Who's Really in Charge of Your Food Safety Risk Management?
All along the food chain -- from producers and processors to retailers and consumers -- safety risks exist. Food is susceptible to contamination at many points in its journey. For food processing plants, this means it is necessary to establish and maintain strict, proactive practices for safe food production and handling. But, ultimately, who’s in charge of this effort? Where does responsibility for food safety risk management reside?
It’s critical to understand who’s really accountable in terms of managing your plant’s food safety risk. Is it one person or many? Is it a single department or the entire company? In this article, you’ll uncover the answers to these questions and identify opportunities to strengthen risk management within your organization and at your facility.
Identifying the Responsible Parties
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly 48 million people suffer from a foodborne illness annually, including 128,000 who are hospitalized and 3,000 who die. Each year, one in six Americans gets sick by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. These realities are the reason why food safety laws exist, and companies in the food processing business must be vigilant in their compliance.
To minimize the risks that come with manufacturing foods, it is essential to have effective strategies and processes in place. In fact, managing food safety risk in your plant should be a shared responsibility. Here’s a breakdown of how each operational level is involved.
Key Stakeholders
This category comprises the plant manager, the corporate quality and food safety group and the corporate supply chain. These individuals may be the ultimate decision-makers and leaders in terms of risk management, but that doesn’t mean the effort is limited to them alone. Conversely they are sometimes far removed from the day-to-day activities. They must not be the only parties concerned about food safety risks. The food safety policies they set must be implemented all the way through the various plant departments and permeate every level of the organization.
Discover the key stakeholders and their role in your risk management here.