GFSI Newsletter November 2012

T
Welcome from the GFSI Chairman
hank you for reading this latest update from the Global Food Safety Initiative and for taking the time to follow our progress. We have just returned from Tokyo, Japan where we hosted our 5th Japan Food Safety Day and met with over 300 food safety professionals from 155 local and global companies. This meeting was the first occasion for the GFSI Japan Local Working Group to present its achievements since its launch in January of this year. This is our first GFSI Local Working Group and we plan to build on its success to establish local groups in other regions of the world, in order to create networks of food safety professionals to support and advance GFSIs global strategy at a local level and support continuous improvement of food safety management systems across geographies. This July we held the first standalone GFSI Focus Day in China. The Focus Day was a great success and drew over 400 participants including top level representatives from the Chinese government. This Focus Day confirmed GFSIs presence in China and established strong links with key local stakeholders. To demonstrate the Chinese food industrys commitment to food safety and to GFSIs founding values and principles, a call for action entitled China Food Safety Initiative was issued and signed publicly by over 100 local leading food company representatives. GFSI is now working actively on the development of a GFSI China Local Working Group to be launched in the first half of 2013 and will hold a second China focus event next year to continue growing its presence in the country. This Newsletter is largely dedicated to our first Focus Day in India that will take place on the 4th of December in New Delhi. The Indian food processing sector is gaining more and more importance in the global food supply chain and we are expecting over 300 Indian decision makers from the food industry, including representatives from key local industry organisations and regulatory bodies. We encourage you to invite your colleagues and partners to attend this event! This edition also provides you with an update from our Technical Working Group meetings that took place on 2nd & 3rd of October, kindly hosted by Ecolab at its headquarters in Eagan MN, USA. You will find an overview of the work completed in the following pages along with updates and results of the ongoing GFSI benchmarking process. The programme of the Global Food Safety Conference 2013 is being finalized and we look forward to welcoming you to another exceptional event. As we count down until March, all news related to the conference will be communicated through our dedicated Global Food Safety Conference LinkedIn group, via @mygfsi on Twitter and through a Special Edition Newsletter in early February. Please find the programme and register on-line at tcgffoodsafety.com as you plan your trip to Barcelona, Spain from 6th to 8th March.

Contents
Recent GFSI Achievements...................................... 2 GFSI - Technical Working Group updates................................................................................ 2 GFSI Global Markets Programme..................... 5 GFSI Benchmarking Update...............................6 GFSI Conference Column. ....................................... 7 Focus On INdia................................................................ 9 GFSI Regional Events............................................... 12 Japan Food Safety Day................................................ 12 GFSI China Focus Day................................................... 13 GFSI rESULTS.................................................................... 14 GFSI Around the World......................................... 14 GFSI Partner................................................................... 17 GFSI sponsors............................................................... 19 GFSI Next Events......................................................... 21

www.mygfsi.com

Yves Rey, Corporate Quality General Manager, Danone

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Recent GFSI Achievements

The following schemes were successfully benchmarked by GFSI and have achieved recognition against the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition*:

Global Red Meat Standard and IFS scope extensions were launched in October and November. Over 300 delegates attended the 5th Japan Food Safety Day in Tokyo. Over 120 people attended a GFSI breakout session at the 6th CIFSQ conference in Shanghai on 8th November. 422 people attended the GFSI China Focus Day on 19th July in Beijing.
*full details on the scopes of recognition can be found in the Benchmarking Update on page 5

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6 and BRC/IoP Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials Issue 4 IFS Food Standard Version 6 Code 7th Edition Level 2

SQF

Global stakeholder consultations for the benchmarking of FSSC 22000, CanadaGAP, the

GFSI - Technical Working Group updates

Auditor Competence
Chair: Bill McBride, Foodlink Management Services Vice-Chair: Mark Overland, Cargill GFSI Board Liaisons: Peter Begg, Mondel z International and Herv Gomichon, Carrefour

n February 2012 the GFSI Auditor Competence Working Group completed the following work items and submitted their recommendations to the GFSI Board:

Determine the role, tasks, and expectations of auditors Define competencies (skills, knowledge and attributes) for each task Recommend options by which they can be assessed and verified

The Board subsequently approved the formalisation of this working group into what is now known as the Auditor Competence Scheme Committee, mandated to develop a business case for an independent process of competence assessment and credentialing of GFSI scheme auditors. Before the Scheme Committee can determine the best approach to take moving forward, they are preparing a baseline study across all industry stakeholders of the costs involved in training, qualifying and credentialing auditors across one, two and three GFSI benchmarked schemes. A sub-committee has prepared a cost spreadsheet for certification bodies and auditors to complete to provide current real costs of developing and credentialing auditors to GFSI-benchmarked schemes. Once the results have been gathered, they can be used to determine whether there is an improved outcome and cost benefit for the various stakeholders of developing an auditor training and assessment process. Having developed a competency model and list of agreed knowledge and skill components that can be applied across all post farmgate GFSI benchmarked schemes, the GFSI Board also approved that a validation process be undertaken in order to ensure that the competency framework is defensible and validated globally. Another sub-committee has been assigned to work on this and more information on this will be shared in the next newsletter.

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Guidance Document
Chair: Kevin Swoffer, KPS Resources Vice-Chair: Tom Ford, Ecolab GFSI Board Liaison: Bryan Farnsworth, Hormel Foods

Global Regulatory Affairs

Chair: Joseph Scimeca, Cargill GFSI Board Liaisons: Hugo Byrnes, Ahold and Mike Robach, Cargill he GFSI Global Regulatory Affairs Working Group has been reconvened by the GFSI Board following the completion of its initial mandate which was to draft a White Paper to demonstrate the case for accredited third party certification. The GFSI Board recognised the need for the following ongoing activities:
Actively

The first part of their meeting was held jointly with the Storage and Distribution Working Group, to discuss draft guidance criteria on the levels of risk within their sector and the related factors that the Storage and Distribution Working Group should therefore take into account when taking a decision on single/multisite criteria for their scope. A joint discussion was also held on the topic of wholesale activity, and whether the Storage and Distribution Working Group need to draft key elements related to this activity for inclusion under their scope in the GFSI Guidance Document. Further on the topic of GFSIs sector-specific work, the group discussed the five future sector-specific Working Groups that will be convened (equipment manufacturing, food broker/agents, retail/ wholesale outlets, catering and food safety services) so that the Guidance Document contains key elements for every sector of the supply chain and provides a true farm to fork approach. They made a recommendation to the GFSI Board on the prioritization of these groups, and the Board agreed to prioritise the food broker/agents, catering and retail/wholesale groups. A call for participation in these groups will be circulated to GFSI stakeholders together with the Technical Working Group Terms of Reference once the project briefs have been approved by the Board. In addition, the Working Group discussed the development of a procedure for the annual assessment of the GFSI recognised schemes (carried out a year following the date of their recognition) as well as a procedure for the office assessment of the GFSI recognised schemes (takes place once during the recognition period in lieu of the annual assessment).

