How To Solve Food Safety & Quality Challenges In 5 Steps

The food industry continues to face evolving challenges that demand a new approach to safety and quality. Learn how you can use a five-step approach to unlock new, actionable insights that answer your most important questions, solve your unique challenges, and improve your operations.

1. Frame Your Question

The first step to finding a solution is to understand the problem. Identifying the question you are most interested in answering is critical to focus the problem-solving approach.

• How do I fight a persistent pathogen strain in my production environment?
• How do I keep my finished product from spoiling?
• How can I make test results more actionable?
• How can I speed up decision making and catch problems earlier?

2. Define Your Tools & Team

Once your critical question is identified, assemble the tools and the team that will augment the problem-solving approach.

Invest in Advanced Tools

It’s important to understand not just what types of technology are available, but if the tools will provide data that act as actionable answers to your questions.

Rely on Experts

Find the right partner that addresses your specific goals and unique challenges. Ensure the expertise of your partner fits both current and future needs.

3. Leverage The Right Data

While there is an abundance of data that can be collected across food processing — from raw materials to end-user consumption — your smallest data will be the most important anchor points to drive actionable insights.

Big vs. Small Data

The term “Big Data” has been a buzzword for many years, but molecular diagnostic tools are giving organizations the ability to truly focus on and understand their specific “small data” for the first time.

Dynamic Risk Assessment

Take the “small data” that is gathered from incidents and augment it with expertise in microbiology and food safety to solve complex challenges and better anticipate risk.

4. Unlock New Insights

Now more than ever, data and genomic tools are giving organizations the ability to truly focus on and understand their “small data” for the first time. With bioMérieux’s Augmented Diagnostics approach for Food Safety & Quality, industries can finally have answers to their most challenging questions.

Whole Genome Sequencing

Whole genome sequencing is gaining traction as more organizations are leveraging this tool to provide more in-depth, precise data. WGS data is analyzed to deliver clear, meaningful results that will inform solution-oriented actions.

Metagenomics

Metagenomics provides a more complete analysis, revealing a product's microbiome to pinpoint relevant spoilers, enabling enhanced screening for risk mitigation throughout production.

Digitalization

Digitalizing testing programs automates processes, ensuring precision and expediting information access for decision-making, while also presenting data trends that aid in early issue detection.

Predictive Models

Expertise-linked predictive models correlate testing, manufacturing, and supply chain data to connect the dots and assess future risk.

5. Make Decisions & Take Action

Now that you have collected and analyzed the right data, you can take informed actions for a variety of potential outcomes:

• Optimize sanitation programs
• Eliminate pathogen reservoirs
• Improve process interventions
• Increase supply chain reliability
• Accelerate product release
• Reduce hold times and storage costs
• Contribute to sustainability goals
• Prevent production stops
• Maintain regulatory compliance
• Avoid recalls

The food industry is constantly evolving, and processes must adapt to keep pace with regulatory changes and rising consumer expectations. By following these five steps, you can challenge the status quo in your facility and leverage your data to its full potential.

Partnering with an expert can make all the difference. As your Trusted Partner in Augmented Diagnostics, we're here to guide you every step of the way. Discover more about our capabilities and expertise on our website.