In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Sara Mortimore, M.Sc., FRSPH, MIFST, Vice President and Global Subject Matter Expert for Food Safety at Walmart Inc., to discuss her experience overseeing food safety and managing supply chains at large food and retail enterprises, as well as specific food safety and supply chain initiatives at Walmart.

Foreign object control is more than just putting a metal detector at the end of the line. Foreign object hazards in foods pose significant public health risks, can lead to costly economic impact, and can directly affect food security and sustainability. Foreign object risk must be identified as part of a HACCP plan for every manufactured food to determine where the most effective control(s) should be implemented for every production run.  

A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based program is not a document that is simply written and forgotten. Changes occur over time, and a company's food safety and HACCP plans must adapt to reflect these ongoing changes and any new information. This is where reanalysis comes in. Reanalysis is a critical component of the verification principle, where the plan is reviewed to ensure that it is accurate and applicable and that it reflects change and improved understanding.

Understanding the types of violations observed during inspections is a requirement for correctly citing a violation and providing quality feedback to the facility operator. Breakdowns in this chain of communication can lead to additional inspections and possible enforcement actions, which waste valuable time, money, and effort. To ensure that this chain is firm, inspectors are provided with access to training and continuing education, as needed, to properly identify violations and apply their guiding regulations.

Pest control is integral in protecting food from its origin to the end-user. A food producer must control what happens at its site to ensure that its facility and food shipments are pest-free.