For instance, auditing is a required component of becoming certified to a standard. Some other reasons to conduct audits include:. With supply chains becoming increasingly globalized and complex, the need for standardized, internationally accepted food safety plans grew. In response to this need, the Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI , an international committee formed in May and coordinated by The Consumer Goods Forum , created a system whereby certain food safety schemes are benchmarked against specific criteria.
Certification to a GFSI-recognized global standard, such as FSSC , SQF or BRC , gives assurance to customers that specific food safety and quality guidelines are routinely attained, imparting a beneficial stance in the marketplace as a trusted source. Aside from increasing the efficiency of transactions in the supply chain, food safety certification also increases the cost efficiency of the food safety audit process, by allowing businesses to consolidate numerous and costly supplier audits into fewer, standards-based audits.
Businesses may be subjected to numerous proprietary or 2nd party audits each year — for some companies this number can run upwards of ten or twenty. Rather than auditing processes or product lines piecemeal to meet specific customer requirements, global standards recognized by GFSI are benchmarked against widely-accepted, recognized food safety and quality criteria, allowing for consolidation of audits.
Conducting fewer audits reduces downtime, frees up resources and greatly increases cost efficiency. Certification to a standard is carried out by a certification body, a 3rd party that is accredited to perform food safety audits. GFSI-recognized schemes validate and monitor auditors that work for them, requiring them to meet internationally recognised accreditation rules. This provides a system of checks and balances that helps to safeguard the integrity of each GFSI audit, and helps ensure they are carried out in a consistent manner.
Food safety audit planning should start with a clear objective. For instance, the main objective of the food safety audit may be to evaluate the management system. Or, it could focus on a specific product or product line, as requested by a customer. Other priorities may include increasing efficiency and continual improvement, and fostering a sense of ownership and participation throughout the organization. Determining the scope of your food safety audit is another important part of planning — what areas are being targeted?
This can be based on criteria such as the requirements of a standard, or upon physical boundaries such as a specific process or the organization in its entirety. Based on your objective and scope, there are three types of food safety audits:. Planning will also include resource and cost considerations.
The food safety audit team selection is often based upon finding a balance between the resources available, the cost, and the effectiveness of the audit process. For 1st party audits, an organization may choose to use internal resources. Benefits include full availability and a steeper learning curve with regards to understanding the processes within an organization.
On the other hand, external auditing resources may come already extensively trained , with up-to-date knowledge of the requirements of a standard. Some organizations may opt to use a combination of internal and external resources, share resources with similar businesses within the community, or share corporate resources amongst facilities.
Instigating a food safety audit program into an organization can bring with it the reality of outdated or non-compliant infrastructure or processes. The large costs related to updating facilities can be difficult to manage. Financing such expenditures may be facilitated by government funding, as is the case in many countries in the Americas, where money has been allocated in budgets to provide support for this purpose.
In other cases, food safety businesses may need to finance the capital expenditures through more traditional means such as loans. If a contaminated cylinder or other equipment is inadvertently returned to your facility, we recommend you quarantine the items and follow the requirements in CGA publication P Guidelines for Cleaning Externally Contaminated Medical Gas Containers.
Here are some additional tips in sanitizing medical gas cylinders or equipment where you suspect there could be an issue. These guidelines apply to cylinders and equipment either returning from a customer location or being prepared to be shipped to a customer. If you need additional help in managing your medical gases during this pandemic, or have additional questions about medical or food gases please give us a call at , or by email at ron.
Audit Programs and Services. Will my medical gas supply be interrupted? Unlike consumer-focused products such as bottled water, hand sanitizer, or toilet paper medical gases are not subject to consumer panic buying. Where do my medical gases come from? Medical gases used in the U. Medical gases do not come from Asia or Europe. Medical gases are bulk chemical products and like other such products, such as gasoline, are transported in large bulk shipments in sealed, and in the case of gases in pressurized tanks.
Do medical gas supplies like tanks and cylinders come from a part of the world experiencing rapid spread of COVID- 19? However, Corona virus cannot exist outside a human body for prolonged periods of time.
It takes an average of 30 days to ship supplies like tanks and cylinders to U. Once here, those tanks and cylinders are then shipped and stored in un-conditioned spaces, or they are stored outside. It is very unlikely cylinders and tanks from overseas are a virus source hazard. What special provisions have you implemented with your product and deliveries? Meal programs are administered in accordance with directives from the Texas Education Agency; 6.
Initiatives have been implemented to provide services in the most cost-effective and efficient manner; 7. The Department operates within budgetary constraints; and, 8. The Department explores continual improvement opportunities and strives for Baldrige-based quality services.
0コメント