Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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products for supply in branded or private-label products, and covers food or ingredients for use by foodservice companies, catering com- panies, and food manufacturers. brcglobalstandards.com Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) The Global Food Safety Initiative is a worldwide net- work that aims to improve cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain through the common accep- tance of GFSI-recognized standards internationally. This allows companies to do business in different markets without having to submit to a series of various audits and requirements. The organization's mission is to work on continuous improve- ment in food safety management systems. GFSI sets requirements for the elements that food safety programs must contain and then it reviews, or benchmarks, programs on a voluntary basis for con- tent of the standard, program management, oversight, and deliv- ery. Among food safety standards that GFSI recognizes are BRC Global Standard for Food Safety and Safe Quality Food (SQF). If a company is certified to one of those standards, the certificate is recognized by GFSI but the certificate itself comes from the specific standard body, not GFSI. myg fsi.com GMA-SAFE Assessment Provides a comprehensive, non-scored narrative of a facility's activities regarding food protec- tion, quality assurance, and food defense. The GMA-SAFE Assessment suite offers thorough food protection evaluation of six industry spe- cific assessments like food protection, primary packaging, and ware- house/distribution. It also has a shorter yet thorough SAFE Express Assessment. GMA-SAFE has performed 6,000 audits globally since its inception. qmi.com/registration/foodsafety/gma-safe/ Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Good Manufacturing Practices can be thought of as the first step to food safety. Sometimes referred to as cGMPs (the c standing for cur- rent), they are the basics of operational require- ments you need to know and perform to keep your food products free of bacterial or chemical adulteration. GMPs and Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HAACP) are the building blocks of GFSI compliance, as well as adherence to the Food Safety Modernization Act. GMP regulations cover such areas as recordkeeping, personnel qualifications, sanitation, equipment, and process validation. The requirements tend to be open-ended, allowing manufacturers to determine how best to implement the controls. A record of the GMP inspection is required to be kept as evidence in a third-party certification audit. www.fda.gov/food/ guidanceregulation/cgmp/ Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) HACCP is a food safety management system designed to prevent hazards from occurring. Established in the 1960s, it is the foundation for today's food safety standards and a common "condition of trade" for food manufacturers. HACCP certification ensures that food safety risks are identified, controlled, and monitored, and that precise records are kept. The HACCP food safety management system addresses the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, to procurement and handling, to manufacturing, to dis- tribution, to consumption of the finished product. Certification recognizes that a food business has developed, documented, and implemented systems and procedures in accordance with HACCP. fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/HACCP/ International Food Safety (IFS) Offering global safety and quality standards, IFS is a GFSI-recognized standard for audit- ing food manufacturers on food safety and the quality of processes and products. IFS Food applies when products are "processed" or when there is a hazard for product contamination during primary packing. IFS Global Markets—Food is a standard- ized food safety assessment program for retailers, as well as industry branded food products. ifs-certification.com/index.php/en/ International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO International Standards ensure that prod- ucts and services are safe, reliable, and of good quality. They're strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors, increase productivity, help companies access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries, and facilitate free and fair global trade. Three levels cor- respond to food businesses: ISO 9001: Addresses various aspects of quality management, ensuring products and services consistently meet customers' requirements and that quality is consistently improved. ISO 22000: Currently under revision with final rules available in early 2017, ISO 22000 maps out what an organization needs to do to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards. ISO 14000: Provides practical tools for companies looking to manage their environmental responsibilities. iso.org/iso/home/ standards.htm Safe Quality Foods (SQF) SQF certification helps reduce assess- ment inconsistencies and costs of multiple assessment standards. Administered by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), SQF has 96 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com