California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Cows and the Environment: A California Perspective

    There has been a recent surge of efforts to drastically change dietary choices in the name of environmental protection. These efforts often share a flawed approach, citing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission statistics, to create alarm and encourage decreased consumption of meat, dairy, and other livestock products. They falsely imply that raising livestock, no matter where or how it’s done, is bad for the planet. This simply isn’t true. As with any industry, from agriculture to transportation to manufacturing, efficiency plays an important role in delivering products we want and need, while reducing the environment impacts. A closer look at the global dairy sector shows increases in efficiency are occurring around the world, though the pace of improvements differs from region to region. California dairy farms are not only leading the way in reducing environmental impacts, but are also taking climate-smart dairy farming to a whole new level—making cows a part of the broader solution to society’s environmental challenges, from recycling nutrients to creating renewable energy.

    planet smart dairy

     

    A Global Perspective

    Over the past 65 years, the United States has made significant gains in milk production efficiency, resulting in a two-thirds reduction of dairy’s overall carbon footprint. While the nation’s milk production has doubled, the number of dairy cows has decreased from 25.6 million cows in 1950 to only 9.4 million today. Attaining this same level of efficiency across all dairy regions would have a far greater impact on climate than dictating drastic changes in dietary consumption.

    Seventy to 80 percent of estimated global livestock greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are attributed to developing countries, where production is far less efficient. However, improvements are being made. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently published an analysis of GHG emissions from the global dairy sector over a ten-year time period (2005 to 2015). The FAO reportshows all regions have reduced GHG emissions per unit of milk, resulting in an overall emission intensity reduction of 11 percent. The largest dairy emission intensity reductions during this time period occurred in low-and-middle income nations, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. These are often countries where the livestock sector plays a significant role in the total gross domestic product. In these regions, increases in dairy productivity are helping improve food security and climate change mitigation.

    In contrast, thanks to decades of advancement, the U.S. dairy sector plays a limited role in the nation’s total GHG emissions. According to the most-recent report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture (animal and plant-based foods) contributes 9 percent. Animal agriculture (including dairy, beef, pork and poultry) contributes 3.9 percent. In comparison, the transportation industry and the electricity generation sector are each responsible for 28 percent of all U.S. GHG emissions—a total of 56 percent. These statistics align with other findings about the consumption of animal products and its impact on climate change. If all 320 million Americans were to follow a vegan diet, the national GHG emissions would be reduced by an estimated 2.6 percent,reducing global GHG emissions by less than a half of one percent (0.36 %).

    In California—the nation’s leading dairy state—the animal agriculture sector produces about 5 percent of the total GHG emissions, while the transportation sector produces 41 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board. Although dairy’s contribution to the total GHG emissions is relatively smaller than other industries, the state’s dairy farmers remain dedicated to continuous improvement. The state is actively working to reduce emissions of methane—a short-lived GHG—from the dairy sector. California is the only region in the world that has set the ambitious goal of reducing dairy manure methane emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

    Dairy as Part of the Solution

    With incentive funding from the state and guidance from ongoing research, dairy farmers are making great progress to achieve this goal. The collective efforts will also help reduce emissions from other sectors, as a growing number of dairy farms begin using dairy digesters. Digesters capture methane, which can be used to create various forms of renewable energy. While the state’s earlier digesters have created electricity, more than 58 dairy farms are now in various stages of developing projects that will create carbon-negative transportation fuel to replace the use of diesel in heavy-duty trucks. These barn-to-biogas projects are not only helping shrink dairy’s carbon footprint to unprecedented levels, they are also helping the state transition to clean energy.

    Another way dairy cattle contribute to the state’s sustainable food system is through use of agricultural byproducts as animal feed. Dairy cows and other ruminants can digest foods that might otherwise go to waste and, in-turn, provide nutritious foods people enjoy. About 41 percent of feed ingredients used on California dairies are agricultural byproducts, such as almond hulls, tomato pulp, cotton seed, citrus pulp, and brewer’s grain, which could otherwise be wasted. In this way, dairy farms help eliminate food waste—a significant global challenge. This works particularly well in California, where a diverse array of crops is grown throughout the seasons, and dairy farmers continually work with cow nutrition experts to make efficient use of the byproducts.

