Category Archives: Food Manufacturing

How New Proposed FDA Traceability Rules Could Save You Money

The FDA’s Proposed Rule for Additional Traceability adds more recordkeeping across the food manufacturing supply chain for some foods—including fresh produce and some refrigerated foods It also includes a new requirement to provide records more quickly to the FDA when asked—ASAP or within 24 hours at most, in the form of an electronic sortable spreadsheet. … Continue reading How New Proposed FDA Traceability Rules Could Save You Money

Better Supply Chain Compliance—Without Nagging Your Suppliers

“Hi Tom, I was just calling again to see if you were able to get that updated non-GMO certification that we need?” Look around your company and identify the team members who have to nag others repeatedly to fill out the form correctly, or turn in the receipts by the due date. You know – … Continue reading Better Supply Chain Compliance—Without Nagging Your Suppliers

Automate Supplier Data Collection to Lower Your Cost

-> 100 suppliers -> 10 ingredients per supplier -> 10 certification and specification documents per ingredient That’s 10,000 documents! And many food manufacturers have far more than 10,000 to manage. Each document has attributes, such as an expiration date, packaging compliance details, associated finished goods item numbers, test parameters, older versions of the documents, and … Continue reading Automate Supplier Data Collection to Lower Your Cost

Who Does SQF Edition 8 Apply To?

The big question we’re hearing from food manufacturers is, “Does SQF 8 apply to SQF Level 2 or Level 3 or both?” The answer is both! SQF Code Edition 8 applies to all certification, re-certification and unannounced SQF audits beginning January 3, 2018. Some of the confusion is due to the new, redesigned levels and food … Continue reading Who Does SQF Edition 8 Apply To?

A Shout-Out to Renfro Foods

On August 1, Food Processing magazine published an in-depth article that includes longtime Tamlin client Renfro Foods and Renfro’s president, Doug Renfro. The article highlights the differences between business data and business intelligence. It has interesting case studies about food manufacturers who successfully turned their data into actionable insights to save substantial money and increase … Continue reading A Shout-Out to Renfro Foods

As the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance August 2017 date approaches, we would like to share with our readers how SQF Certification will prepare them to be FSMA compliant. Specifically, ‘What do I need to do to go from SQF Certification to FSMA compliant?” In a November, 2015 SQF Institute article (http://www.sqfi.com/2015/11/02/sqf-level-2-certification-gets-you-ready-to-be-fsma-compliant/), the Institute put forth an executive summary giving SQF Level 2 certified companies a path to FSMA compliance. The FDA will require a HARPC (Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls) food safety plan. The plan is a transition in approach to food safety. The focus is on prevention - rather than reaction. According to HARPC.com (http://www.harpc.com/harpc-requirements/), companies must create a written analysis of hazards and include both an identification of the risks as well as an analysis of the risks as they pertain (or could pertain) to the facility and the foods or food ingredients it handles. The core intent of the law is to identify hazards (biological, physical, and chemical including radiological) due to various processing, manufacturing, and packing activities. On the way to FSMA compliance, each food manufacturer must evaluate the risks for biological hazards such as Listeria monocytogenes, chemical hazards such as natural toxins, pesticides, allergens and food additives, and physical hazards such as shards of glass or other foreign material. In addition, the analysis also includes evaluating hazards that are introduced by acts of terrorism. Is the plant secure? Are security measures in place? Are personnel being screened? How safe is the entire supply chain from raw materials, ingredients and packaging and the finished goods received, delivered and shipped? As an SQF compliant facility, step 1 to prepare for FSMA compliance is to prepare a document that pulls together all the various aspects of a food safety plan, referring to all the SQF compliance information, and developing preventive controls that directly prevent the various hazards from occurring. To develop your preventative controls for each risk or hazard identified, consider these questions: - What training is in place to teach awareness of this risk? - What procedures are in place for prevention? - Are there physical barriers in place for prevention? (Doors, Keypad entry, lids, etc) - Are there technology (such as security rights access) barriers in place for prevention? Leveraging your existing SQF documentation and adding the preventative controls is your first step toward FSMA compliance. Next time, we will discuss the FDA’s two key activities food facilities must implement once a HARPC review and prevention plan is completed; namely, monitoring and verification. | Tamlin Software

Take the First Step to move from SQF (Level 2) to FSMA

As the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance August 2017 date approaches, we would like to share with our readers how SQF Certification will prepare them to be FSMA compliant.  Specifically, ‘What do I need to do to go from SQF Certification to FSMA compliant?”  In a November, 2015 SQF Institute article  (http://www.sqfi.com/2015/11/02/sqf-level-2-certification-gets-you-ready-to-be-fsma-compliant/), the Institute … Continue reading Take the First Step to move from SQF (Level 2) to FSMA

Integrated Barcode Software Tamlin

Win the information “game of chase” with bar-coded, mobile systems

Supervisors and operations managers are responsible for monitoring and controlling  multiple activities, spanning multiple applications to watch and report on business processes as they unfold (e.g., demand planning, production, packaging and order selection). Thus starts the game of chase for information. Information from multiple applications and sources is collected, enabling performance and productivity data to … Continue reading Win the information “game of chase” with bar-coded, mobile systems

Food Processor succeeds with new ERP implementation

Here in Texas, BBQ is an institution.  Wycliff Douglas Foods, Inc. provides BBQ sauce with that special hickory smoked, dark succulent flavor and deep aroma. Through the years, sales have expanded and for Wycliff Douglas CEO Nick Schwabe, that meant continually ramping up production to fulfill the demand for their product.  Very quickly Schwabe was … Continue reading Food Processor succeeds with new ERP implementation

Tamlin Farm to Fork Safety

Is “Farm to Fork Safety” just an industry buzz term?

By Linda Bryan Chief Executive Officer Tamlin Software In most commentaries, it’s not a good idea to reveal your conclusion before you’ve already made a compelling case for your argument. But in this instance, it’s going be different. Right from the beginning, I want to say “Farm to Fork Safety” isn’t just an industry term. … Continue reading Is “Farm to Fork Safety” just an industry buzz term?