Despite all the food safety advances in sanitary machine design, sanitary plant design, product testing and inspection, and many processors reexamining their current SSOPs, HACCP plans and FSMA preparation and adherence, there is still much work to be done to protect the food supply and to inform consumers of potential problems.
This issue of Food Engineering has several articles related to food safety, including X-ray inspection equipment, rapid testing and Listeria thriving in plant equipment. These articles could not come at a better time. In addition to proper equipment cleaning and overall plant sanitation protocols, detailed and ongoing staff training to minimize the potential for Listeria contamination is essential. Please see “Listeria hides in processing machinery” in this issue on pages 13-14.