    Dairy farmers in California have a long history of working collaboratively with state officials and researchers to improve the protection of air and water resources, which has placed them in a strong position to lead the world in the development of climate-smart dairy. The state is implementing cutting-edge strategies and technologies, which will further improve the environment while providing nutritious and affordable foods to a growing population. While there is more that can be done here and across the globe to mitigate the effects of climate change from all industries, California’s dairy farm families are already dedicated to doing their part.

     

    By: Dairy Cares 

  • USDA 2018 Farm Bill Implementation Listening Session

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when making discretionary decisions on program implementation.

    Deadline for registration to attend the event in person is February 22, 2019. Register at www.farmers.gov/farmbill.

    The event will be streamed live on www.farmers.gov/farmbill for those who are unable to attend in person. No registration is required to view the livestream.

    Written comments are encouraged by February 22, 2019; additional comments will be accepted through March 1, 2019. To submit comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov  and search for Docket ID USDA–2019–0001.   Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. You may also submit written comments at the listening session. Comments received will be publicly available on www.regulations.gov.

  • Statement on Bureau of Reclamation’s Initial Water Supply Allocation

    FRESNO, CA – Yesterday, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced a 35% initial water allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors.
    Westlands appreciates that this initial allocation is higher than it otherwise would have been but for the diligent work by Reclamation staff to make the initial allocation as high as practicable. However, given the current hydrologic conditions, including above average precipitation and snowpack in the northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains, a 35% allocation is further evidence that the 2009 biological opinion controlling temperature management of Shasta Reservoir is placing unreasonable restrictions on CVP operations. Moreover, the 35% initial allocation demonstrates the need to update the existing biological opinions to reflect the science that has emerged over the last decade.
    This year total runoff into the Shasta, Trinity, and Folsom reservoirs during the months of April-July is projected to be 1.0 million-acre-feet (MAF), more than was projected at this time in 2012 when the District received a final allocation of 40%. Similarly, the same comparison shows the San Joaquin basin is expected to have 1.1 MAF more runoff into the New Melones, Don Pedro, and McClure reservoirs, and storage at the San Luis Reservoir is on track to be 140-thousand-acre feet more than at this time in 2012.
    For Westlands farmers, low initial allocations create uncertainty about how much of their land can be farmed and how much productive farmland will need to be fallowed and contribute to over pumping groundwater. Westlands looks forward to working with Reclamation and other federal and state agencies to reexamine regulatory restrictions that are imposing unreasonable restriction on operations of the CVP. Westland logo

  • Unnecessary Trade War Risks Irreparably Damaging U.S. Dairy

    By Laurie Fischer, CEO, American Dairy Coalition

    Laurie Fischer

    Mexico imports nearly a quarter of the U.S. dairy industry’s exports annually. It’s a critical $1.4 billion marketplace. And it’s one that President Trump continues to risk damaging permanently — and unnecessarily.

    Locked in a trade war since May, Mexican leaders are setting aside American business connections that took decades to build as our neighbors to the south find new sources of cheese, butter and other products.

    This should have changed in November when Trump declared success with his newly rechristened U.S.-Canada-Mexico Trade Agreement replacing NAFTA. In retrospect, it was a disingenuous statement: The administration has not lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products, and — in response — those countries are refusing to sign the pact or lift retaliatory tariffs, impacting dairy products and other items.

    “If you’re using the tariffs as leverage, if you get an agreement with countries that have come to the table because of that, if you don’t relieve them of tariffs, you’re going to marginalize that as an effective leverage point for other negotiations,” U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, told reporters at a recent press conference.

    “The longer this trade war goes on … the greater and more permanent the damage will be,” added Johnson, whose home state saw the dairy-fueled economy lose $139 million through October of last year.

