Rethinking the Standard: A Critical Look at Food Safety Practices In CEA

Ever Ask Yourself, “Why”?

In this month’s food safety column, Dr. Karl Kolb, President of Ceres University, challenges the status quo of food safety in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). As the leader of the pre-event CEA Food Safety Workshops at Indoor Ag-Con, Dr. Kolb shares critical questions that cut to the heart of food safety inefficiencies, complacency, and missed opportunities within the industry. Dive into these insights and join the conversation at the Indoor Ag-Con pre-conference workshops on March 10 to explore innovative strategies and critical thinking techniques for advancing food safety practices in CEA.

Let’s explore the executive level topics listed below using good Critical Thinking Techniques.  These are real, valid issues within our organizations.  They hinder our growth and do nothing if not deter food safety – or hide land mines until…

QA departments complete the same reports day after day with no analytics, perform mindless inspections, glance or worse ignore over 50 to 75 cookie cutter prerequisite programs and largely prepare for audits each year without the benefit of continuous improvement.  Million-dollar food safety programs are deceptive and stale.

• 3^rd party inspections are as routine as taking out the trash, a once-a-year dress rehearsal – an exercise in futility – why are we not embracing these audits?
• What should I do to stay involved in the operation of my factory?
• The manufacturing industry is light years ahead with many new manufacturing concepts.
• What happened to an integrated supply chain – why are processors and packers not working closely with growers to assure quality, safety and perform problem-solving.
• Why are salespeople dictating how plants are built – is their commission a factor?
• We assume quality but don’t plan for it
• We demand quality and neglect food safety
• Should the QA department engineer quality? How is that done?
• Why do employers shy away from training for fear of losing valued employees?
• Why are not all QA and QC personnel educated?
• QA departments are bean counters, not specialists and skilled technicians.
• Sanitation programs are a second or last thought – wash down, spray some sanitizer and go home – production needs the time.
• Food safety comes down to sanitation, good hygiene practices and a quality product – why do we need all the other 75 plus pre-requisite programs?
• Why are the thousands of consultants not certified in their profession?
• Six Sigma Lessons – Lean manufacturing concepts, common and solid manufacturing techniques are absent from the industry.
• Why doesn’t each department handle food safety?
• What does the make the food safer? What does make our factories more efficient?

We are what the buggy is to electric vehicles? Let’s discuss this critically, and other topics at the upcoming Indoor Ag Conference on March 10.

Come to the workshop if only to listen.  I dare you to learn something.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PRE-EVENT FOOD SAFETY WORKSHOP