PET Food Processing - December 2019 - 26

FOOD SAFETY

Having data across
departments is key
to maintaining a
responsive food
safety plan.
Nexcor KLEANZ

verification requirements," Johnson says. "Also, recent
conditions with vitamin concerns, hormones, antibiotics and drug residues require a testing process (monthly,
quarterly or annually) that wasn't previously required."
John Krehbiel, vice president of corporate sales, C.J.
Foods, explains if there are attributes managed outside
of in-house testing, certain methods may not apply. On

"Never in our history
as an industry has
producing food that
is safe for our pets
to consume and safe
for our pet parents to
feed been more vital."
John Krehbiel, C.J. Foods
the other hand, if there is an attribute of extreme importance, whether it is a food safety criteria or quality
control parameter, an organization may invest heavily in
both people and platforms to measure and control that
attribute, while others may elect not to do this.

The human element
Although testing and analysis protocols are often already in place, there are continual challenges that relate
to the human element. Protocols offer a backbone of analytics and reason, but the individual executing the work
may not always act rationally or execute the work consistently. Yet, the application of consistency has a direct
impact on the work. This also extends to equipment and

PET FOOD PROCESSING | December 2019 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

its use, as in the case of incorrectly calibrated equipment
that's used infrequently. Irregular use can also impact
positive/negative controls, which could lead to results of
questionable value.
The benefits of scientific testing can also be skewed
depending on the qualifications and training of the QC
technician doing the work. New technologies such as
whole-genome sequencing, used to conduct microbiome analysis and source tracking, require the efforts of
qualified persons to help companies identify pathogen
root-cause findings and spoilage identification for fresh
perishable products. Krehbiel predicts as technology
continues to advance, the industry will see more and
more testing platforms become rapid methods. "Having
both real-time and accurate test results is driving those
advancements," he adds.

Space considerations
The expense of testing and having a dedicated laboratory space also carries the cost of overhead including
floor space, HVAC, maintenance and utilities. Too often,
important testing is performed in inadequate lab spaces
such as scavenged office spaces and renovated utility
closets that are not fit for the purpose of testing, says
Doug Marshall, chief scientific officer of microbiology,
Eurofins, Des Moines, Iowa.
The need to make do with available space on the production floor can also impact the ability of inspection systems to identify defects in the product, according to Rob
Rogers, senior advisor on food safety and regulations,
Mettler Toledo, Columbus, Ohio. Rogers, a subject matter
expert to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Packaging
Machinery Manufacturers Institute, recommends the use
of combination systems such as a combo X-ray and vision
system to conduct multiple inspections through a single
device, freeing up production floor space.
"Zero product defects should be the goal; however,

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PET Food Processing - December 2019

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