    A Pyrrhic victory is defined as one that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. That’s an apt description of the precipice President Trump stands on today.

    His surprise electoral path to victory in 2016 ran straight through the American “Farm Belt,” fueled by Midwest states where agriculture still figures prominently in the day-to-day lives of their citizens. Those same farmers — whether they deal in dairy, livestock, dairy or crops — have generally remained supportive of the president’s efforts to secure more favorable trade deals from nations historically benefiting from lopsided agreements.

    However, having won concessions from Mexico and Canada, Trump now risks squandering those hard-fought gains — wiping out thousands of agriculture-related jobs in the process, ignoring one of his core constituencies and, in the most ironic twist of all, irreparably undermining his 2020 re-election ambitions.

    A Pyrrhic victory, indeed.

    “The president’s trade policies have sent U.S. agricultural exports plunging, exacerbating already difficult economic conditions facing farmers,” Politico’s Ryan McCrimmon recently reported. “Average farm income has fallen to near 15-year lows under Trump, and in some areas of the country, farm bankruptcies are soaring.”

    President Trump sells himself as a champion for agriculture. However, a good general knows when the day is won and when to remove his troops from harm’s way. If Trump can’t learn the same lesson, he may find few farmers willing — or able — to stand behind him.

    About The American Dairy Coalition:American Dairy Coalition Logo

    The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is a farmer-led national lobbying organization of modern dairy farmers. We focus on federal dairy policy.

    www.americandairycoalitioninc.com

  • HACCP Training

    Trainings

    These trainings can be offered either as onsite programs or as public courses. If you would like to suggest a public training or request a quote for onsite training, contact our food safety team and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

    These courses are accredited by the International HACCP Alliance as meeting the required standards for content and training for HACCP.

    Advanced HACCP

    This course defines the principles of validation and verification including risk assessment of Hazards. GFSI audit standards require that programs within the Food Safety Management System should be both validated and verified by competent individuals with an understanding of these concepts.  This course explains in depth verification, the act of reviewing programs and systems to determine if what has been planned and documented to maintain safe food, is in fact, operating as expected. Validation, determining if the methods identified to produce safe food are sound and effective, is also explained.

    Intro to HACCP

    This course focuses on developing a preventative approach for controlling potential hazards and for staying in compliance with new industry and regulatory requirements. Our course includes interactive components to help build knowledge of the HACCP process. Delegates will work on products that are similar to their own operations so that they can take this experience back to their facility and put it to work immediately.

    This course is also available as a self-paced online course. Interested? Learn more

    Consulting

    Our Team’s experience as industry professionals allow us to quickly and efficiently integrate our knowledge of the food industry and related support functions with requirements of the many regulatory agencies and industry self-policing organizations who oversee HACCP and other benchmark programs within the food industry. We can develop your entire HACCP and safety programs, ensuring that each of the seven principle steps of HACCP is adequately addressed, including:

    • Identifying Hazards
    • Identifying Critical Control Points
    • Setting up Procedures and Standards
    • Monitoring Critical Control Points
    • Taking Corrective Actions
    • Developing HACCP record keeping systems
    • HACCP Program Verification

    Our HACCP-certified experts have broad knowledge about food safety regulations and how they are enforced. All of our experienced consultants are HACCP accredited and provide affordable HACCP-certified training at either your facility or at a convenient location. We listen to your concerns and prepare a schedule customized to satisfy your unique needs.

