Behind the Scenes: How U.S. Dairy Collaborates to Advance Food Safety

By: Jeremy Travis , Vice President of Quality & Technical Services at Hilmar and Chair of Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Food Safety Committee

Food safety is a fundamental philosophy long ingrained in the dairy industry's DNA. Our approach to that philosophy is not about one company outshining the rest. Rather, it's about the entire industry working and evolving together. Because in a world where consumers have countless choices of what to eat and drink, a safety issue with one product can quickly cast doubt over an entire category.

So, how do we as a U.S. dairy community continue to drive success in food safety??

Collaboration is the secret sauce. Organizations like the?Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy are crucial in bringing us together to align on and advance progress within pre-competitive social responsibility priorities. For nearly 12 years, I’ve proudly served on the Innovation Center Food Safety Committee, which convenes industry and academic experts to advance food safety within the dairy industry.?

The fundamentals of food safety are universal, and this pre-competitive collaboration has driven incredible progress for all, including what I’ve seen first-hand at Hilmar. Throughout the years we’ve worked with companies of all sizes from across the industry to both give and receive food safety advice. This work has demonstrated how important it is for our industry to have food safety fundamentals—they’re a critical building block for every dairy company, no matter their size or focus. It has also been a valuable reminder that we should not limit ourselves to our internal experiences. Working with quality and sanitation experts across our industry and in the research community is critical to dairy’s success in food safety.

With that in mind, let me take you behind the scenes and share three ways we collaborate to accomplish more and advance food safety –?

1)?Sharing Insights and Best Practices:?

Industry success requires that we all have access to the best food safety knowledge, tools and resources that enhance our processes and protocols. A cornerstone of the Food Safety Committee’s work is bringing together experts to share their knowledge and identify best practices, then sharing that knowledge broadly though workshops, guides and toolkits, all designed to help every operation improve.???

Take pathogen risk management in dairy plants, including dry dairy products, for instance. The Food Safety Committee worked with experts across the industry to develop a?comprehensive guide?that provides actionable insights for processors to adapt in-plant pathogen control programs. The Committee also offers specialized workshops, which have already trained 4,800 dairy company employees across the country.?

2)?Supporting Dairy Companies of All Sizes:?

Not all dairy companies have the same knowledge and resources when it comes to food safety. From small artisan ice cream makers to large global processors and all the companies in between, every member of the dairy community should have the necessary support to ensure food safety excellence. Many artisan or farmstead cheesemakers, for example, face unique food safety challenges due to size and resources. And those who make fresh cheese face added obstacles due to their products' high pH and moisture content, which puts them at greater risk for pathogens. These firms need access to the same knowledge and practices as larger makers.

The Food Safety Committee works to support them with focused training and outreach efforts. For example, we collaborate with industry organizations, like the American Cheese Society and others, to develop?tailored resources?so that every dairy organization can advance their food safety approach. Specialized training classes, online tools and even free one-on-one coaching—thanks to funding from the?USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture—are available for small and artisan dairy companies.?

3)?Driving Innovation Through Research:?

To ensure our approach to food safety continues to evolve, the Food Safety Committee, along with other industry organizations, identifies research gaps and where more insights are most urgently required. By tapping into the deep knowledge and skills of the industry’s leading experts and academics, we help uncover new food safety insights that lead to groundbreaking solutions. ?

Our Listeria Research Consortium, for example, was launched in 2015 with funding from the Innovation Center Board of Directors, the National Dairy Council and 12 other organizations. This Consortium has funded 14 projects focused on controlling Listeria in dairy products. But the work doesn’t end with publication. We use the research to create valuable resources to ensure that that every member of the dairy community has access and can apply the learnings to their individual company’s food safety plans.??

Food safety isn't just a checkbox on a regulatory form; it's a way of life in the dairy world. And collaboration is how we succeed and make continual progress. It’s why I’d like to challenge every member of the dairy community to get involved and actively engage in collaborative food safety initiatives. Not sure where to start? Check out the resources available through the?Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Food Safety Committee?to learn more.?