he GFSI Guidance Document Working Group mandate is to develop recommendations on all technical issues relating to the GFSI Guidance Document and the Benchmarking Process.

engage governments in recognizing and accepting GFSI benchmarked schemes as an effective and efficient tool for global food safety management of food delivery to consumers, Actively engage and build relationship with CODEX Alimentarius and WTO in and alignment of GFSI requirements with CODEX standards and WTO/SPS requirements to further align industry and government efforts in food safety. In their last meeting, the Working Group reviewed the above mentioned White Paper to decide on a process for revision to make the paper timeless. They also identified priority countries to target their outreach to and developed key messaging points for communication with governments and IGOs.

Storage and Distribution

Chairs: Jorge Hernandez, US Foods and Rena Pierami, Silliker GFSI Board Liaisons: Cenk Gurol, Aeon Global SCM and Payton Pruett, The Kroger Company

ollowing their joint meeting with the Guidance Document Working Group, the Storage and Distribution Working Group held their own discussions on single/multisite criteria for their scope and developed their own sector specific definition and requirements for wholesale as relates specifically to their Storage and Distribution scope. The key elements for the scope have almost been finalized and will be sent out for a global stakeholder consultation by the end of 2012 to all contacts in the GFSI database. The group is also finalizing the sector-specific terms which will need to be incorporated into the GFSI Guidance Document glossary.

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Global Markets
GLOBAL MARKETS PROGRAMME

Working Group Chair: Marc Cwikowski, The Coca-Cola Company GFSI Board Liaisons: Cindy Jiang, McDonalds, Yves Rey, Danone and Frank Yiannas, Wal-Mart Programme, such as sustainable market access, scalability and adaptability. The groups then began to develop a framework for training programs delivered against the Basic and Intermediate Levels which includes the delivery mode(s), instructional style, delivery style, audience definition, content structure and training outcome.

Global Markets Training

Training Sub-Group Chairs: Tatiana Lorca, Ecolab (Manufacturing) and Morag Webb, COLEACP (Primary Production) he Manufacturing and Primary Production Sub-Groups spent the first part of their meeting finalizing their respective competency frameworks, which will be reviewed a final time via conference call towards the end of the year. This will complete phase 1 of the groups mandate related to training, which was to define minimum competencies that are required to pass the GFSI Basic and Intermediate level programmes for those responsible for managing food safety within their organisation. The two groups came together for the rest of the meeting to tackle phase 2 of their mandate: develop guidance on training delivery and the localisation of training. The Working Groups were joined by Brian Bedard of the World Bank, who provided a unique perspective on capacity building training efforts from his experience with the World Banks Global Food Safety Partnership. In a first instance, the groups discussed the success criteria for training against the Global Markets

Global Markets Communication

Communication Sub-Group Chair: Alain Dewael, Starbucks n October the Global Markets Communication Working Group reviewed and agreed on the final communication channels that they identified as being key to the Global Markets Programme communication plan and brainstormed content across each of these channels. Among these key channels the group particularly recommended that the strategy for the future include enhanced access to information related to the Global Markets Programme through the GFSI website. Other key channels that the group covered during the meeting were the LinkedIn, programme presentations, a one-pager, webinars and the development of a case study library. An action plan to support this communication strategy will be completed by the first quarter of 2013.

GFSI would like to thank Ecolab for hosting its last Technical Working Groups meeting in Eagan MN, USA on 2nd and 3rd October. GFSI would also like to thank 3M for hosting the Technical Working Group Meeting dinner on 2nd October. For any information on GFSIs technical work, please contact Jessica Wigram (gfsinfo@theconsumergoodsforum.com).

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

GFSI Global Markets Programme Training

The Coca-Cola Companys Global Markets Training for Sugar Suppliers in India
he India and Southwest Asia Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) organized a three-day workshop in Gurgaon on 12th 14th July to promote knowledge sharing, build capability and manage food safety risks associated with the manufacturing, quality and food safety of sugar. The training, which was attended by authorized and potential sugar supply chain partners, was based on the GFSI Global Markets Programme. More than 100 representatives from 28 sugar mills attended and actively participated in the training. Michigan State University (MSU) professors from the Food Safety Knowledge Sharing Network (FSKN) provided training on 13 basic food safety modules, which were initially developed in 2009 for TCCCs Chinese suppliers. Presenters from BU Technical, TCCC, Bottling Investments Group (BIG) India, Certification Bodies, supplier representatives, Danone and Cargill also discussed various aspects of food safety and highlighted its importance with relation to the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) recently amended regulations to provide a complete outlook on food safety. Broad topics covered during the programme included:
The Coca-Cola Companys approach to food safety Introduction to the GFSI Global Markets Programme FSSAI implications for food business operators Food

safety journey of a sugar mill certified against a GFSI recognised scheme Guest lectures given by representatives from Danone, Cargill and the DNV and SGS certification bodies Training on 13 modules of the Global Markets Programme Basic Level A key highlight of the programme was a unique, pre- and post-training assessment for participants, which ascertained base-level and post-training knowledge. A quiz conducted by Ravi Prasad Nimmalapudi, Supplier Quality Manager, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, used visual aids to help participants identify issues and develop solutions to common concerns of GMP, hygiene and food safety in sugar mills. At the end of the workshop, suppliers prepared action plans and identified next steps to implement food safety management systems at their facilities to obtain certification against a GFSI recognised scheme.