  • Be Prepared: Container Theft

    One seemingly regular night, Frank Burgwin left the engine running on his locked Freightliner and rushed into a truck stop to grab a takeout hamburger in Arkansas. When he returned to his freightliner, his tractor and the flatbed with 48,000 pounds of aluminum had vanished. An off-duty Consolidated Freight Driver then helped Burgwin find the tractor near West Memphis, Arkansas, close to a truck stop, after hours of searching. A trailer stolen from Texas was hooked to the truck, but the cargo and trailer were never recovered. Cargo theft has worsened since this incident. In 2013, there were 33 recorded driver theft incidents, 32% higher than the number of driver theft incidents from all of 2012. Accoring to CHP “It is known, that on a regional level, the incidence of cargo theft is increasing”. Although the story of Frank Burgwin is a theft of aluminum, this is an ever-increasing problem throughout the country and in every industry. How ready is your company to prevent stolen product due to organized crime? Are you doing all you can to protect your company? As California commodities continue to increase in value, more companies are forced to confront issues of stolen goods and falsified information, which in turn results in a financial loss.

    What You Can Do To Not Be A Victim of Cargo Theft?

    • Create a written procedure for vetting Motor Carriers you hire
    • Train your employees on your Carrier Qualification procedures
    • Adhere to your written processes at all times
    • Document all of your Carrier vetting activities
    • Have proper insurance when/if claims are incurred

    Preventive Employee Measures

    • Keep accurate up-to-date employee information
    • Do background checks on potential employees
    • Consider random drug tests of current employees
    • Have employees sign polygraph waivers
    • Educate employees on how and what to report if a theft occurs

    Besides hurting the nation’s trucking industry — which moves more than 68 percent of all domestic shipments — the thefts have real-world consequences for consumers, including raising prices and potentially allowing unsafe food and drugs to reach store shelves. Investigators say cargo thefts cost California $2 million per day and $15-25 billion a year nationally. The losses include jobs and sometimes even lives. The issue is these thefts are often unspecified and seldom discussed outside the world of commercial trucking. Companies that have been victimized are often reluctant to talk about their losses. But crime reports and Associated Press interviews with law enforcement and industry leaders reveal an alarming pattern that hurts commerce, pushes up consumer prices and potentially puts Americans’ health and safety at risk.

    According to the California Farm bureau, “to make it more difficult for thieves to steal truckloads of nut crops, Tehama County detective Parker suggested that growers and processors take extra steps to record the identity of truck drivers by taking a driver’s photograph, recording his thumbprints, and recording or photographing his driver’s license number. Also, digitally photograph the truck, including the truck’s state and federal registration numbers and license plates, to make sure everything is well documented, he said. For other tips, contact local law enforcement or the county rural crime task force.”

    Sherriff’s departments and California Counties are doing everything possible to deter and prevent cargo theft, but it also takes the facilities cooperation and preparation before-hand to completely avoid theft and possible loss of thousands and thousands of dollars. To ensure that your company’s drivers are safe and responsible and your inventory is accurately accounted for, follow some of the easy steps listed above.

    Applied our suggestions? We would love to hear from you. Send us an email at communications@safefoodalliance.com to let us know is working for your company. That way, we can better create tools and resources for you in the future.

  • What is FDA Detention and What Do We Do About it?

    Detention; a word associated with childhood pranks, the principal’s office, guilt, and remorse. In a similar fashion, receiving notice from the United States (US) government that your facility’s products have been detained can also trigger those negative childhood emotions.

    FDA Detention Explained

    Detention occurs when products entering the US are refused entry; either by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or the US Customs and Border Patrol, acting on the FDA’s behalf. These detentions occur because the FDA has reason to believe that the products do not conform to US laws and regulations. The specific issues that can cause detention include:

    • adulteration/contamination
    • mislabeled or misbranded product
    • manufacturing
    • processing or packing under unsanitary conditions
    • importing products that are forbidden for sale

    Some of these detentions are the result of the FDA’s Import Alert List. This list is based upon FDA surveillance of imported products and detected patterns of noncompliance. Most listings take the form of a Red List Import Alert, in which specific firms from a certain country have a pattern of non-compliance and thus are added to the Alert. Once listed, any future products imported from that firm will be detained without physical examination (DWPE). Such products will be detained by the FDA until it can be shown that they are safe and meet pre-approved standards.

