PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2014

40 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 03/14 www.petpla.net BEVERAGES / INGREDIENTS Food safety: The ‘sine qua non’ of food and beverage production Let’s play it safe By Sid Johari, Executive Vice President for Industrial Operations, Sidel Scandals involving product safety still have the capacity to shock the food and beverage industry and, more importantly, badly affect consumer confidence all over the world. Various incidents, widely reported around the globe, have made consumers more aware than ever of food safety issues and the potential for food production to go wrong. With social media playing an increasingly powerful role, consumers also have the means to communicate any failings immediately to a waiting and responsive audience. However, this has resulted in a significantly increased focus within Europe on traceability throughout the industry. Sid Johari casts an inquiring eye on the measures which can be taken by the food and bever- age industry and their suppliers to guarantee food safety. Safety throughout the supply chain Food and beverage manufactur- ers are, of course, highly aware of the level of damage that can be caused by any product safety scandal that results in the breakdown of consumer trust in their brands. Most now work more closely than ever with all stake- holders in their own particular supply chains to ensure quality, traceability and the achievement of the appropri- ate standards. This collaboration gen- erally covers every aspect, from the sourcing of raw materials and basic ingredients, through the whole manu- facturing process, to the filling and packaging of products and the even- tual distribution and transporting of the finished product to the consumer. This is because all stakeholders at every level have a shared responsibility to ensure complete food safety. Traceability practices Within the beverage industry, traceability practices are equally vital. Drinks companies must be able to understand everything that occurs on their production lines. They should be able to trace any batch of drinks from the raw ingredients stage throughout the whole produc- tion process through distribution and storage. In the event of any incident of contamination, only real traceabil- ity provides access to critical plant information, either in real time or after the occurrence. These days, of course, there are tracking solutions readily available that can be imple- mented on any beverage production line. The data acquired by these