Shukla Wassan, Sr. Vice President and Legal Several Indian sugar suppliers are already and Company Secretary, Hindustan Cocacommitted to using the Global Markets Cola Beverages (HCCB) (BIG), highlighted the Participants engrossed in the assessment Programme as a pathway to achieving importance of quality and food safety to the certification against a GFSI recognised scheme. Companys overall reputation. Asim Parekh, VP, Others have used the training to accelerate their GFSI journey in a Technical, India and South West Asia, further explained the TCCCs way shorter time frame. of ensuring food safety across the supply chain (farm to consumer) and how suppliers play an important role in ensuring quality and food The initiative garnered a positive response from all suppliers, who safety of TCCCs products. welcomed Coca-Cola Indias efforts to develop supplier capability to Neil Marshall, Global Director, Quality & Food Safety, TCCC, shared a detailed Quality, Safety and Environment (QSE) roadmap and certification requirements for various stakeholders in the supply chain. Guest speakers Anuj Metha, Head of Quality Assurance, Danone India and Roger Bont, Global Quality Head, Cargill USA also shared their perspective on quality and food safety with respect to ingredient supplier management. further improve food safety regulation processes in the Indian sugar industry. TCCC plans to hold an Intermediate level training in July next year in India and is strongly committed to sharing and promoting food safety knowledge within the food industry. This training programme is an excellent example of the tangible benefits that the application of the GFSI Global Markets Programme can offer to the industry.

GLOBAL MARKETS PRIMARY

GLOBAL MARKETS MANUFACTURING

For more information on the GFSI Global Markets Programme, email gfsinfo@theconsumergoodsforum.com.

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

GFSI Benchmarking Update

Benchmarking Results
The following are the first schemes to be given formal recognition by the GFSI Board:
BRC

the Sixth Edition is the expansion of the document to cover primary production, processing and supporting activities in a more robust way, taking a scope specific approach to eventually cover all parts of the food supply chain.

Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6 and BRC/IoP Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials Issue 4 on 20th September 2012 IFS Food Standard Version 6 on 21st September 2012 SQF Code 7th Edition Level 2 on 15th October 2012 Over the course of the re-benchmarking process of the above schemes, the GFSI Benchmark Committee compared the requirements for food safety scheme ownership, management and supporting systems outlined in the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition against the detailed documentation and objective evidence provided by the schemes for each requirement in order to determine equivalence. This process comprised numerous exchanges of documents until the Benchmark Committee were satisfied that the requirements outlined in the Guidance Document had been met. Once reviewed by the Benchmark Committee, the application was also shared for a one-month global stakeholder consultation with over 9000 GFSI stakeholders, which forms part of the transparent approach to benchmarking that is embedded in the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition. The re-benchmarking exercise against the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition presented a significant change from the previous approach against the Fifth Edition. Apart from strengthening the requirements for the management of schemes, the major change in

Applications at Stakeholder Consultation*

IFS

Scope Extension: Issued for global stakeholder consultation from 18th Oct to 18th Nov 2012. Global Red Meat Standard: Issued for global stakeholder consultation from 23rd Oct to 23rd Nov 2012. CanadaGAP: Issued for global stakeholder consultation from 31st Oct to 31st Nov 2012 FSSC 22000: Issued for global stakeholder consultation from 5th Nov to 5th Dec 2012. *if you wish to comment on any of these consultations, then please visit the GFSI website

Applications at Desk Review

GlobalGAP, Primus and Global Aquaculture Alliance are currently under final review by the Benchmark Committees and will be released for consultation shortly. If you do not regularly receive invitations to participate in GFSI consultations, then please email your full contact details to gfsinfo@theconsumergoodsforum.com.

GFSI Recognised Schemes

Currently going through the GFSI Benchmarking process

(IFS scope extensions) AI Farming of Animals AII Farming of Fish BI Farming of Plants BII Farming of Grains and Pulses C Animal Conversion D Pre Processing Handling of plant Products EI Processing of Animal Perishable Products EII Processing of Plant Perishable Products EIII Processing of Animal and Plant Perishable Products (Mixed Products) EIV Processing of Ambient Stable Products F Production of Feed L Production of (Bio) Chemicals M Production of Food Packaging Scope of Recognition in Application Scope excluded from current application until 10 certificates are provided to GFSI as per GFSI Guidance Document Part II 1.2.3. Will be re-submitted as a scope extension at a later date

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Global Food Safety Conference Column

Food Safety in a Global Economy

e are living in a new age of globalization with implications for food safety and public health.

As an example, in the 14th Century, black plague (caused by Yersinia pestis) is reported to have traveled across Europe at a rate of about 2 to 3 miles per day. In the 21st Century, a coronavirus, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARs), traveled from Hong Kong to Canada in less than a day. Simply put, amazing.

fork, the food system, has evolved into an increasingly complex network interdependent on many businesses, stakeholders, and individuals. Adding to the complexity of the food system is the fact that the food supply is becoming more global. As our global community becomes smaller and more interconnected, the business of moving food from the farm to the dinner table has become increasingly complex. Food is being distributed further than ever before; sometimes from one distant country to another, and foodborne disease outbreaks have the growing potential of being widespread. This trend is occurring worldwide. Even when food is produced and consumed locally, it can still have widespread implications. For example, the E. coli O104:H4 outbreak last year , which was linked to locally produced sprouts, resulted in a record number of illnesses among consumers from 16 different countries who had recently travelled to Germany. In other words, with global travel, even locally produced foods can cause global outbreaks.

While neither one of the Frank Yiannas events described above were directly related to food, they do illustrate one important point. Although human interactions and commerce have existed over long distances for literally thousands of years, they can occur today at an accelerated pace. And when it comes to food, managing risks and creating one universal language of safe food for consumers everywhere is becoming increasingly important. Its hard to overstate the differences today in our food system compared to thousands of years ago or, for that matter, a mere hundred years ago when many of our food safety approaches were first being developed.

The Need for Greater Cross-Border Collaboration

Although there is no question that the emergence of todays global food system has provided consumers with a more diverse and abundant supply of convenient, economical, and nutritious food, these trends have resulted in both benefits and additional risks. While on balance, for a majority of consumers, the benefits of a global food system do outweigh the risks, todays food system requires greater crossborder collaboration in the area of food safety than at any other point in human history. As we have seen in recent years, the hazards in the food supply are not respecters of countries or borders, so when it comes to food safety solutions, neither should we. When other countries or regions of the world win battles against foodborne disease, we all win. With this thought in mind, I want to encourage you to start making plans now to attend the Global Food Safety Conference in Barcelona, Spain from March 6th to 8th 2013. The theme of next years conference will be Food Safety in a Global Economy. By attending and learning from one another, we can make a difference, advance the safety of the global food supply, and improve the quality of life for consumers worldwide. For more information please visit: www.tcgffoodsafety.com. Frank Yiannas is Vice President of Food Safety for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He is also Vice Chair of the GFSI Board and Chair of the Global Food Safety Conference Programme Committee. He is the author of the book Food Safety Culture, Creating a Behavior-Based Food Safety Management System. You can follow him on twitter @frankyiannas.

