2021

To fulfill the requirements of FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration (IA) Rule, food facilities must develop and maintain a written Food Defense Plan (FDP) written (or its writing overseen) by a Food Defense Qualified Individual (FDQI). Included in the requirements for the FDP is a vulnerability assessment (VA) for each facility.

To assist FDQIs in the development of the FDP, TAG is offering a virtual IA VA training on January 19-20, 2021. TAG’s training, delivered by Director of Food Safety Christopher Snabes and Vice President of Public Health Rolando Gonzalez, follows the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and recognized by the FDA. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for the “FSPCA Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessments,” using the Three Fundamental Elements, upon completion of the training.

Due to the limited period that the FSPCA is allowing for the pilot program, the virtual delivery of IA VA training is available only until March 31, 2021 – with no more than 8 participants allowed per session/per instructor.

TAG Senior Advisor, Food Safety Rich Simmons will present the monthly FSMA Friday session on GFSI Remote and Virtual Audits. 

Hear from Dr. David Acheson, CEO and Founder of The Acheson Group (TAG), on current issues and events of the ever-changing worlds of food safety and public health.

David Acheson, M.D., and Ben Miller, Ph.D., M.P.H., discuss the truth about the vaccines, implications of emerging epidemiological patterns, and ways you can minimize disruptions in your facilities from COVID-19 in the New Year.

TAG’s Director of Food Safety Eric Edmunds, J.D.,and Food Processing editor Dave Fusaro, discuss the FDA/USDA regulatory and food safety changes coming into effect in 2021. They will discuss changes to Nutrition Facts and Bioengineered labeling requirements, new FDA requirements for tracking and tracing, and discuss how agency (and GFSI) inspections are changing as a result of the pandemic. Register here.

What formerly was a “nice-to-have” is now a requirement, mandated by both GFSI and the FDA: creating a measurable, auditable, food safety culture. But how can something like culture be assessed and audited? What elements can be measured, and how must they be documented to satisfy governing & certification bodies? And beyond the new certification requirements, how do leading FSQA managers use Food Safety Culture to drive continuous improvement strategies?

Join Dr. Liliana Casal-Wardle, Ph.D., Senior Director of Food Safety at TAG, on February 26th for a 30-minute look at building an auditable, measurable food safety culture.

Register now!

Hear from Dr. David Acheson, CEO and Founder of The Acheson Group (TAG), on current issues and events of the ever-changing worlds of food safety and public health.

To fulfill the requirements of FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration (IA) Rule, food facilities must develop and maintain a written Food Defense Plan (FDP) written (or its writing overseen) by a Food Defense Qualified Individual (FDQI). Included in the requirements for the FDP is a vulnerability assessment (VA) for each facility.

To assist FDQIs in the development of the FDP, TAG is offering a virtual IA VA training on June 15-16, 2021. TAG’s training, delivered by Director of Food Safety Christopher Snabes and Vice President of Public Health Rolando Gonzalez, follows the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and recognized by the FDA. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for the “FSPCA Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessments,” using the Three Fundamental Elements, upon completion of the training.

Required pre-requisite training: KAT and Mitigation Training courses are required to be taken prior to this training. This training will be offered the day before the course begins on June 14.

REGISTER HERE

$595*

*$595 per person plus training/certificate expense. An additional $50 per person for pre-requisite trainings.

Join TAG Founder and CEO Dr David Acheson as he presents the Keynote on Empowering Your EMP at the Neogen EMP Virtual Conference Wednesday June 16, 9-10 AM ET. A member of Neogen’s Advisory Board, Dr. Acheson will discuss the importance of an environmental control program to prevent contamination and the value of a robust environmental monitoring program to verify the effectiveness of your control program, including what to do with positive results and how to manage those risks effectively. He will also explore the current regulatory landscape around ready-to-eat foods and the increased risks and focus in this area from the FDA.

REGISTER HERE

On this month’s FSMA Friday with SafetyChain Software, TAG Vice President of Public Health Dr. Rolando Gonzalez summarizes the FDA’s recent report on The Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Retail Food Store Deli Departments. While some of the findings in the 49-page report won’t surprise you, some aspects are eye-opening (to say the least). So whether you’re responsible for food safety in a deli located in a retail store OR work in another manufacturing setting, this 30-minute presentation is an excellent refresher for food safety requirements that you might need to pay attention to in your workplace.

REGISTER HERE

Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) rule of FSMA, a qualified individual (QI) must develop an FSVP and perform certain risk-based activities to verify that a food to be imported to the U.S. was produced in a manner that meets U.S. food safety standards. This TAG course will provide participants with the education and training needed to become a certified QI and develop and implement an FSVP to keep you safe from 483s.

To assist in your FSVP development, TAG is offering a virtual FSVP QI training on July 12-13 delivered by Director of Food Safety Christopher Snabes. TAG training follows the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and recognized by the FDA. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. Cost: $750 per person plus material expenses.

