RKE Technical Bulletin – May 2021
Introduction to Mycotoxins Mycotoxins are a naturally occurring chemical hazard in many agricultural commodities. The toxins are produced by certain molds which can grow on certain foodstuffs, including common staples in most diets like cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, and coffee beans, often under warm and humid conditions. Mycotoxins can cause a variety of […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – April 2021
Announced Vs. Unannounced Audits Audit ready all the time. Not too many things scream “a culture of food safety”, but unannounced audits are well on their way. Many, if not most, commercial food manufacturers and distribution centers voluntarily subscribe to third party audits such as those schemes benchmarked to the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – March 2021
The 9th Big One For years, the food industry has heard rumbling that sesame was going to be the next allergen to join the “Big 8.” In many countries around the world, (EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan) sesame IS an allergen and is required to be on labels. It has been documented that […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – February 2021
Management Commitment In today’s fast-paced food manufacturing and distribution industries, a lot of scrutiny is placed on keeping the food supply safe. Many, if not most, distributors and manufacturers participate in third-party audit schemes, whether it be GMP, GDP, or GFSI audit schemes. None of these programs could be successful without management commitment. When senior […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – January 2021
Culture Shift We covered food safety culture in previous editions of this technical bulletin and the topic is still a hot one. With the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) pressing audit schemes to include requirements focused on building a culture of food safety within their organizations, it is time to discuss again. The “we’ll fix […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – December 2020
Holiday Food Safety Feasting with family is part of many holiday celebrations. Follow these simple tips to help prevent food poisoning, or foodborne illness, during the holidays. While COVID is restricting most big gatherings, the holiday feasts will still occur and aside form social distancing and wearing of masks, food safety practices need to be […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – November 2020
Virtual Food Safety Audits With today’s technology and current pandemic, the term “virtual” is used frequently, and is most likely here to stay, for a while, at least. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has issued a lot of guidance on “virtual” or remote auditing. The intent is to maintain the integrity of the audit […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – October 2020
Evolution of Food Safety In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation that created the agency with legal authority to seize goods in interstate commerce that were adulterated, contained additives injurious to health, or contained filthy, decomposed, or putrid substances. As many enter the food industry to begin their careers they learn of the key dates […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – September 2020
Key FSMA Rule to Advance Traceability of Foods The FDA has proposed a new rule that lays the foundation for the end-to-end food traceability across the food industry that we’ll be working toward over the next decade as part of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative. When we say traceability, what we are […]
RKE Technical Bulletin – August 2020
Do not Take the Easy Route You receive a customer complaint for an allergic reaction from one of your products, then another, and then another. It’s time to issue a class one recall notice, but how? During the course of operations all food handling facilities need to test their recall plans. Speaking from experience, many […]