When other countries or regions of the world win battles against foodborne disease, we all win.

Looking Back to Shape the Future

Archaeologists believe that in the early days of human existence, humans primarily hunted and gathered their food. During this time period, I doubt humans were too concerned about food safety. Instead, they were simply trying to obtain enough food to survive. Over time, small social and family groups started to form for survival and to hunt, fish, and gather food. After years of small groups moving from one place to another in search of food, the way humans gathered food started to change. In certain parts of the world more favorable for farming, humans began to learn how to cultivate crops and domesticate animals and they started to form small villages. Early farming practices became established, which allowed groups of people to live in the same geographic region for longer periods of time.

Todays Food System

Fast forward to the 21st century and the transformation that has occurred in food production is nothing short of amazing. Today, a single farmer can produce more food than ever before to feed a growing population. Moreover, the way we get our food from farm to

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Focus on India
GFSI Focus Day India, December 4th 2012, New Delhi

e are thrilled to announce that GFSI will host its first Focus Day in India. Over 300 local and international food safety professionals will meet on 4th December at the Hilton Hotel Nehru Place, New Delhi. We invite you to join us for this first GFSI Focus Day in India, which is organised as part of our continuous efforts to advance food safety globally. These one-day regional events are instrumental in showcasing GFSIs role in bringing all relevant stakeholders together to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers worldwide. The GFSI Focus Day will provide the Indian food industry stakeholders with thorough background information on the principles behind the GFSI and will demonstrate real examples of the benefits that working within the GFSI framework provides. It will also serve as a unique opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange with top food safety experts and decision makers from global companies, local Indian food industry and government.

The programme is composed of international and local key food safety professionals including several GFSI Board members: Yves Rey, Chairman, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Corporate Quality General Manager, Danone Group, France D.V. Darshane, Director, Policy & Governance, Global Quality, Safety & Environment, The Coca Cola Company and GFSI Board Member, USA Shri. S.N. Mohanty, CEO, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), India Dr. S.G. Ghonkrokta, Director (Enforcement), FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), India Dr. Jasvir Singh, Co-Chair Codex Cell, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), India Shri Prabodh S. Halde, Jt. Convener, SEA-FSSAI Regulatory Committee, Head-Product Integrity Management, Marico Ltd., India Ms. Meetu Kapur, Executive Director, Head - Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence (FACE), CII, India Shri. Mahesh Zagade, IAS, FDA Commissioner, India Frank Yiannas, Vice President, Food Safety, Walmart and GFSI Board Vice-Chair, USA Bryan Farnsworth, VP Quality Management, Hormel Foods and GFSI Board Member, USA Cindy Jiang, Senior Director Worldwide Quality Systems, Food Safety, and Nutrition, McDonalds Corporation and GFSI Board Member, USA Mike Robach, Vice President, Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill and GFSI Board Member, USA Niraj Raje, Senior Assessor, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), India Srinivas K.R., Sr.Manager Quality Assurance, Metro Cash and Carry India Anantha Padmanab, Manager QA Own Brands, Metro Cash and Carry India David Adams, Quality Director Asia Pacific, Mondel z International Anil Varne, Quality Manager India, Mondel z International Shivani Daiya, Manager Strategic Planning, Godavari Biorefineries, India

To join us in New Delhi, please register via the event website: india.tcgffoodsafety.com

We look forward to seeing you in New Delhi next month!

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

India - A World Hub Of Food Production

he Indian food processing sector holds great promise and potential, which could be much higher than currently assessed by industry experts. Its domestic market of 1.2 billion people is seeing changes in demography, disposable income levels, and lifestyle that will lead to further growth of the sector. Its food market has grown 13% per annum over the last few years and is currently estimated at US $ 300 billion; it is expected to triple by 2020. Indias status as a world hub of food production and processing lays the foundation for expansion in packaging food production. Indias agricultural strength is due to a unique combination of natural resources, low production costs and a vast skilled labour force. The nation contains the worlds second-largest arable mass, with diverse geo-climactic zones and abundant livestock. This natural wealth makes India the global leader in milk production, the second-largest producer of fruit and vegetables and the third-largest producer of fish. Demographic change is accelerating rise in domestic demand. The next 20 years will see India adding approximately 245 million youth and young adults to the workforce. At the same time, there will also be a rise in the middle-class population, as well as 6.1 per cent increase in disposable income across the socio-economic spectrum, higher among urban residents. Continued migration from villages to cities means that by 2020, a third of all Indians will live in urban areas an encouraging perspective of growth for the packaged food market, 78 per cent of which is accounted for by urban areas in 2011. Other influencing factors include the number of women entering the workplace and the evolution of the Indian household, from a multi-generational extended family to single occupant or nuclear family households. These changes mean higher disposable incomes and less time to buy and prepare food, both of which encourage a move towards convenience products such as readyto-cook (RTC) and ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. The emergence of organised modern trade and new retail formats create more choices for consumers and will facilitate changes in shopping habits. Growing foreign investment and participation in the sector will stimulate and encourage expansion. In the past decade, many multinational corporations (MNCs) have established themselves in the Indian market, increasing competition and providing greater variety for consumers. Government policy is favourable towards growth. The government recognises the importance of the food production and processing industry and is facilitating expansion. 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) is allowed in the agricultural sector, with plans to establish a venture capital fund to support investment requirements. The decision in September 2012 to allow up to 51% FDI in retail will greatly transform the industry, opening up new possibilities of partnership and bringing increased investment.

