QAI's programme offers planning strategies that go beyond compliance in crisis prevention and management, food security plans, and food security audits.
"QAI's food security guidelines and criteria will guide you through preparing a comprehensive food security plan that addresses the protection of your unique food facility and products," said QAI marketing director Ellen Holton. "This plan will help you evaluate your existing policies and procedures and will help you develop company-wide efforts that focus on prevention, preparedness, and protection as the keys to building your effective food security programme."
The regulations governing food safety and food security are becoming ever more tighter. Rafts of legislation in the US and Europe have been implemented in order to ensure guaranteed supplies of safe food. In January 2002, the EU laid down the general principles and requirements of food law by establishing the European Food Safety Authority.
In the US, new recordkeeping regulations will become effective as of December 2003. This measure is designed to help the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) track foods implicated in future emergencies, such as terrorism-related contamination. This rule is just one part of the overall Bioterrorism Act that enhances FDA's ability to effectively and efficiently respond to bioterrorist threats and other food-related emergencies in a way that promotes and protects the public health.
Many food manufacturers are already putting in place food security programmes. "QAI's Food Security Program is exactly what Stonyfield Farm was looking for," said the company's president Gary Hirshberg. "It is comprehensive on the macro level and realistic at the micro level. This programme took the complexity out of the regulations and efficiently guided us through the process of building a solid, proactive food security programme."
Quality Assurance International (QAI) is a global leader in certification services The company has 15 years of experience in farm-to-table traceability and runs offices in the US, Canada and Japan. Clients include agricultural producers, contract packing operations, primary manufacturers, trader-distributors and retailers.