dubious will do everything to avoid the extra cautionary and cash-strapped enforcement measures.

I have discussed some alternatives in other related posts which appear to be attracting increasing attention. I strongly suspect that we have not seen the end of the re-thinking process that appears to be going in the direction of the GCSE-Food and Health Protection proposals.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Question from an Aspiring Food Professional:

Young professionals provide great opportunities for the experienced folk to be great mentors.

A young Food Science professional asked: “How can I improve my experience and improve my knowledge of Food Hygiene & Good Manufacturing Practices?” 

Freely share what you know because knowledge diminishes if it is hoarded.


A recent Food Science and Technology graduate, upon reading some of my posts, sent me a message with this question. Other young professionals starting out in the food safety and quality management profession or planning to enter this field may be asking the same question.

Here are some of the points in my response:

An academic background in food science or related field is good place to start. Once employed, the practical everyday experiences at work (good or bad) provide very good learning opportunities. Ongoing professional development training may also be necessary. Such training could be obtained through short courses, seminars and professional certification programs by reputable organizations or institutions. In every case, the courses should offer practical content based on real experiences along with real opportunities for practice. The post on "Mercenary or MOM Training” provides additional information about how to determine what courses are good to take.

Secondly, any practicing or prospective professional will benefit from reading as broadly as possible. Reading the news about actual related events in the industry, as well as following open forum discussions could be helpful. Participating with comments, questions, etc., could also provide very good opportunities to learn and test your knowledge.

Other veterans in the food safety and quality management profession may have things to add. As for current veterans, we must first regain respect for the food safety and quality management profession. Spreading misinformation and commercialized complicity will not help this at all. Plain honesty about current failures with a determined and demonstrated effort at pursuing real (not superficial) solutions will. We must re-establish the trustworthiness of the profession. Otherwise, we will not have a worthwhile legacy to pass on to future generations.

Please share your thoughts if you have anything to add. This may even be a question.


Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Food Safety and Acrobatic Balancing Acts – Where do you stand?

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.


Posted By Felix Amiri
____________________________________
Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Saturday 26 July 2014

The Lion, the Goat and the Yam Test for Prospective Food Safety Managers

You very likely have heard this old Nigerian riddle but not as a food protection aptitude test. All good food safety managers should be able to solve this riddle. Your yam and goat, are they safe? With some modification, clarification and added challenge to appease critical minds, here is the riddle:

A man has to cross a river with his lion, goat and tuber of yam in a canoe. The canoe needs to take at least two of the passengers for balance each time but cannot hold more than three (the yam has sufficient weight as a passenger - huge yam). The lion has no interest in the man or the yam as food but finds the goat to be irresistibly appetizing. The only reason the goat is spared is because the man gets between and separates them every time the lion goes for the goat. The goat sees the yam and feels the same irresistible  urge to consume it. The man and the lion are of no interest to the goat. The man also protects the yam from the goat. However, with him having to do the paddling, the protection intervention is not possible in the canoe. How should the man get his yam, goat and lion safely across with no consumption casualties?

Note: Like certain situations in food safety and quality management, there is no opportunity for "corrective action".The challenge demands SSQA kind of strategic and preventive action. 
Posted by Felix Amiri
___________________________________________________________
Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.