    In Action

    In some cases, Red List Import Alerts apply to products from an entire country. In 2007, the FDA traced pet deaths in the US to melamine contamination of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate from China. During the investigation, more than 150 brands of pet food were recalled as a result of the mislabeled ingredient. Melamine, a molecule used as an industrial binding agent, flame retardant, and fertilizer, caused over 17,000 consumer complaints, 1950 deaths of cats and 2200 deaths of dogs. The devastating mistake resulted in Import Alert # 99-29 “Detention without Physical Examination of All Vegetable Protein Products from China for Animal or Human Food Use Due to the Presence of Melamine and/or Undeclared Colors”.  Districts were directed to detain all shipments with vegetable protein products to prevent the products from continuing to contaminate pet foods. Since this import alert was issued, over twenty Chinese firms producing these products have been added to the Green List, meaning they have met the compliance requirements of the FDA and are no longer subject to DWPE.

    Applying The Rule

    Any firm importing food products from abroad is strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the FDA Import Alert List. The list can be searched by country, industry, alert number and last published date. Within each alert, the details of the product types, firms subject to DWPE, and the specific product violations related to the alert are listed. Notices may indicate DWPE with surveillance, meaning that the FDA will be doing spot inspection and testing of those products.

    Key Alerts for Detention without Physical Examination are:

    • aflatoxin in food products (#23-14)
    • pesticides in raw agricultural commodities (#99-05)
    • and in processed foods (#99-15)
    • Salmonella in food products (#99-19)
    • sulfites in food products (#99-21)

    Reviewing this list allows you to make an informed choice of which firms to do business with and what types of product testing or evaluations to require from the seller prior to shipment. This can prevent the headache associated with a detained shipment, saving you time and money.

    At Safe Food Alliance, we have been handling FDA product detentions for over a decade. Product detention in our facility primarily involves adulteration and contamination. In terms of specific issues cited in the detentions that have been examined by Safe Food Alliance, aflatoxin has been the most common (45%), followed by pesticides (19%), pathogens (16%), quality/filth (16%) and claims of organoleptic issues/rancidity (2%). The remaining 2% of cases have involved mislabeling due to sulfite residues. Tree nuts, dried fruits, and seeds/seed pastes are the commodities which having the most violations.

    fda detention chart

    The most common example we encounter is tree nuts that fail to pass the importing nations’ aflatoxin limits and are returned to California. The FDA will typically notify the “responsible parties” of the violation by issuing a Notice of FDA Action. In our tree nut example, this is usually the handler or broker who originally shipped the load and to whom it has been returned.

    How To Handle An FDA Notice

    Step 1: If you receive a notice read it immediately and carefully!

    Step 2: Understand the terminology

    Hearing – A hearing is your opportunity to present evidence, or testimony, to overcome the appearance of a violation and to give FDA confidence that the product is in compliance. The hearing will vary from a series of email or telephone conversations to a more formal meeting.  The hearing officer is generally the FDA compliance officer listed on the Notice of Detention and Hearing.

    Testimony – Testimony is any information you wish to submit to overcome the appearance of the violation, or to otherwise support the release of your product.  Testimony should be provided to the contact that is listed on the Notice of FDA Action, usually a compliance officer.

    Charges – Charges are the reason the shipment has been detained by the FDA. Reasons include adulteration, misbranding, and restricted for sale.

    Respond by Date – The “respond by” date is the amount of time to provide testimony. If the FDA does not receive a response to the detention within the specified timeframe, the compliance officer can issue a refusal of admission.

    Definitions from https://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/ImportProgram/ActionsEnforcement/ucm459476.htm

    Step 3: Create a plan

    The Notice of FDA Action will cite the specific laws and regulations that appear to have been violated and are known as the charges. The FDA allows the responsible party the chance to either submit evidence to overcome the charges or submit a request to recondition the product to correct the violation. If you choose to submit evidence, known as testimony, it must be provided by the specific date listed on the Notice. This respond by date is typically 10 business days/20 calendar days from the detention date. Such testimony is typically provided in emails, telephone calls and/or hard copies and is addressed to the FDA Compliance Officer listed on the Notice. This process is known as the hearing.

