Risk Score. If the score is between zero
and two, no site visit is needed. A score
of three would prompt a biennial visit
and a score of four or higher would require annual visits.
As an example, let’s say an ice cream
manufacturer purchases a fruit puree
that it adds to product post-pasteurization. It is an ingredient in a seasonal
product, and only a small amount is
used on an annual basis. The risk assessment scores are shown in Table 2.
The final Risk Score for this ingredient is 3, which would require a biennial
site visit.
The site visits are not meant to be
complete audits, but rather opportunities to verify the results of a third-party
audit and to ensure that corrective ac-
Table 2: Risk Assessment Scores
Microbiological: 1 (Potential for microbial growth exists)
Chemical: 0 (No known chemical risk)
Physical: 1 (Potential for pits or stems exists)
Spend: 1 (Low spend risk due to the small amount purchased)
Risk Score: 3
tions were completed. A walk-through of
the production areas will provide an indication of the level of food safety compliance by employees (such as whether or
not they are following Good Manufacturing Practices, GMPs). Because the time re-
quired for each site visit is minimal, compared to a full audit, several can be scheduled
by city, state or region to save on travel expenses.
In summary, dairy product manufacturers have many food safety issues and opportunities that are unique within the food industry. Strict regulations, the potential for
bacterial and allergenic issues, ingredient concerns and the need for heightened surveillance of suppliers provide constant challenges. Yet, with all these challenges, the
U.S. dairy supply remains one of the world’s safest. ;
Thomas M. Sauer has worked in food manufacturing for 24 years, holding various positions in both quality assurance and production management with companies such as Kraft,
Unilever and Chiquita Brands. He is currently Senior Director of Quality & Food Safety at
Wells’ Dairy, Inc. Sauer has served on various industry-wide task forces and panels dealing
with such topics as pathogen control, allergen control and biosecurity. In addition, he has
presented GMP and HACCP information at major food safety conferences. He is a charter
member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine. He can be reached at
tmsauer@bluebunny.com.
Read more about available solutions for the dairy industry in our Signature Series articles
on our Web site at
www.foodsafetymagazine.com/signature.asp
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