PET Food Processing - March 2019 - 26

FOOD SAFETY

In addition to being
audited by a third
party, processors
can address SQF
certification, hygienic
zoning and supply chain
management to stay
up to code.
Eurofins Microbiology
Laboratories

"This provides transparency to the company, its customers and regulators," she says. "NSF has the benefit
of having conducted audits to these robust standards in
multiple environments. Our auditors not only have the
required category knowledge, they are also familiar with
industry best practices."
For example, a company may plan to install new processing equipment, but they might not have considered
everything required to ensure they are meeting the standard they are being audited to, Vanier says. Auditors can
use their previous experience to ask targeted questions
about the impact on meeting the standard. "Audits also
support collaborative stakeholder relationships across
the supply chain," Vanier says, "through understanding
where the responsibility for food safety for pet food and
ingredients lives, intersects and impacts the entire supply chain." This can include auditing the operations of
ingredient and packaging suppliers.
Marshall says audits help with the customer base, regulatory standards and to facilitate continuous improvement to make sure products are safe to consume. Also,
FSMA holds companies and their management personally liable to criminal and civil liabilities from lapses
in their food safety plans. "Audits provide evidence for
manufacturers to defend themselves," Marshall adds.

Preparing for audits

Marshall says manufacturers often hire a consultant to
help prepare for an audit. The primary interest of consultants or internal auditors is to identify any weak spots or
gaps in the records or food safety processes.
In preplanning for audits, a hazard analysis approach
to increase the likelihood of finding weaknesses and drive
improvement is required as part of the standards, Vanier
says. "This can improve processes and efficiencies, and reduce waste and consumer complaints," she says.

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Audits are often seen as a snapshot in time. "Using the
technique of process-based auditing, NSF auditors take
a more holistic view of the entire process," Vanier says.
"This way, the auditor evaluates the evidence to assess
how a facility performs and manages its operations over
time." The audit evaluates that the facility's processes are
in place, the processes are followed and looks at the results of those processes and activities and the consistency
of achieving the desired results, Vanier says.
For example, say an operation has a set of sanitation standard operating protocols. "The desired result
is that, if followed, the facility and equipment will meet
a required level of cleanliness that will not impact the
product," Vanier says. "If all is working well, the people
doing the work have been properly trained and follow
the instructions." Regular environmental and product
sample testing results confirm that the desired result is
being met consistently, she adds.

Mitigating pet food safety risk

Nyachuba says American Nutrition developed an internal audit process that includes Safe Quality Food (SQF)
certification to ensure food safety. He shared three overarching best practices that the company employs to mitigate pet food safety risk and ensure a passing grade during FDA inspections.
First, American Nutrition's pet food products are SQF
Quality Code certified. SQF certification in the pet food
industry has been better defined and enforced in recent
years, Nyachuba says. "An SQF certification is crucial because it reduces variation in product quality by encouraging manufacturers to build controls into their processes
and to prioritize compliance and continuous improvement in their operations." Nyachuba adds that an SQF
certification serves as an indicator to pet food brands,
regulators and consumers about how much suppliers

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PET Food Processing - March 2019

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