Food & Health Protection Mobilization

#inspirefoodsafety - #inspirefoodprotection - #inspirehealthprotection

The Global Coalition for Sustained Excellence in Food & Health Protection has been launched to encourage a worldwide mobilization to:

– protect public health

– promote regulatory compliance

– produce sufficient, nutritious, affordable and safe food (including safe water supply),

– produce reliable pharmaceutical and other health products

– keep products fresh and within reasonable shelf life

– avoid wastage

– ensure equitable and efficient distribution of food and health products

– encourage social responsibility

– maintain environmental sustainability

This small step can make a huge difference. If you think this mobilization makes sense, cast your vote in support.

SSQA Consultants and Trainers Events - The next stop could be near you:

If you provide food safety and quality management training services, you could become an SSQA training provider and your organization could serve as a training centre. Did you also know that consultants have the opportunity to receive SSQA enrolment commission?

Consultants and trainers who provide SSQA implementation services or training to their clients, may also submit a brief synopsis of their overall services and related information for FREE LISTING by GCSE-Food and Health Protection as a way of gaining additional exposure. You may contact the SSQA-D Team via the email address below for additional details.

GCSE-Food & Health Protection is planning SSQA program introduction and partner workshop events for Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver. We need a minimum of 50 participants to confirm each location and the number of participants will also determine the size and cost of the venue selected at that location – the more the number, the lower the cost. We are currently gathering the numbers. Please cast your vote for your nearest city by sending an email to the SSQA Team via the address below. The events will be scheduled according to the order in which the cities reach 50 participants or more. 

If you are interested in becoming an SSQA consultant or trainer and wishes to attend the event in any of these cities, please send an email to gcse@afisservices.com  indicating the city of your choice. The next stop could be near you. Even if a city near you is not named above, you could suggest one. There may be enough people wishing to attend the event in your suggested city.

You could qualify to receive a free copy of the SSQA implementation manual if:

 5 other participants indicate that you invited them to attend the event at your preferred city.

OR

You suggest a city and invite at least 4 other participants to the event.

OR

You are a food safety consultant or trainer and you help one of your clients to enroll in the SSQA Program.

Contact the GCSE-Food & Health Protection Team for details: 

You may  also contact the 

GCSE-Food & Health Protection (SSQA Development) Team 

for more information about the Enrolment Program 
or for other general Inquiries 

GCSE-Food & Health Protection Blog Popularity

The GCSE-Food & Health Protection thought and action inspiring message is continuing to gather worldwide interest. What is the GCSE-FHP Message?

You are invited to read the blog posts and JOIN THE CONVERSATION: 

Readers from the following countries have visited this blog:

Albania Algeria Argentina Australia Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Benin Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Cambodia Cameroon  Canada Cayman Islands Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Côte d’Ivoire Croatia Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Estonia Ethiopia France Fiji Finland Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guyana Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Laos Latvia Lebanon Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau

Macedonia (FYROM) Madagascar Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Montenegro Morocco Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

You are invited to read the thought-inspiring posts and JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
 

Taking a Stand versus Fence-Sitting

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted by Felix Amiri

___________________________________________________________

Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

The Invitation to “Future-Proof” My Food Safety Organization

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

A Series of Unfortunate Misconceptions:

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

The Food Safety Certification Debate

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

News for all SSQA Implementation Manual owners:

   NEWS   

The GCSE-FHP Compendium of Guiding Principles is now designated as a companion resource in the recent update to the SSQA Implementation Manual. This means that even if you have a previous version of the manual, you may request the most current copy of the Guiding Principles at any time. It is always free with your SSQA manual.

View the contributor request post with samples of listed guiding principles 

"Quick, the inspector is coming"

At least 80 students in Boston have been sickened by norovirus linked to a Chipotle restaurant: http://nypost.com/2015/12/09/chipotle-linked-to-boston-norovirus-outbreak/

Really, after more than a month since the widely reported illness outbreaks at restaurants belonging to the same chain, more people are being sickened? 

Clearly, the culture of “quick, the inspector is coming” does not help a restaurant or any food business for that matter. It's only a matter of time before propped-up compliance fails and luck runs out.

Examining the Narrative and Considerations in Your Food Safety and Quality Management:

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Process Validation versus Scheme Certification

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted by Felix Amiri

___________________________________________________________

Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

The Blight and Plight of Restaurants

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

 Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Membership Benefit Package - 2016

SSQA Implementation Manual 

You still qualify for this membership offer until January 31, 2016 if you requested membership  before the offer deadline but received your registration confirmation after the deadline.

Special 2016 Membership Benefit offer until December 31, 2015.

The full manual is now available to any GCSE-FHP member without enrollment requirements for only $30 CAD To qualify, orders must be placed before or by December 31, 2015, 12:00 midnight (EST) 

This year we have also added the "One Good Turn" Opportunities

See Details

The Summarized version is still available to members of GCSE-Food & Health Protection main Coalition or LinkedIn group for only $18 CAD. 

If you are a member of the LinkedIn group or a registered member of the international Coalition, you may proceed to order your copy of the summarized version. If you are not already a member of either group, you may register for free as a full Coalition member or join the LinkedIn group. 

To order your Member's summarized copy, please go to the Member's Summary Order 

The Special New Year offer option may be selected from the drop down menu here: Main Manual Order

Non-members and members who wish to know more about how to order the full manual or enroll in the program may go to Enrollment Information

If you have other questions, please contact the GCSE-Food & Health Protection Team directly via email: gcse@afisservices.com

Winning Back Lost Territories in the Food Safety Assurance War

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Food-borne Illness Prevention, Politics, Profitability and Reliability

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted by Felix Amiri

___________________________________________________________

Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate. 