    In the case of our ill-fated tree nut shipment, the testimony will typically take the form of product sampling and testing, to show that the products meet US limits for aflatoxin and can be allowed entry. In this case, it is critical that our laboratory is notified immediately so that we can begin the process of getting the products cleared.

    Step 4: Get your product tested

    It is of critical importance to work with a laboratory that has experience with FDA detention. If the analytical package is not prepared according to the FDA’s strict protocol and does not meet their standards for sampling and testing it will be rejected, delaying the process even further. Choosing to work with Safe Food Alliance provides you with everything you need to be successful. The testimony that Safe Food Alliance provides is more than a typical laboratory result. In addition to the regular results, you receive details about quality assurance, methods validations, technician training, and sampling plans.

    Note: It may not be possible to have your lab report completed by the initial response date given by FDA, in which case a request for extension must be made by the responsible party.

    What if the product fails to pass the testing process? The responsible party can submit a request to recondition the product to bring it into compliance. In our example, that might involve resorting the product to remove any moldy/damaged nuts. This would then be followed by the same sampling, testing and reporting process we described above. If the product still fails to pass, then your options are either to work with FDA and Customs/Border Protection to export the product from the US or destroy it. This product disposition must be completed within 90 days.

    Step 5: Submit Your Testimony

    If the testimony shows that the product is in compliance (in our example, the aflatoxin is below 20 parts per billion), then the data package is submitted for review and the wait begins for FDA to clear the product. This process can take several weeks; FDA may also request additional information from the responsible party and the laboratory.

    If this seems like a bureaucratic maze, you are right! The most important thing to remember is to read the notice immediately and gather all the facts you can about the detention. Next, reach out to the FDA Compliance Officer and determine exactly what is expected from you and when.

    Safe Food Alliance laboratories should be your next contact. The most common problem we encounter is that we are not contacted soon enough when our client receives their FDA Notice, resulting in insufficient time to assemble all of the evidence and triggering a panicked request for an extension. Tell us exactly what you have found out from the FDA and we can plan the next steps of sampling, testing and reporting the results that will clear your product. Remember, it is critical that the correct steps are taking when sampling and testing or the data will be rejected. Count on us to walk you through the process, and stop worrying about the principal’s office!

  • The Importance of Food Safety Culture

    In my role, I routinely work with facilities pursuing a third-party food safety certification audit for the first time. After four years of assisting and educating people about the audit process, I have noticed that you can recognize early on whether a company’s pursuit is focused more on obtaining the necessary certificate or in ensuring that their products are safe.

    Most facilities fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, balancing the desire for food safety with legitimate concerns about profitability. It is not difficult, however, to identify whether a facility sees a food safety audit as another bureaucratic hurdle or an opportunity for growth. That attitude often acts as an indicator of how the company will perform on their audit. Sites that prioritize safety and continuous improvement are likely to have better audit outcomes.

    Of course, this is not news to many people. GFSI-benchmarked schemes intentionally look for this quality through objective evidence, with SQF emphasizing “Management Commitment” and BRC clauses mentioning “Food Safety Culture.”

    Food Safety Culture refers to the specific culture of a facility: the attitudes, beliefs, practices, and values that determine what is happening when no one is watching. If you want to gauge a site’s Food Safety Culture, try asking yourself how the site typically responds to food safety concerns. Does the staff take potential problem seriously, as if its importance is obvious? Or do they view food safety practices as just one more hoop they need to jump through in order to stay in business? Is their response to simply ask, “How much is this going to cost?”

    In reality, no facility can afford not to develop a healthy Food Safety Culture. A strong culture of food safety helps a facility both to prevent and catch deviations in their processes that impact the safety, quality, and legality of their products. This, in turn, has a major impact on the likelihood and severity of a recall impacting that site.