Nevertheless, experts draw attention to the existing and potential barriers to growth of the Indian packaged food sector infrastructure, ease of doing business and profitability challenges. These barriers will need to be addressed rapidly to enhance the market conditions for growth. The Indian food processing sector as we see it is at an exciting point of inflection, with accelerated growth beckoning around the corner. How sharp that inflection point will be depends, to some extent, upon developments within the policy and macro-economic context. But for companies that understand this context, and are prepared and able to seize the opportunities presented by Indias new markets, the prospects are bright. Source: Report Processed Food in India: Enablers and Barriers, Bain & Company; FICCI

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

GFSI Regional Events

Japan Food Safety Day, October 30th, Tokyo
The 5th Japan Food Safety Day gathered over 300 food safety experts from Japan and neighboring countries in Asia. n her welcome address, Claudine Musitelli, The Consumer Goods Forum Vice President Ethical Sourcing and Food Safety Initiatives, assessed the tremendous work and progress achieved in Japan since the last event. She particularly congratulated the first GFSI Japan Local Working Group for its achievements since its launch this January. The GFSI Japan Local Working Group will serve as a model to launch similar networks in other regions in order to reinforce GFSIs presence in other parts of the world e.g. China, Latin America and Africa. A joint presentation entitled Bringing the Stakeholder Together was delivered by Yves Rey, GFSI Board Chair and Danones Corporate Quality Manager and Cenk Grol, GFSI Board Vice Chair and AEONs Chief SCM Officer. Their speech highlighted the role that GFSI plays in connecting the global food industry with the public sector. This presentation also served as an example for collaboration between a manufacturer from Europe and a retailer from Asia in a common effort to deliver safe food to their customers. A detailed update on the GFSI Japan Local Working Group (composed of over 50 Japanese food safety professionals) was provided by Yoshio Sezai, Global Audit Organization Audit Process Manager Korea & Japan, The Coca-Cola Company. Major achievements include the release of the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition in Japanese, and the soon-to-be-released Japanese version of the GFSI Global Markets Programmes toolkits. Later in the day, Mr Satoshi Kunii, Director Policy Division Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, gave an overview of the Japanese Governments food safety policy. We want to work in collaboration with GFSI and we would like to congratulate GFSI for organizing an event of this scale here in Tokyo, said Mr Satoshi Kunii, explaining the importance of trust and collaboration. Jean-Jacques Vandenheede, Director Retailer Insights, The Nielsen Company, addressed the issue of trust in the age of digital and social media. He explained that the companies in the audience will have to learn to adapt to this new social dimension where control over consumer opinions is lost. Today, thanks to social media, any consumer can communicate directly with the rest of the world. Based on research, 26% of consumers recommend a brand they like and 25% punish a brand that they associate with a bad experience on these social media platforms. A panel discussion with representatives from GlobalGAP, SQF and FSSC 22000 provided the audience with an opportunity to ask the scheme owners questions related to their schemes and their implementation. The benefits of the third party auditing process that is so fundamental to the GFSI approach was demonstrated in a presentation that compared it to the previously commonly used second party auditing process. The important topic of auditor competence was also addressed, as it plays a major role in delivering reliable and effective third party certification.

The afternoon session was dedicated to practical presentations including a case study from the Nippon Ham Group on how they were able to continue to deliver safe food without radioactive contamination after the earthquake and tsunami that hit north Japan in 2011. A passionate speech was given by Mrs Hironmi Ikenoya, President of Gyouza No Mansyu Ltd a local dumpling food service company demonstrating that food safety commitment always starts at the top. Afternoon presenters included Marc Cwikowski, Director, Food Safety and Supplier Quality of The Coca-Cola Company and Chair of the GFSI Global Markets Working Group who explained the underlying principles of the GFSI Global Markets Programme - a step-by-step capacity building programme for small or less developed suppliers developed by GFSI. The need to improve food safety is everywhere, he commented. Not only in developing countries but also in socalled more advanced countries. As a matter of fact the highest number of downloads of GFSIs Global Markets Programme that is freely available on www.mygfsi.com comes from the US. Japanese downloads rank 4th and 5th respectively for the Manufacturing and Primary Production versions of the programme. The presentation was followed by a case study from Kunihiro Inc, a Metro Cash & Carry oyster supplier, who is currently using the Global Markets Programme. Mr Makoto Nishigakiuchi, Quality Assurance Dept., Manager at Kunihiro Inc explained how using this capacity building programme resulted in improved access to international markets for the company. The Japan Food Safety Day closed with a press conference and a cocktail in the networking area where the GFSIs partner and sponsors, key contributors to the success of this event, welcomed delegates and provided a unique setting for further discussions and networking. For any information on GFSIs efforts in Japan, please contact Yuri Ikeno (y.ikeno@theconsumergoodsforum.com).

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

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GFSI China Focus Day, July 19th, Beijing

he first GFSI China Focus Day was held on 19th July in Beijing and was attended by over 400 food safety experts from all over China, including the key local decision makers from the Chinese food industry and government. The theme of this Focus Day, Advancing Food Safety in China through a Global Food Safety Culture, was at the heart of presentations and discussions throughout the day. The Certification and Accreditation Administration of the Peoples Republic of China (CNCA) Deputy Executive Director General, Mr Che Wenyi opened the event and introduced GFSI to the Chinese attendees, commenting that GFSI is an influential platform for international cooperation in the field of food safety founded to improve food safety management systems on a global level. Mr Che Wenyi pointed out that the Chinese government is attaching great importance to food safety issues in order to protect peoples fundamental interests, social harmony and stability. He stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation, with governments and international organizations working together, in order to develop global trust in food safety.

To close the Focus Day, a call for action entitled China Food Safety Initiative was issued and signed publicly by the representatives of the following local leading companies among numerous others COFCO, China Resource Vanguard, Danone, Mengniu, SiTe, JDB, South Beauty, ITOCHU, Panpan, Kraft, Pepsi, Metro, Shuangqiao, Star Farm, BeingMate, Laocaichen among others. Initiated by over a hundred companies, the China Food Safety Initiative is a call to action to the whole Chinese food industry to follow GFSI principles to work towards the continuous improvement of food safety management systems and includes the following statements of commitment: to draw lessons from the advanced global food safety standards and management programmes; to increase consumer confidence in food safety; to build an open and transparent, honest and trustworthy food safety culture; to strengthen the food safety stakeholders cooperation and to participate in the global efforts to promote food safety worldwide. This Focus Day confirmed GFSIs presence in China. GFSI is now working actively on the development of a GFSI China Local Working Group to be launched in the first half of 2013 and will hold a second China focus event next year to continue growing its presence in the region. For any information on GFSIs efforts in China, please contact Yangying Xu (y.xu@theconsumergoodsforum.com).

The programme included speakers representing some of the leading players in the local food arena: GFSI Board member and COFCO Group Vice President Zaotian Wan, GFSI Board member and CRV COO Chen Shuo, Chinese Academy of engineering, Chinese Center for Disease Control A call for action - China Food Safety Initiative and Prevention, Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute Professor Chen Junshi, China Chain Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) Secretary-General Pei Liang, Yum! Brands China Division Senior Vice President Joaquin Pelaez, China Agricultural University, College of Food Science and Engineering Dean Luo Yunbo.