The Full Texts of the FSMA Final Rules:

Here are some direct links to the full texts of the human food and food for animals final rules published on September 17, 2015:

CurrentGood Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based PreventiveControls for Human Food; Final Rule - PDF

CurrentGood Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based PreventiveControls for Food for Animals; Final Rule - PDF

Additional Linksto FSMA-Related Documents

More . . .

FDsys: GPO's Federal Digital System

When Illness is the only proof required:

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

A Reversible Reality

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

12 Steps of HACCP Implementation

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

GCSE-FHP Launches Its Cost Sharing Arrangement with SSQA Flagship Operations:

With the approaching implementation of new food regulations in the US, Canada and other countries, GCSE-Food and Health Protection is prepared to take the bold steps with you that will involve some cost sharing arrangements. 

GCSE-FHP is prepared to help you with certification stress relief, gain increased customer confidence and establish productive customer relations.

We are looking for SSQA flagship operations to work with in managing the cost of developing and implementing programs that meet the evolving regulations.  The lead technical resource contact is the Food Sector Chair for GCSE-FHP (Felix Amiri).

If your company is interested in becoming a flagship operation, you may request details from the Coalition Technical Team

If you are interested in serving as the SSQA Facilitator for a flagship operation you may also request details from the Coalition Technical Team

Start now to take your company to the future:

Step Up to Distinction

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted by Felix Amiri

___________________________________________________________

Felix Amiri is currently the chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection, and a sworn SSQA advocate.

Sham Invasion (Fraud Expansion in the Food Industry)

This blog post has been moved to the author's eBook.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHD313B

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Small Advice for Your Planned Yearly Training

Are you ramping up your yearly training? Make it useful. If you are like me, you believe in customized, effective and useful training.

The Bane of the Generic Training

You are likely opposed to training that merely presents generic information, especially information that is unrelated to real life events in the operations where the trainees are engaged. Generic training does more harm than good in some instances. At the least, it wastes valuable time and gives the false sense of satisfaction that training has been done.  Just because some outside standard says you must provide GMP training to every employee every year, you do not have to provide the same GMP training to all of your employees every year. Unfortunately, outside standard auditors may mark this as a failure during the audits. So, like well controlled robots, many operators provide the same GMP training to every employee every year. As they sign the attendance sheet that will be presented to the outside auditors as evidence of completed training, the employees wonder what the trainers think of them.

Make Training Useful

You have to first establish what the people you are going to train need to know and practice in order to avoid the most frequent undesirable incidents in your operation. This means you must first identify those undesirable incidents. On the other hand, you may want to encourage an increased commitment to what is producing desirable results in your operation but you must first identify what is producing the desirable results. Once you have established either or both of these, you can then build your training content, method of delivery, etc.

Further Reading: “Personnel Training – Mercenary or MOM” 

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Why We Obey

I listened to the CBC Ideas broadcast on “Why We Obey” and, naturally, my mind went straight to the rules that must be obeyed in my vocation. Many food businesses currently feel they have no choice but to obey the following rules:

• You shall conduct third party audits to confirm that you are able and committed to implementing your food safety program according to one of the commercialized third party schemes.
• You shall be certified to the selected third party auditing scheme.
• You shall conduct re-certification audits every year.

Why do some businesses feel they must obey these rules with the usual rationalization that they cannot do business if they do not obey?

Listen
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/ideas-from-the-trenches-why-we-obey-1.3032400?autoplay=true

Related Post:

The Merits and Pitfalls of Engineered Focus in Product Safety Assurance

Posted By Felix Amiri

____________________________________

Felix Amiri is the current Food Sector Chair of GCSE-Food & Health Protection

Free Quick Guide to SFCA Required CFIA Registration-Licensing Process

The Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) may seem like a distant rumble to some people at the moment. You may not even have heard or known anything about this. The regulations are currently being developed and they will be enforced at some point when the reviews and revisions have gone on for some time. For many food operations in Canada, it is no longer a matter of choice.

Every Canadian food business that imports, exports or conducts inter-provincial trade will be subject to mandatory CFIA registration/licensing. Do you know how to go about this process? If not, you should take a look at this free QUICK GUIDE courtesy of afisservices.com. It outlines 15 steps towards CFIA registration.

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY

Cold Facts about Food Safety

Courtesy of 

How Long Is Too Long? 

Even when your refrigerator and freezer are chilling foods at the right temperatures, and you've followed all the other rules for safe storage, there are limits to how long you can safely store foods in the refrigerator. (Foods will stay safe indefinitely in the freezer, but quality/taste of the food may be affected.)

Download this: Handy chart of safe refrigeration times for common foods.(PDF, 22 KB)

In Case of Disaster...

If your home loses power because of natural disaster — as so many people experienced during the terrible hurricanes of 2005 — how do you know what foods you can safely keep and eat?

·         If you have adequate warning that you may lose power, place blocks of ice in your freezer and fridge before power goes out.

·         If you do lose power, keep the doors to your fridge and freezer closed as much as possible to keep foods cold.

·         Before using any foods, check your refrigerator and freezer thermometers. If the fridge is still at or below 40 °F, or the food has been above 40 °F for only two hours or less, it should be safe to eat.

·         Frozen food that still has ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below (to be sure, check the appliance thermometer or use a food thermometer to check each individual food package) can be safely refrozen or cooked.

·         If you're unsure how long the temperature has been at above 40 °F, don't take a chance. Throw the food out.

More FDA Tips. . .