REGISTER HERE

The inconvenience and even pain of recalls flows down the supply chain, landing squarely in retailers’ laps on Friday afternoons. What if it didn’t have to be that way? How can the interruption be simplified, damage minimized and costs recovered? Join webinar panelists Dr. David Acheson, TAG President & CEO;  Roger Hancock, Recall InfoLink President and CEO; and Jim Flannery, SummitVentures CEO July 21, 2021 2:00 PM EDT on How to Turn Recall Crisis into a Normal Business Process. The panel of retailers and industry experts, hosted by NGA and Recall InfoLink, will discuss how to change the narrative around a recall crisis with simple process improvements, technology implementation and global connectivity. When recalls become a normal business process, crisis turns to confidence and everyone sleeps better at night. Attendees can expect to come away with an understanding of what a modernized and standardized recall process looks like, and a motivation to evaluate their recall process and make needed changes.

Register here

 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on joining the webinar.

An Update on the FDA-Proposed Food Traceability Rule: Record-Keeping Requirements Are Changing

Under the FDA’s proposed Food Traceability Rule, manufacturers would be required to produce documentation for certain Key Data Elements (KDEs) & Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) within 24 hours of request in a sortable, electronic spreadsheet. The change presents a significant hurdle for companies that haven’t yet transitioned to fully automated plant management software—especially those still using paper-based records. Yet, tracing the movement of high-risk foods is critical in the New Era of Food Safety, so the pressure is on.

While the proposed requirement originally surfaced last fall, much has changed since then. Join The Acheson Group’s Director of Food Safety, Eric Edmunds, JD, at our July FSMA Friday as he recaps the proposed regulation and provides a timely update to help you prepare your facility. 

You will learn:

• The Facts: Need-to-know details about the trace rule, including dates, deadlines, exemptions, CTEs, KDEs, record maintenance best practices, and any recent additions to Sec 204 (FTL)
• The Challenge: How the FDA hopes to take traceability compliance out of the binder and into a tech-enabled solution 
• The Solution: Ways companies can begin preparing to be trace-compliant right now

To assist in your FSVP development, TAG is offering a virtual FSVP QI training on July 12-13 delivered by Director of Food Safety Christopher Snabes. TAG training follows the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and recognized by the FDA. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. Cost: $750 per person plus material expenses.

REGISTER HERE

The joint mission between the food industry, academia, and regulatory agencies is to reduce the number of foodborne illnesses, and digitalization is a critical step in improving food safety, traceability, and quality programs to decrease the room for error.

Many companies are in various phases of digitalization at their companies and are test driving digitalization in areas such as environmental monitoring, process, and sanitation controls, recalls, supplier management, and verification systems. They are seeing benefits in traceability, speed, efficiency, centralized data management, and compliance.

But several open questions remain: What tools exist today and what is missing? How does digitalization actually bridge gaps and how does it work in plants? How does it increase ROI while maintaining regulatory compliance and enhancing product quality?

Presenters

• Ruth Petran, The Acheson Group and Ruth Petran Consulting, LLC.
• James Davis, Global Sanitation OSI Group, LLC.
• John Donaghy, Nestle SA
• Anika Bansal, Binduelle Fresh Americas
• Vidya Ananth, Novolyze (Moderator)

REGISTER HERE

Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) rule of FSMA, a qualified individual (QI) must develop an FSVP and perform certain risk-based activities to verify that a food to be imported to the U.S. was produced in a manner that meets U.S. food safety standards. This TAG course will provide participants with the education and training needed to become a certified QI and develop and implement an FSVP to keep you safe from 483s.

To assist in your FSVP development, TAG is offering a virtual FSVP QI training on September 23-24 delivered by Director of Food Safety Christopher Snabes. TAG training follows the standardized curriculum developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) and recognized by the FDA. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. Cost: $750 per person plus material expenses.

REGISTER HERE

Internal audits can be one of the most powerful tools in your continuous improvement toolbox when leveraged correctly. However, many F&B companies are still unsure of how to conduct an effective internal audit. When done correctly, their value is immeasurable. Not only can audits prevent recalls and expose minor problems before they escalate, but well-designed internal audits can strengthen food safety and quality cultures.

In this month’s FSMA Friday Webinar, Lacey Keesee, Director of Food Safety at TAG, will discuss what it takes to conduct a winning audit through the lens of The Three Cs of Auditing: Communication, Culture, and Coordination.

Join us to get the perfect recipe for your audits. You’ll take away: 

• Steps in the audit preparation process
• Tips for conducting audits that build, not break a winning culture
• Ways to guarantee post-audit value

REGISTER HERE

Watch for upcoming TAG Events!

Watch for upcoming TAG Events!

Watch for upcoming TAG events!