Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Food Safety

Food Safety

Is your facility food safe and defensible?

With FSMA a done deal for food & beverage processors, compliance is more important than ever

By Wayne Labs, Senior Contributing Technical Editor
Ib Elandaloussi
May 22, 2019

Unless your facility is a USDA shop, then it most likely falls under FSMA regulations, which for the vast majority of processors is the law of the land. If you haven’t yet been visited by FDA for an audit, it is past time to get ready for that inevitable moment. I asked Ib Elandaloussi (CAL), Food and Consumer Products Group with Burns and McDonnell to talk briefly about designing facility solutions to meet FSMA rules.

Elandaloussi specializes in food safety at Burns & McDonnell, including developing and implementing complete food safety systems for food manufacturers. His experience includes not only determining areas of non-conformance, but also prioritizing and designing cost-effective solutions for clients to become FSMA compliant.

“Food safety and security are among the highest priority considerations throughout the industry so it is common to have professionals experienced in safety and security be involved early in the design phase for retrofits and greenfield projects,” says Elandaloussi. “It is the best way to see that good safety principles are designed into the infrastructure.”

FE: How should a facility be designed to support GMPs?

Elandaloussi: It is imperative that a facility be designed to meet Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs). This will entail controlling movements of personnel and materials to minimize cost escalation and will also address air flows and HVAC systems to minimize the risk of cross contamination. A good design will specify the right air filters for a particular application. Humidity controls will be addressed as well—a very important consideration, particularly in the Midwest and most of the South. Facility operators must be aware that some humidity can be introduced through wash-down processes so humidity controls will be needed in cold areas. Also important: Equipment design and equipment specs must be properly reviewed to make sure all equipment can be thoroughly cleaned and will not harbor points for microorganisms to grow.

Allergens are another important consideration, and facilities must be designed to segregate allergen and non-allergen materials. You will want physical segregation of the areas where materials that contain known allergens will be stored.

FE: I’ve been in older plants where it seems physical security could use some improvement. What can plants do to beef up this area?

Elandaloussi: Physical security cannot be overlooked. Processors should be aware that many recent instances of food recalls can be traced to incidents involving disgruntled employees working on-site. Employees who are dismissed for any reason must not have access to the site after termination. Employees are often the first line of defense and should be trained to be on the lookout for someone trying to get back into the plant, and that this is usually not a random occurrence. Security isn’t just about keeping strangers out. Plans and processes need to account for the potential of incidents involving a previous employee because this has proven to be a high-risk area.

The Food and Drug Administration has put together requirements as part of the Food Defense Plan, which is free to access and very holistic for identifying risks and potential consequences. This includes different areas of defense, including having the right security systems at the plant. This includes a badging system for employees who need access, proper fencing and the setting up of guard shacks. Even with people coming to the plant for legitimate reasons, it is important to protect against the possibility they could be potentially bringing pathogens with them. A detailed training program for visitors will outline the steps to prevent these occurrences.

Visitors and employees must abide by all GMP rules and have proper knowledge of personal hygiene procedures. Security cameras should be operating at all entrances, and doors at all outside entrances should automatically close. Employee breakrooms should be located outside of production areas to provide tighter controls.

The overall site must have fencing for proper security controls. Employees must be properly trained to be aware of potential threats when visitors gain access without being properly identified at the security gates, and a visitor alert system must be easily accessible when an employee identifies someone inside the building and needs to notify the floor supervisor. Finally, do not underestimate the importance of regular training. It is natural for people to become complacent, so continual reminders of processes and procedures are a must.

For more information on food safety and defense:

 “10 Steps to Developing a Dedicated Food Safety Plan,” Ib Elandaloussi, PCQI, Burns & Mc Donnell, PDF.

“White Paper: Protecting Food Quality Through Physical Security,” Kevin Whaley, Burns & Mc Donnell, PDF.

Burns & McDonnell: www.burnsmcd.com

KEYWORDS: FDA food defense FSMA

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Wayne labs 200px
Wayne Labs has more than 30 years of editorial experience in industrial automation. He served as senior technical editor for I&CS/Control Solutions magazine for 18 years where he covered software, control system hardware and sensors/transmitters. Labs ran his own consulting business and contributed feature articles to Electronic Design, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking and Food Engineering magazines. Before joining Food Engineering, he served as a senior technical editor for Omega Engineering Inc. Labs also worked in wireless systems and served as a field engineer for GE’s Mobile Communications Division and as a systems engineer for Bucks County Emergency Services. In addition to writing technical feature articles, Wayne covers FE’s Engineering R&D section.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

FMTE Formed by Four Food Manufacturing Companies

Coalition Unites Europe’s Food Manufacturing Technologies and Equipment Sector

Kraft Heinz DeKalb Distribution Center Rendering

Kraft Heinz Upgrades U.S. Manufacturing Facilities

Sanitation worker spraying water

Fighting the Foodborne Bacteria War with Cleaning and Sanitation

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Firemen at dry process facility fire

    Is Your Facility Safe In Processing Dry Products?

    See More
  • Tracking systems use IoT technology

    Where and how safe is your cargo?

    See More
  • Darktrace Threat Visualizer

    Are your control networks safe from cyberattacks?

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • food crime.jpg

    Food Crime: An Introduction to Deviance in the Food Industry

  • The-Food-Business-Toolkit-Cover.jpg

    The Food Business Toolkit for Entrepreneurs (ebook)

  • small-occ.jpg

    Occupational Health and Safety in the Food and Beverage Industry

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!