If you want to know more about the state of food safety in the Netherlands and the world, you can't escape a conversation with Jacob Schilstra, director at Riskplaza and director of Business Development at KTBA.
Jacob Schilstra quickly got to know the food industry in practice as a project and quality engineer after his higher professional education in food technology. He knows what it is like to work in a food company, to be under the pressure of production, to make and keep customers satisfied. He worked in a laboratory and was business development manager at ISACert, an international audit and certification organisation.
"Food safety starts with the safety of your raw materials, and that's where the first potential danger lies. Raw materials travel all over the world, making it difficult to determine their exact origin. The danger that something is wrong becomes greater the further away the raw materials originate from. If you import from Asia, Africa or the east of the world, you cannot avoid testing every batch you receive for contaminants. Transparency is essential: know who you are doing business with and where your raw materials come from. If something is wrong, you know who to contact to obtain information. Once parties are known, the liability is also known and people are generally more cautious".
"Yes, blockchain can be a means to achieve transparency in the chain, but it is not essential. It only works if you know the participants in your supply chain and have made agreements with them. You have to do that anyway."
"A fairly topical problem is Listeria monocytogenes, involving a company's home flora. That can be a potential source of contamination for your products. Controlling that is a real challenge.
A third issue, which affects me personally, is that it is apparently difficult to get the right information to the right product. I believe that the consumer has the right to receive the correct information about a product. You should always be able to trust that what you buy in the supermarket is safe and that the information provided is honest. There is often a mismatch between what is on the label, what the consumer picks up and how a product is made. It's about ethics. Complying with the law alone is not enough.
Product information is increasingly being provided online, which is inherent in the growth of internet sales. A code on the packaging takes you to an app or site for extra product information. Because the information is provided in several places, there is a risk that this information is not correct and up-to-date everywhere.
The fact that declarations of ingredients or allergens, the most common reason for recalls, are sometimes incorrect is all too often due to ignorance or laziness. A mistake is easy to make, but it can have major consequences. Mistakes in the factory can, in my opinion, be prevented by being a little more careful".
"The Dutch Safety Board referred to the fact that the food sector focuses primarily on known risks and hazards, and not enough on a structural approach to preventing new food safety risks arising from changing circumstances. I do recognise that. It is also difficult to identify a hazard that you do not yet know.
Moreover, it is obvious to focus on contaminants for which a legal standard has been set, but the law always lags behind developments. Some dangers have not yet been placed in a legal framework, but they are on the agenda. There may be more systematics in preventing potential hazards. This is possible with the 'Safety HUD' (Head Up Display), a database in which incidents from all over the world are collected. As a company, you can set up a notification. You will then receive a notification if a hazard occurs that could apply to your company. Riskplaza is also developing an Emerging Risk Module together with TNO.
"What matters is looking ahead. Quality goals are long-term goals. To meet them, you have to prepare yourself: what events and incidents can you expect and how can you prepare for them? Make sure you're not surprised by a power outage, a computer virus shutting down your entire system, or sudden damage from strong winds. Take into account the demands and expectations of all stakeholders, about how you operate as a company, where you get your raw materials from, how sustainable you are, because these days people actually want to know. If you don't secure this properly, you can experience considerable damage to your reputation.
"It's a lot," Jacob admits. "Quality managers are running into walls. They are busy keeping up with customers' standards, requirements and expectations and how to meet them. They are concerned with working conditions, sustainability and continuity. There's too much on their plate, so they aren't able to improve and look forward. We point out that they often need more specialised support. Know that if there is a temporary need for a quality manager or project specialist as a result of a capacity problem, KTBA can support them with a specialist".
"Hahaha, yes, standard owners do tend to release a new version once every four to five years. They are driven by all kinds of international developments, including GFSI. If there is a new GFSI directive, the standards will have to be re-approved. In general, therefore, new guidelines are needed, in other words, new versions. That's how we keep each other occupied, isn't it? The reaction 'Oh no, here we go again', is very understandable. Every time there is a new version of a certification standard, many questions come to us: about the new criteria and how they should interpret them. The criteria are usually broadly formulated, so that every company can interpret them themselves. Our consultants take care of customization. We help companies to meet the criteria in an efficient way".
"The introduction of BRC 8 raised many questions about food safety culture. The standard says that a good quality system and control of quality is linked to the quality culture in a company and that you have to 'manage and improve' it. But how? We help companies to draw up an action plan for this. It starts with investigating what the current culture is like. Only then can you determine whether you are satisfied with it or not, and what the points for improvement are.
In essence, it's about not being satisfied too quickly. Maybe raise the bar a little higher. Extra checking, extra supervision, or making extra efforts to get it right. Dare to be critical of yourself in order to achieve a good assurance.
What strikes me is that in the past ten years it has become more and more normal to be certified as a food company. My perception is that the awareness is growing. The hygienic working discipline on the workfloor has really improved, as has the systematic approach to quality and food safety aspects; from risk assessment to control measures".
"That's in the field of communication. Be clear and honest. There is also room for improvement in the area of exemplary behaviour. Management must show that they genuinely mean what they say and live up to it. It's important to create a basis of support for measures among the staff".
"I like to act consciously and make conscious choices. That is why I personally prefer the FSSC 22000, which is based on ISO 22000. This standard has been purposefully formulated. You have to take into account developments, opportunities and threats at company level in order to achieve your quality objectives. The BRC specifies more on how you should do it. That can have its advantages; you don't have to think yourself, you just follow the guidelines".
"Many companies feel financially pressured by their customers. If the pressure becomes too high, the threshold can become low to move into the grey area. Food safety and honesty are then at stake. The discussion revolves around an essential question: are we paying enough for our food? As far as I'm concerned, the financial downward spiral that has been set in motion can be reversed. Companies must learn to withstand the pressure from their customers. If you have a good and transparent relationship, you should also be able to discuss this. Assume your own strength. Dare to say 'no' sometimes."
Beeld: © KTBA
Source: © Vakblad Voedingsindustrie 2020
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