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Kansas City For bakers, social separation and improved sanitation are now nothing new. While the globe has been accustomed to the higher health and safety standards over the past year, satisfying the demand for quality assurance has frequently required adaptability. The availability of ingredients, supply chains, worker safety regulations, and communication have all been impacted by the pandemic, and the baking business has been navigating obstacles for the past year.
In addition to better planning, scheduling, time management, and checklists, AIB International has created a program to train recently hired staff members and internal transfers from other positions in order to accommodate demand.
Bret Zaher, AIB International’s operations manager, stated that “cross training is essential.” Frequently, sites must assign employees to tasks they aren’t typically in charge of in order to maintain industrial operations. When this occurs, the location must guarantee that the staff members are appropriately trained on the requirements of those duties.
According to him, ensuring competency necessitates a formal signoff procedure in addition to extra oversight and checks. This could mean that leaders and supervisors need further training regarding quality expectations. The goal of AIB’s Gap Assessment program is to prepare participants for food safety certification.
“General plant policy training, including GMPs, bloodborne pathogens, and general safety training, is done at the agency level to help train employees more quickly,” Mr. Zaher stated. “The employee can begin their job-specific training more quickly after they report for duty.”
In order to hire staff, many sites have switched from full- to part-time workforce models. In order to fulfill the increased need for skilled people, referral bonuses, recruiters, temporary agencies, and work study programs have all shown to be effective tactics. Mr. Zaher mentioned that subcontractors play a crucial role in enabling plant staff to dedicate their valuable time to production.
“To relieve their staff of some of the periodic tasks like HVAC services, forklift repairs, overhead door and dock repairs, part inventories and ordering, general cleaning/PPE supply inventory and ordering, boiler services, chemical supplies, building maintenance, floor scrubber maintenance, and flour silo cleaning, sites have increased their use of contracted specialized sanitation and maintenance companies,” he said.
remote auditing
Travel bans do not diminish the need for audits, which is why online auditing platforms have been made accessible. Initiatives for short-term fixes have been started by the British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRCGS) during the pandemic, and some of these could continue as options for permanent certification when the coronavirus (COVID-19) danger subsides.
Deliver partner relationship manager Jessica Burke of BRCGS stated, “We have introduced blended audits, which will be a permanent option for announced audit programs for the standards.” In this instance, the audit consists of two phases: a brief onsite audit is conducted after a distant online examination of some or all of the paperwork. This offers the chance to conduct a thorough audit while spending less time on-site.
A six-month extension of certification may be granted in cases where onsite audits of currently certified bakeries are not feasible, according to her. However, a completely remote assessment is an additional choice. It entails reviewing the findings of an internal audit, reviewing paperwork remotely, and conducting a video audit of the production and storage facilities. Bakers must appreciate the importance of virtual in order for this process to succeed.
Virtual technologies have completely transformed the industry, which is precisely why Quality Assurance Strategies LLC President Gina Reo encouraged bakers to be adaptable when it comes to handling both on-site and remote auditing.
“Reviewing documents and records makes up a big part of the audit, which forces bakers to find more effective ways to collaborate,” the spokesperson stated. Utilizing third-party cloud-sharing documentation services to manage these records restricts thethe cost of making these products easily accessible to a baker’s clients upon request or in the event of an audit.”
According to Ms. Reo, some people are finding it difficult to give up the convenience of less travel for work, even when constraints loosen.
Reliance on remote audits is probably here to stay. And in terms of quality assurance, going virtual goes beyond audits.
She went on, “Innovation seems to be in full gear during the pandemic to find new ways to test food products, monitor consistency, and analyze attributes.”
Among the innovations that do away with the need for chemicals and titrations, Ms. Reo mentioned near-infrared (NIR) technology for measuring oil, seasonings, and moisture in snacks; rapid performance analyzers or viscometers for testing wheat and gluten characteristics; and wireless thermometers and data loggers for quality checks and shipment tracking.
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Regarding foodborne infections caused by COVID-19, bakers might be able to relax.
Vice president of regulatory and technical services at the American Bakers Association Rasma Zvaners stated, “As recently as February of this year, USDA and FDA again underscored that current epidemiologic and scientific information shows no transmission of COVID-19 through food or food packaging.”
However, airborne transmission is still feasible, thus some locations prioritize upgrading their compressed air and HVAC systems. Mr. Zaher pointed out that point-of-use filters shield areas where compressed air comes into contact with goods or packaging, and that upgrading filters to a higher MERV/micron rating aids in maintaining purity.
He stated, “A lot of customers are now asking for an annual yeast, APC/TPC, and/or mold test on their air.” “Airflow studies are often conducted, particularly in the high-risk areas of the plant, to ensure adequate and proper flow of air is occurring to ensure proper positive and negative air pressures are achieved.”
Ms. Reo mentioned that the most common test the FDA noticed from 2017 to 20 is the one for allergen adulteration, which has seen a surge in demand over the last three years.
“When there are recalls for allergen adulteration, the baking industry sector usually gets hit the hardest,” she said. “In general, errors in formulation, missing ingredients on labels, and labeling errors are found to be the causes.”
Unreported allergies have been the subject of some of the largest recalls to date. Mr. Zaher pointed out that the secret to a successful allergy program is to cover ingredients, packaging materials, processing aids, sanitation, storage techniques, handling protocols, and personnel wellness. In order to prevent new allergens in raw materials, he recommended that sites enhance the frequency of their labeling inspections for appropriate product packaging, conduct annual evaluations of their contents, and make sure that outdated labels are thrown out rather than kept in storage alongside new ones. Additionally, he issued a warning, saying that buying on short notice and from different providers canadd fresh allergens that were absent from the original source. Additionally, the list of allergens that must be listed on labels needs to be updated frequently.
“HHS will now have to prepare a report for Congress that will include food allergy prevalence, testing, risk management, disease prevention, and treatments as a result of the FASTER Act passing the Senate,” Ms. Reo stated. The creation of a framework and regulatory procedure for designating a food or food ingredient as a “major food allergen” will also be recommended by the HHS study.
Even with the advancements in foreign material control systems throughout the years, there are still reasons to be concerned about foreign materials. According to Mr. Zaher, establishments have been upgrading to metal detectors that can identify smaller amounts of metal in order to prevent metal and glass recalls. For further foreign material control, color sorters and x-ray equipment are being introduced, and at older production sites, shatterproof light and window replacements lower the risk of glass breakage, he said.
As manufacturing facilities that had to halt all or part of their output over the previous year start up again, Ms. Burke issued a warning that they would likely see supply chain interruptions, mandated modifications to the working environment, and possible labor shortages.
“With increased demand, some sites will be busier than ever, while others will need to pivot to introduce new product lines,” the spokesperson stated. “These conditions are stretching operations and adding pressure to sites, which may affect compliance with food safety regulations.”
Notwithstanding these circumstances, quality assurance cannot be neglected.
“Culture is more important than ever in times of crisis,” Ms. Burke declared. “Leadership, communication, and empowerment are critical as operations resume.”