Ensuring Compliance in the Food Industry: Strategies for Channel Partners and Industry Leaders

Equipment covered in meat build-up, condensation dripping from ceilings, overflowing drains clogged with pieces of raw meat and black mold were all part of the noncompliance nightmare leading up to a premium deli meats company’s listeria outbreak last July. The outbreak resulted in 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations, according to the CDC's report. While contamination of this magnitude is inherently disastrous for all parties, this situation worsened when FOIA requests to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed the processing plant had received over 60 noncompliance citations in the year prior to the outbreak.

Drawing up images of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, this crisis emphasizes that noncompliance citations can have deadly consequences when left unaddressed. This makes regular inspections, adherence to hygiene protocols and comprehensive process management essential for every kind of food services facility. These processes are essential for leaders responsible for ensuring public safety.

An Overview of the Key Regulatory Agencies

On the federal level alone, there are more than 10 different agencies and more than 30 different laws regulating the food industry, each with its own requirements and specifications. Within this complex web of regulatory bodies, the two largest agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees food safety and labeling, and the USDA, which oversees meat, poultry and fish.

These agencies require facilities to perform and document a range of routine inspections to improve compliance. A common inspection for the food industry, utilizing technology professionals, can include antemortem and postmortem evaluations of livestock in order to rule out diseases. Additionally, the FDA mandates require thought leaders in the food industry to implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan and maintain a safe ecosystem. This plan identifies potential hazards specific to the facility and outlines the steps necessary to prevent them. Facilities are required to consistently document their adherence to the plan.

Beyond the agencies themselves, food services must contend with various laws and frameworks. On top of all this, states have the authority to implement stricter regulations, including inspection protocols, more stringent labeling requirements, and further employee training.

The Challenges with Traditional Methods of Process Management

The complexity of this system of agencies and laws often results in inconsistencies in the application and understanding of regulations. These challenges make it difficult for facilities to meet all necessary guidelines. Additionally, the sheer volume of documentation and reporting necessary to prove compliance across agencies and bodies can overwhelm staff if done through traditional paper methods, leading to frequent oversights in documentation. Food industry workers require constant innovation in order to elevate the standard and streamline processes.

Human error is a critical component that exacerbates compliance challenges. Food processing facilities can be high-pressure environments, and that stress can cause employees to rush through tasks or even skip crucial steps, compromising compliance. In fact, research by Mental Health America ranks manufacturing and food and beverage as two of the worst industries for workplace mental health. The organization’s report shows that 58% of manufacturing employees, and 50% of food and beverage employees, report work stress "always or often" affects their personal relationships. Stress-related or not, an inadequate understanding of procedures can result in improper handling of food products.

Simply put, manual processes are prone to human error. Yet, seemingly small mistakes in recording temperatures or cleaning equipment can easily result in a noncompliance nightmare. This not only includes fines and reputational damage but could include a significant threat to public health.

How Food Safety and Facilities Management Software Can Help Food Professionals

Human error is inevitable in traditional process management, which is why many facilities have turned to digital food safety software options to streamline the process. This type of software can send automated alerts notifying staff and management when specific tasks need to be completed, such as when to clean equipment. This helps prevent potential compliance breaches by ensuring that essential safety checks are not overlooked. In fact, around 81% of American workers reported embracing the benefits of automated solutions, with 44% believing it will lead to a reduction in manual errors, according to a recent survey by KRC Research.

In addition to software specific to food safety, packaging and processing facilities can benefit from implementing an all-encompassing process management software. These programs can be integrated into every aspect of the facility and help maintain machinery by monitoring performance and immediately notifying employees when something has gone awry. This technology can also aid employees and allow for unified communications by functioning as a centralized platform and automating tasks. Lastly, such a program can further improve supply chain traceability, enabling facilities to quickly identify the source of potential incidents and notify any impacted community. This swift identification allows for faster responses, ultimately better safeguarding public health.

Benefits of Digital Process Management

Most notably, technology professionals utilize process management software that automates digital documentation, offering innovation capabilities that far exceed those of traditional paper methods. By addressing the challenges of manual documentation—such as fatigue, misfiled documents and lost information—digital systems enable facilities to effortlessly maintain comprehensive records ensuring a reliable network infrastructure. This shift enhances the accuracy of records by eliminating human error and reducing employee stress. According to a study by Dan Dumitriu, 74% of the companies surveyed reported a significant increase in employee satisfaction after implementing business process management software.

Additionally, the ease of access provided by digital databases also streamlines the process of generating reports and sharing information with regulators. Facility leadership can quickly retrieve and present the required documentation during inspections or audits, leading to faster response times and a more efficient compliance ecosystem.

In an age where it feels like the next health crisis is always lurking around the corner, having effective facilities management systems in place for food production and packaging is essential. Utilizing technology professionals, it’s imperative to always look to provide the newest and innovative ways to improve processes. In addition to reducing operational costs and the stress of proving compliance, it’s simply a necessity to safeguard public health.

Contact us today to book a demo or learn how mpro5 provides solutions to revolutionize operations and drive efficiencies to new heights.