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

GFSI rESULTS
Companies' Opinions and Acceptance of Global Food Safety Initiative Benchmarks after Implementation
A recent study regarding GFSI was published in the September edition of the Journal for Food Protection. he study evaluates the impact of Walmarts decision to require food suppliers to obtain certification against one of the GFSI benchmarked schemes. The study looked at information collected from 174 suppliers representing 406 manufacturing facilities. In the blind survey conducted by researchers with the University of Arkansas, food manufacturers were asked specific questions about their opinions on the effectiveness of the certification process as well as basic demographic information about their company, the types of products they produce, and why they chose to pursue certification against one of the GFSI benchmarked schemes. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that achieving certification against one of the GFSI benchmarked schemes resulted in several benefits for the food supplier companies. Three of the most significant findings were:
Suppliers

benchmarked scheme resulted in a more thorough documented food safety management system, which is consistent with the requirement for food suppliers to implement preventative controls per the Food and Drug Administrations new Food Safety Modernization Act.
Suppliers also perceived that adopting one of the GFSI benchmarked schemes was beneficial to improving the safety of their products. Most companies agreed that changes to their food safety management system were required in order to meet certification requirements and these changes were perceived as improvements in the food safety of their products. Suppliers were also mostly in agreement that in order to achieve

certification, they were required to conduct additional employee training in order to comply with the requirements of GFSI benchmarked schemes. The complete study, entitled Companies Opinions and Acceptance of Global Food Safety Initiative Benchmarks after Implementation, can be found in the Journal of Food Protection, Volume 75, pages 1160-1672.

were in agreement that the implementation of a GFSI

GFSI Around the World

International Forum on Food Safety and the third Latin American Symposium on Food Safety (FIIA-IAFP)
25th -26th October, Lima, Peru

FSI Technical Working Group members Roger Bont, Global Quality Assurance Director, Cargill and Vel Pillay, Manager Food Safety Programs Americas, LRQA presented at the first ever International Forum on Food Safety (FIIA) and the third Latin American Symposium on Food Safety of the IAFP, sponsored by Fundacin Per. More than 450 food safety specialists from across Latin America and speakers from all over the world attended the conference. On the first day Roger Bont spoke on behalf of Yves Rey, GFSI Chairman, who could not attend the meeting in person. The presentation, entitled Bringing Stakeholders Together, explained the role that GFSI plays in todays food industry arena, emphasizing the need for greater collaboration among the different stakeholders.

There was resounding agreement among the audience that food safety is paramount in promoting trade and protecting the consumer. On the second day, Vel Pillay and Roger Bont shared a session attended by over 250 delegates. During his presentation, Vel Pillay provided the delegates with an overview of GFSI and FSSC 22000. Vels presentation was directly followed by Roger Bont who spoke on Cargills way of managing food safety and covered in further detail the benefits that working within the GFSI framework provides. Roger also covered the GFSI Global Markets Programme to show how even small and/or less developed companies can move forward to achieve certification against one of the GFSI recognised schemes.

Roger Bont, Global Quality Assurance Director, Cargill

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

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5th International Congress KAUSAL 2012

17th 19th October, Barcelona, Spain

ausal is a scientific meeting on the present and future of food safety as well as a meeting point for professionals working in the food industry. The theme of this years conference was All Together, Safer Food. Herv Gomichon, Quality Director, Carrefour, France and GFSI Board member gave a speech and took part in a panel discussion entitled Own-checks and Herv Gomichon, Quality Food Safety in International Trade: Help Director, Carrefour or Barrier?. The congress was attended by over 400 delegates primarily from the Spanish government with responsibility for food safety regulations. Herv Gomichon gave an update on GFSI and its transversal role that it plays in bringing key stakeholders together. His presentation also covered the GFSI Global Markets Programme and provided details on the Global Food Safety Conference 2013. Herv commented that the congress gave him an opportunity to meet in person with the key players from the Spanish public authorities, who are very conscious of food safety issues in light of recent outbreaks and are looking for ways to combine public and private control mechanisms and to find collaborative solutions in the domain of food safety surveillance. A first meeting with key representatives from the Spanish government and retail industry will be held mid-January to further discuss the role that the GFSI framework can play in Spains food industry.

in todays globalized food system. He also gave the latest updates around the work that is being done along the supply chain with the recent inclusion of the Feed scope in the GFSI Guidance Document and the upcoming release of Storage and Distribution key elements. The presentation also covered the GFSI Global Markets Programme and the current work on Auditor Competence.

FoodWorld India (FWI) 2012

26th 27th September, Mumbai, India

ith the objective of bringing the global food business community together, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) hosted FoodWorld India (FWI), an event that FICCI has organized annually since 2005 alongside the Annapoorna - World of Food India exhibition. Since its inception, it has received encouraging support from stakeholders including all major food sector corporate and government officials, visionaries, international experts and researchers. The growth of the food business in India was at the heart of the discussions during this two day event. Yves Rey, GFSI Board Chair and Corporate Quality General Manager, Danone, was invited to represent GFSI in a session entitled Building Bridges National & International Regulations. The session was chaired by Mr. Prabodh Halde, Head Regulatory, Marico Ltd., one of Indias leading consumer products & services companies, and included speakers from local and international regulatory authorities - Indian National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Dutch Food & Consumer Product Safety Authority and USFDA. Yves Rey shared GFSIs perspective on the fundamental role that collaboration between the key food safety stakeholders plays in todays global food supply chain and reminded the audience that food safety is a joint responsibility. He stressed the importance of building public-private partnerships in the domain of food safety as required by each sector government, business, international sciencebased regulatory organisations and consumers - to combine efforts, resources and knowledge towards a safer food supply chain. The session was attended by over 120 participants and excellent feedback was received from the audience. Yves Rey valued the exposure that the event provided to the different opinions and specifics of the Indian market, which was particularly useful in light of the huge potential that India has with regards to the processed foods sector in the future. India is incredibly diverse. Differences in everything food, tastes, distribution channels and consumers are huge. The Indian market is evolving rapidly and we need to start now to support this process by building awareness on the added value that the GFSI approach can bring to the industry, concluded Yves Rey.