    In 2012, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association found that “the average cost of a recall to a food company is $10M in direct costs, in addition to brand damage and lost sales[SK1]  according to a joint industry study.” The costs were significantly higher for larger manufacturers as seen below.

    While it is common for there to be tension between Quality Assurance and Operations teams over the allocation of resources in a plant, the data suggests that it is in the interest of both departments to develop a strong Food Safety Culture. Doing so ensures the integrity of food products and protects the bottom line.

    How, then, can you cultivate Food Safety Culture in your facility?

    As suggested by the SQF scheme approach, a change to company culture always begins at the top. Because senior management has final control over resources, their buy-in on food safety is absolutely essential. Ways management commitment can be seen include:

    • proper money and time are allocated to staff receiving necessary food safety training
    • machinery and tools are repaired and replaced accordingly to decrease the risk of health hazards for the product and employees
    • a food safety plan is well developed and acts as a living document that is regularly updated

    Management commitment is also apparent when senior management regularly participate in routine food safety meetings; reviewing customer complaints, results of recent inspections, food safety issue in the industry, corrective actions from previous audits, and progress toward new food safety goals.

    Beyond the above listed actions, a truly robust Food Safety Culture requires creative thinking to help the entire staff understand the importance of food safety. At the root, you want the people in your facility to understand not just what they are doing and how they are supposed to do it, but why. Why does an employee need to follow their assigned procedures and protocols? Why should they report any concerns to supervisors? Most importantly, why does their job matter?

    For instance, it is possible people on the floor of your facility think of their work as tedious or insignificant. How can you help every member of the staff understand their role in manufacturing safe food? How can you can help them to see that their work helps keep people alive and out of the hospital? Changing a company culture is never easy. It takes time and knowledge to move forward. The eight step process featured below acts a helpful first step towards your adoption of a more food safety focused company culture.

    Eight steps to culture change It is important to remember that creating this type of culture is only truly effective when it is backed up with action. Are employees provided with an effective anonymous way to share safety concerns with management? Do they see maintenance and repair tickets being addressed promptly? Are they penalized for doing things right even when that slows them down?

    Cultivating a Food Safety Culture is a never-ending process of continuous improvement, but commitment to this area yields benefits for the bottom line, for employee satisfaction, and for the families who eat your product. You can’t afford to neglect it.

  • Safe Food Alliance Introduces Business Development Team

    Introducing the Business Development Team

    The Safe Food Alliance team is proud to introduce the newest additions to the family. Annette Magee, Juan M. Sanchez, and Joseph Nicholl now represent our Business Development team with Safe Food Alliance. Each member brings with them a unique set of skills which make them a well-rounded team ready to serve the needs of our existing and new customers.

    Annette Magee Annette Magee

    Annette Magee joins us with 20 years of marketing and business development experience in the food industry. A graduate of Boise State University with a Bachelors degree of Business Administration in Marketing, Annette has led successful product launch projects to the United States, managed entire US product portfolios, and directed strategic planning and growth efforts for the foodservice sector.

    Her experience working with big name companies like J.R. Simplot, Basic American Foods, Blue Diamond Growers and Ghirardelli, have given her not only a vast amount of knowledge in the field, but also great insight into the particular needs of food manufacturing. As the Director of Business Development, Annette is “very excited to lead the new business development team. Here at Safe Food Alliance, we have a team with tremendous food safety expertise that works very closely together”. Annette has personally selected her business development team to present a group of well-rounded individuals who together understand every piece of the food industry.

    “The food industry is very unique. It takes years of dedication and learning to truly appreciate the complexities of creating food. My experience in the industry has set me up to be our customer’s go to food safety resource. I can’t wait to get to know our customers and start serving them”.

