"GFSI Express" Places Renewed Emphasis on HACCP Training
By John Williams Jr.
For many food retailers and manufacturers, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) revolution is here to stay. In boardrooms everywhere, companies are contemplating gaining a berth on the "GFSI Express" via a handful of globally recognized certification schemes, including the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program and BRC.
In almost every certification scheme, companies are required to have effective prerequisite programs and HACCP plans in place before departing the gate. Without these all-important components, all boarding tickets are subject to rejection. Consequently, growing numbers of companies with GFSI certification aspirations are seeking professional training to help them fine-tune and improve their HACCP plans.
Abundant Supply
Conceived by the Pillsbury Company in the late 1960s as part of NASA's manned space missions, HACCP is commonly acknowledged as the industry's foremost program for assuring the production of safe and wholesome foods. HACCP, and its guiding seven principles, requires companies to document in-process monitoring activities, corrective actions, and other relevant aspects of their plans. Moreover, companies are charged with establishing verification programs to assess the accuracy of collected data and overall effectiveness of their HACCP programs.
Due to the almost universal acceptance of HACCP, training programs — ranging from straightforward, reliable PowerPoint presentations to state-of-the-art multi-media programs — are in abundant supply throughout the food industry. No matter which platform you select, it is imperative to choose a detailed HACCP training program that ensures a return on your investment.
Key Components
HACCP plans, according to scores of food safety experts, are only as good as the prerequisite programs that lend to their ultimate effectiveness and success. Accordingly, high-level and relevant HACCP training programs should cover a host of integral components, including:
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs): Under U.S. law, manufacturers and processors are required to take proactive steps to ensure the production of safe foods. The regulations require a quality approach to manufacturing, enabling companies to minimize or eliminate instances of contamination and errors. Recordkeeping, personnel qualifications, sanitation, cleanliness, equipment verification, process validation, and complaint handling are among the issues addressed in GMP regulations.
• Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs): Food companies should have written sanitation standard operating procedures on their plant premises. SSOPs clearly define cleaning and sanitizing activities, as well as specific responsibilities for the entire processing environment. The overall success of a plant's cleaning and sanitizing program is largely dependent on the stringency of its pre-operational inspection and quality of its verification program. Sanitation is the basic food safety foundation for all operations.
• Product Identification, Tracking, and Recall Programs: Companies should have procedures in place to trace and recover products from the time when they received as raw ingredients to the moment the product is put into distribution. All ingredients, packaging materials and raw materials should be included in these programs.
• Preventative Maintenance: In-plant programs should be designed to ensure all equipment, especially those units that assure food safety, is properly maintained and functional. Written plans should include schedule of repairs and maintenance, detailed cleaning / maintenance instruction for staff, and staff training guidelines.
• Environmental Monitoring: Programs, encompassing sampling sites, frequency of testing, sampling methods, and testing protocols, are essential for assessing the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing programs, identifying microbial niches, and determining if pathogens are present in the processing environment.
• Employee Education and Training: Training for plant workers should be an ongoing process. All training should be documented and immediately included in employee personnel files. Even the most meticulously planned food processing system will fail if employees are poorly trained or unmotivated.
Other key training components include: allergen management programs, product and process specification programs, approved supplier programs, and labeling programs.
Qualified Professionals Need Apply
Comprehensive HACCP training, as indicated above, is by no means a stroll in the park. To achieve their training objectives, companies should partner with highly qualified training groups with proven and successful track records (actual in-plant experience in developing, implementing and monitoring HACCP programs). Companies should also strive to work with training organizations with programs that are accredited by reputable safety groups, such as the International HACCP Alliance.
Boarding the "GFSI Express" requires a punched and validated HACCP ticket. Professional trainers can help you get your company program ready for a rewarding trip.
Training Spotlight: "Implementing SQF 2000 Systems" Short Course Set in Chicago
Silliker, Inc., a licensed Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) Training Center, will hold an "Implementing SQF 2000 Systems" short course, September 23-24, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel. During the course, trainees will gain a thorough understanding of SQF concepts, principles, and accreditation requirements. Under instructor Jeff Strout, a certified SQF Consultant with over two decades of food industry experience, attendees will be guided through all three levels of SQF Code 2000 (1- Food Safety Fundamentals; 2- Certified HACCP Food Safety Plan; and 3 - Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management Systems).
Due to its breadth and complexity, special emphasis will be given to Level 3 during the two-day educational offering. Registration is $600 per person and includes all course materials and a certificate of attendance. A special hotel rate for participants is available through the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Following the successful completion of the course, attendees can take an online exam through SQFI to receive a certificate. The cost of the optional exam is $50 and will be invoiced directly by SQFI.
Take Your Employee Training Program to the Next Level with Silliker Food Safety Training
Food safety never takes a summer break. Providing employees with cost-effective and measureable training is a year-round challenge for individuals who are charged with energizing, motivating, and educating workers in today's diverse workplace.
As one of the industry's leading providers of education and training services, Silliker, Inc. can support your long-term objectives with our results-oriented programs. Our practical and innovative services are highlighted in our newly updated Food Safety Education & Training Catalog. Order your complimentary copy today to learn more about our:
• Public Short Courses: From HACCP to plant sanitation, we offer a full range of programs, including our upcoming "Effective Environmental Monitoring & Aseptic Techniques" short course scheduled for September 8-9, 2009 in Chicago, IL.
• Customized, on-site training: Our specialists can tailor programs in English and Spanish to meet your specific needs. As part of our custom offerings, we can help your in-house instructors refine and improve their teaching skills through our "Food Safety Trainer" program.
• DVD / VHS / Multimedia Training: We feature an extensive library of professionally produced training programs that is unmatched in the food industry. With a push of a button, you can motivate your workers with our "GMP Basics: Employee Hygiene Practices" DVD, "Swabbing Techniques" CD, and other engaging, fast-paced training programs.
• SISTEM™ Training Platform: Employing simple remote controls, this state-of-the-art automated system allows up to 32 students to be trained at the same time. Industry specific courses include: food allergens, GMPs, HACCP, plant sanitation, and workplace safety.
To order a FREE copy of our Food Safety and Education Catalog in a PDF format, indicate your interest on our request page.
For many food retailers and manufacturers, the 
Silliker, Inc., a licensed Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) Training Center, will hold an 
• Public Short Courses: From HACCP to plant sanitation, we offer a full range of programs, including our upcoming "Effective Environmental Monitoring & Aseptic Techniques" short course scheduled for