2nd Food Safety Supply Chain Management Conference: Vulnerabilities, Best Practices & Solutions
11th - 12th October, Philadelphia, PA he Food Safety Supply Chain Management Conference was organized with the aim to examine the vulnerabilities in the supply chain and also to provide best practices and technology solutions to help companies comply with the GFSI recognised schemes, with FSMA, to help reduce exposure to food safety recalls and improve profitability. The conference also explored traceability, legal liability and recall management strategies as well as technology tools and solutions. It was attended by 75 senior level Food Safety Quality Assurance Directors. Companies included Hershey, Firmenich, Del Monte Foods, MOM Brands, Mars Petcare, Sysco, Kraft Foods, Grain Millers, Star Kay Foods, Rite-Aid, Blommer Chocolate, Trident Seafoods and Fra Mani Handcrafted Foods. Mike Robach, VP for Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs at Cargill, and GFSI Board Member, was invited to present on Global Food Safety Initiative: How is GFSI Staying out in Front?. The focus of the speech was on GFSIs collaborative approach to providing solutions from farm to fork. Mike Robach explained the GFSIs continuous efforts in bringing global food safety stakeholders together around the table and how important this approach was

Mike Robach, VP for Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill,

Yves Rey, GFSI Board Chair and Corporate Quality General Manager, Danone

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

1st Argentinean Food Safety Forum, Argentinean Association of United Supermarkets (ASU) Annual Conference
25th 27th September, Buenos Aires, Argentina Major Supermarket Chains in Argentina Unite to Require Suppliers to Achieve Certifications against a GFSI Recognised Scheme

52nd Annual International Citrus and Beverage Conference (ICBC)

18th -21st September, Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA

Members of the Argentinean Association of United Supermarkets

n September 25 in Buenos Aires, the 1st Argentinean Food Safety Forum was held as part of the Argentinean Association of United Supermarkets (also known as ASU) Annual Conference. The main focus of the forum was for local supermarket chains, as well as food manufacturers, to discuss the collaborative efforts they are taking to raise food safety standards within their supply chains, thereby protecting consumers and their brands.

FSI Technical Working Group member Vel Pillay, Manager Food Safety Programs Americas, LRQA spoke at the International Citrus and Beverage Conference on September 20th. More than 400 food industry professionals and experts from 25 US states and 24 countries gathered for the conference. Vels session, entitled GFSI and FSSC 22000: Updates, Trends and Plans for the Future, was well attended, Vel Pillay, Manager Food leading to one of the most interactive Safety Programs Americas, LRQA Q&A sessions during the conference and receiving positive feedback from the audience. Conference attendees included representatives from Coca-Cola, Sysco, Citrosuco, Citrojugo Mexico, Cargill, Cutrale, Dr. Pepper, Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo, and Tropicana among others. Judging from the questions received, there was a genuine interest in the GFSI recognised schemes and the GFSI Global Markets Programme. The GFSI Global Markets Programme is being recognized in the Americas as a means that will help to raise the bar in food safety among small and less developed businesses and will provide a logical progression to certification against one of the GFSI recognised schemes, commented Vel Pillay..

IAFP Annual Meeting

July 22nd -25th, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Frank Yiannas, VP Food Safety for Wal-Mart Inc.

The opening and closing presentations of the conference were made by Frank Yiannas, VP Food Safety for Wal-Mart Inc. and GFSI Board Vice-Chair who spoke on the theme Towards a safer global food supply. At the event, the supermarket chains Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Casino Group, Jumbo Retail, La Anonima, and Coto, which represent a high percentage of total sales of food in the country, along with other multinational companies like McDonalds and Arcor, made known their agreement to work together to strengthen the food safety culture in Argentina. Food safety and quality representatives from these companies explained to the audience that they had already begun to require that their suppliers achieve certification against one of the GFSI-benchmarked schemes. In a collaborative approach, they agreed that each company would accept any of the GFSI benchmarked schemes, thereby fulfilling the vision of once certified, accepted everywhere. Congelados del Sur, a supplier of frozen foods to supermarket chains, explained the business benefits of achieving certification against a GFSI recognised scheme, both for their business within Argentina as well as internationally, highlighting the increased access they now have to foreign markets. In addition, the Director of INAL (Argentinas National Food Institute), took part in the Forum and discussed the Federal Food Control that is developing in the country. More than 300 attendees participated in the event, which included individuals representing the food industry, service providers, consultants, quality professionals, media, and the general public.

ike Robach, VP, Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill and GFSI Board Member, gave a very well received presentation on How Can Industry Align with Governments and NGOs to Help Drive Global Food Safety? as a part of the session entitled Drivers for Global Food Safety: Aligning Public, Private and Government Resources on July 25th at the IAFP Annual Meeting. Mike presented GFSI and explained how food safety is a collaborative effort between public and private sectors and how GFSI is being instrumental in that endeavour. He also insisted on the fact that food safety is a non-competitive issue and a shared responsibility. According to Robach, food companies should all have the vision to be the global leaders in nourishing people, keeping in mind that global to local food safety is the key.

Mike Robach, VP, Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

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GFSI Partner
What Causes Foodborne Illness?

hat causes foodborne illness? Seems like an obvious question. Bacteria, viruses, parasites, microorganisms, and all kinds of pathogens are what makes people sick and are what causes foodborne illness. Or maybe not. Based on 10 years of research by the FDA(1), it appears that the CAUSE of foodborne illness in many cases is not microorganisms. Foodborne illness is caused by someone not complying with a process or procedure to mitigate a foodborne illness risk factor- in other words, someone not cooking food to the correct temperature, not cleaning a cutting board when they should, not washing their hands, not checking that a refrigerator is set to the correct temperature etc. It appears then that while microorganisms may be the mechanism by which foodborne illness occurs, the root cause is often people. If human failure is the cause of so much foodborne illness, how do we fix thathow do we fix the people? The FDA recommends that one way to address this is to focus on the role of facility managers. As the FDA says in their report, ultimate responsibility for the development and maintenance of effective food safety management systems lies with the management of institutional foodservice The establishment managers role in preventing foodborne illness should be raised to a new level of awareness(2). Based on these studies, there is a correlation between the presence of a certified food protection manager and better food safety practices and behaviors. A managers role is to encourage and facilitate the development of effective training and certification for food handlers. Just having managers that take an active role in preventing foodborne illness and having a good food safety program is not sufficient though. Another important element for managers to consider is food safety culture. The wonderful aspect of a true food safety culture as opposed to a food safety program is that a culture tends to persist through time. Once a culture is engrained into an organization it is very hard to shift that culture out of the organization. It is also largely self perpetuating; i.e. a new employee will pick up the culture just through being a part of the organization. Managers and leaders have an important role in establishing a food safety culture because food safety culture flows down from the top of an organization, not up from the bottom. Of course, even with a strong food safety culture in place supporting an active food safety management system, it is still important to train and educate the employees on the food safety program. A culture will help the employee understand why the program is important and will encourage compliance with it, but they still need to learn what the program is. A food safety culture helps an individual know why it is important to clean a slicer and will encourage an employee to