    Juan Sanchez

    Juan Sanchez – Technical Services Manager

    Juan Sanchez comes to the team as a Technical Services Manger for the San Joaquin Valley. Based out of the Safe Food Alliance Kingsburg Center, Juan is responsible for business development, technical customer service, and customer relation efforts in the area. We are excited to add Juan to the business development team because of his deep-rooted agricultural history. Born and raised in Tulare, California, Juan’s family have been in the dairy industry his entire life. “My dad has worked in a dairy most of my life, so I would go to work with him during my summer breaks. That is where I learned to work with animals and drive ag machinery. I also spent seasons in pistachio fields, examining trees for disease and pruning during the freezing Tulare mornings”. Growing up in the industry inspired Juan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Production Management at California State University, Fresno. Shortly after graduating, he started his career as an In-Process Quality Assurance Technician for California Dairies Inc., one of the California’s largest Co-Op Dairy Processors.

    For four years, Juan has used his background in agriculture to help him promote a safer food system. He comes to Safe Food Alliance ready to help companies like yours achieve food safety success. “I believe that one of the biggest things that I bring to the team is my thirst for knowledge and need to better myself. By continuously learning and keeping an open mind, I am not only helping myself, but also giving the customers the best experience that I can offer. We are a full-service company and I want to provide the best experience possible.”

    Joseph Nicholl

    Joseph Nicholl – Technical Services Manager

    Joseph joins the business development team as a Technical Services Manager with more ten years of laboratory experience. He will use this experience to assist the agriculture and food manufacturing community in the Sacramento Valley. In his role he will provide technical customer service, drive customer relation efforts, and provide solutions to the area. Joseph will also act as a resource for understanding the often-complicated laboratory industry. “With my passion for agricultural sciences and extensive technical laboratory expertise, I am able to work alongside our clients, assisting them with their needs as well as overcoming and preventing any food safety challenges they may face.”

    Joseph is a graduate of Colorado State University with a Master’s of Science in Agricultural Sciences, Plant Pathology and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology with a minor in Spanish. He is a member of the International Seed Health Initiative and International Seed Testing Association, where he has contributed to developing protocols for pathogen detection, germination methods and seed sampling. Joseph has also conducted extensive testing of water samples under ELAP certification, testing soil, and plant tissues for nutrient needs and nematodes, and is ready to assist anyone who is interested in Safe Food Alliance’s services.

  • Central Valley Citrus Growers Manage through Mid-Season Freeze

    Exeter, CA, February 11, 2019 – Temperatures once again fell below freezing across the Central Valley citrus belt last night with overnight lows around 28 in the coldest areas. Growers report running wind machines in order to raise grove temperatures as much as 3-5 degrees to prevent freeze damage.

    Central Valley Citrus Growers Manage through Mid-Season FreezeWhile the temperatureswere within manageable ranges, there is some concern that rain on Saturday and Sunday in combination with the cold temperatures last night may impact the external quality of the fruit. However, if there is damage it will not materialize for at least a couple of weeks. Generally, afternoon sun and breezy conditions on Sunday helped to dry the fruit before temperatures dropped, which growers hope will be enough to mitigate any damage. As an added precaution some growers used wind machines to dry the fruit before temperatures started to dip into the low 30s.

    Central Valley Citrus Growers Manage through Mid-Season Freeze

    Wind machines were mostly utilized for the less cold tolerant mandarins and lemons, but the temperature did not drop low enough to cause concern. Navel orange varieties can tolerate temperatures as low as 27-28 degrees before wind machines are needed. Mandarins and lemons are less tolerant of cold temperatures due to their size, or in the case of lemons, low sugar content. For these varieties wind machines are utilized at temperatures as high as 32 degrees.

    Generally, last night’s temperatures are not a cause for concern for Valley citrus growers. In the coming weeks growers will be assessing the external quality of the fruit and implementing standard protocols to ensure blemished and damaged fruit does not enter the market.

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    About CCM – CCM is the only advocacy organization representing CA citrus growers on the economic, regulatory, and political issues that impact them most. We are a voluntary, non-profit trade association dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of the CA citrus industry by advocating for sound, reasonable policy that allows for fair competition in the market place. Our 2,500 members represent 75% of California’s 320,000 acre, $3.8 billion citrus industry.