RECENT NEWS
Training Seminar
ASI Food Safety Consultants is holding a one-day training seminar on Managing Supply Chain Risk with GFSI Standards. The seminar will be held at McDonald’s University in Oakbrook, Illinois. Attendees can register at www.supplychainrisk.eventbrite.com. For more information about the seminar, please call (800) 477-0778.
ASI Partners with DNV
ASI Food Safety Consultants has recently partnered with DNV, one of the leading global providers of accredited management system and product certification. This partnership enables ASI to provide audits to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards: British Retail Consortium (BRC), International Food Standard (IFS), and Safe Quality Food (SQF).
GFSI is emerging as the unifying framework for various standards and programs aimed at ensuring the safety and quality of food. Seven major retailers are using these standards to reduce risk in the supply chain. Late last year Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer of consumer goods including food, issued a mandate to its food suppliers, announcing that they must comply with one of the standards under the GFSI umbrella. It is expected that more and more companies will accept “GFSI audits” in America in the future.
ASI and DNV will also partner to perform global audits per ASI’s strict standards. DNV is recognized as one of the leading and most respected management systems and product certification bodies in the US, and has issued more than 80,000 certificates worldwide. DNV has over 8,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and is represented in the US with over 700 employees spread over more than 12 offices.
ASI Growth and Hiring Increases
While most companies are experiencing a slump and laying off employees due to the recession, ASI Food Safety Consultants has seen record growth and is hiring auditors nationwide. ASI prefers to hire auditors in the client site regions to reduce travel costs resulting in competitive pricing for the client.
Increase in work is partially due to certifications from Kraft, Wal-Mart, Ahold, Nestlé, Papa John’s, and others. SQE, SQF, BRC, GMP, HACCP, GMA-SAFE among a few certifications are in demand. ASI bundles audits making it more cost effective on clients.
ASI’s certified auditors are further calibrated by Dr. Ernie McCullough. The auditing staff has an average 12 years of experience in the industry. All have food science degrees and are constantly taking courses to keep up with the industry.
ASI Partners with Jadian Enterprises
ASI partnered with Jadian Enterprises to develop an innovative data management application – Data Stream Solution™ (DSS). Data Stream Solution™ (DSS) is an interactive automated data management solution provided exclusively by ASI Food Safety Consultants. DSS is a web-based application that provides enterprise wide monitoring of suppliers across the globe ensuring that audits are scheduled in a timely manner and that reports are completed.
Jadian Enterprises is a global software and services company that provides complete solutions for managing inspections, compliance activities, licensing and certification processes, and work orders. The company’s software solutions are highly configurable for use across multiple market sectors, including: Government Municipalities, Public and Environmental Health Agencies, Departments of Agriculture, Registrars, Certification Bodies, Facility Management, Construction Inspections, Gas and Oil Industry.
ASI Offers Ways to Prevent Product Recalls
In the midst of the recent product recalls, ASI Food Safety Consultants has some advice for the food industry. As a general guideline, ASI recommends that facilities perform self-audits on a monthly basis. Self-audits help maintain quality and prepares the facility for third party audits which are also recommended. Another way to prevent recalls is to ensure good employee practices. It is essential that employees are trained not only in their specific job, but also in food safety. Personnel hygiene should also be emphasized. ASI recommends that employees are trained yearly. Facilities should also regularly swab equipment before and after each shift to detect E-Coli, Salmonella, and other bacteria. If this is done frequently, then facilities can recall products before they are placed on the market. Other suggestions include checking systems and temperatures thoroughly. All systems should be in working condition and clean. Temperatures should be checked hourly.