take the time and effort to do such a difficult task well. But you still need to teach the employee HOW to clean the slicer. Developing strong food safety culture starts from within the organization and training is an important stepping stone to building and maintaining it. For over 12 years Diversey Consulting has been partnering with managers of food service, lodging and health care facilities. Diversey Consulting trained and certified thousands of food handlers and helped food processing and service managers from all industries to develop and manage effective food safety programs focused developing pervasive food safety culture. Diversey food safety offerings include hands on training, certificate training (we offer ServSafe, National Registry and SuperSafeMark training and certification examination), training and comprehensive food safety focused site assessments.
(1) FDA Trend Analysis Report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Selected Institutional Foodservice, Restaurant, and Retail Food Store Facility Types (1998-2008). October 2010. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ Food/FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/FoodborneIllnessandRiskFactorReduction/ RetailFoodRiskFactorStudies/ucm223293.htm (2) FDA Report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Selected Institutional Foodservice, Restaurant, and Retail Food Store Facility Types (2009). October 2010. Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/FoodborneIllnessandRiskFactorReduction/ RetailFoodRiskFactorStudies/ucm224321.htm

IFS A Truly Global Food Safety and Quality Standard

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about 12500 certicates, 20 languages, 64 certication bodies and 800 auditors IFS is one of the largest food safety and quality standards worldwide. Nine out of ten of the largest European food retailers have chosen IFS as their main foodsafety and quality standard and are part of the IFS Working Groups. Also Wal-Mart and other retailers worldwide use IFS. This illustrates the strong global acceptance of IFS. Motivated by increasingly stringent consumer expectations, globalised commodity ows and elevated risks of damage claims the International Featured Standards provide retailers and manufacturers with an internationally uniform system of coherent quality assurance, incorporating regulated audit procedures.

By applying IFS, manufacturers do not only ensure the production of high-quality and safe goods they also improve existing internal processes leading to general savings, improved customer relations and higher competitiveness. According to a comprehensive study bya major European university, IFS certied companies even register a reduction of food recalls by 17%. All IFS users are granted ideal support by the seven IFS ofces (Germany, France, Italy, USA, Brazil, Poland and China), the IFS Audit Portal, the software IFS auditXpress as well as by training and information courses organised by the IFS Academy. A well-structured organisation ensures the cooperation with international experts in order to continuously improve the standards and adapt optimally to changing conditions.

www.ifs-certication.com

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

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GFSI Sponsors
Towards Food Safety Harmony
By Stefano Crea, Global Director Food and Beverage, DNV Business Assurance The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has paved a long road towards a harmonised approach to food safety certification within food manufacturing. It has taken time, but we are getting there. GFSI is now expanding the scope. I am optimistically following the developments, hoping we will see harmony in the entire food supply chain within a few years. From Manufacturing to Supply Chain Over the past ten years the food industry has gradually coordinated their efforts to find a common approach to food safety in the manufacturing industry globally. In 2007, several large retail chains agreed to accept the GFSI recognised schemes throughout their supply chains. Both manufacturers and their suppliers could certify to only one standard and be accepted by their customers, instead of going through a number of audits and certification processes to be accepted as a supplier. This consensus is a major breakthrough for the idea of certified once, accepted everywhere.

Founded in year 2000, the GFSI started working to find a common approach where recognised certification schemes could serve as a guarantee that food industry players globally would be certified once, accepted everywhere. The challenge back in 2000 was that each Stefano Crea, Global customer (i.e. retailer, food service and manufacturer) Director Food and required suppliers to be certified to different standards, Beverage, DNV Business In the GFSI Guidance Document Sixth Edition the depending on their preference. The result was multiple Assurance scope has been expanded to also include other time-consuming audits and certification processes, parts of the supply chain such as packaging and which would not be necessary with a common industry approach. animal feed. Storage and distribution is expected to be included soon, The first industry segment in focus has been food manufacturing. As and scopes such as food broker/agents and equipment manufacturing a representative for a global third party certification body involved will be included in the future. The aim must be to unite these parts of in food safety certification, it pleases me to see that the efforts have the food industry around the same platform, ensuring that they also given good results, and more and more GFSI is seen as the leading can be certified once, but accepted by the entire food industry. I hope global organisation for Food Safety. We are definitely moving in we can learn from previous experience in manufacturing, ensuring a the right direction! shorter path towards harmony for these sectors.

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GFSI Newsletter November 2012

Recalls - What We Do After the Horse Has Left the Barn

By Steven Sklare, SGS Food Safety Services

FSI establishes certain parameters or common elements that must be part of a food safety management program in order to receive certification against a GFSI recognised scheme. A recall and traceability program is one of those common elements. GFSI requirements imply compliance with a higher standard which should serve to further mitigate risk. However, we must still be prepared for an event or failure that could trigger a recall. Understanding the primary causes or triggers of a recall will help make sure we have the correct preventive measures in place as well as the corrective action plan in place.

Some of the major contributing causes of recalls recently include inadequate monitoring and validation of a kill step (CCP) within a HACCP program, undeclared allergens through mislabelling or noncompliant labelling, inadequate ability to track product or ingredients through a supply chain and failure to properly design and maintain prerequisite programs such as pest control or cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Having these procedures in place and in writing does not guarantee they are being properly performed. If a department or individual is going through the motions the product will go through the plant without achieving the goal of producing not only safe but fully compliant product. If a recall is triggered you must have a recall plan in place that is understand by your recall team and has been implemented through mock recalls. If your company finds itself challenged by a recall a quick and appropriate response from the moment it is initiated will be vital to protecting the public, protecting your brand and controlling your expenses. According to researchers at Queens University, Belfast, 68% of food recalls over the past ten years were detected during routine of spot testing by a regulatory body. This means the recall was triggered without warning so you must already have your plan in place. All this calls for extensive collaboration and sharing of knowledge and information both within your own organization and with your suppliers. For more information, please visit: www.foodsafety.sgs.com or email food@sgs.com.

GFSI Newsletter November 2012

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GFSI Next Events

GFSI Focus Day
New Delhi - India, 4th December 2012

Global Food Safety Conference

Barcelona - Spain, 6th - 8th March 2013

For more information, please contact: gfsinfo@theconsumergoodsforum.com