Dairy Processing - April 2021 - 56

FOOD SAFETY

THE PANDEMIC
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 put a spotlight on
pathogen control in food production. Although it is a respiratory
virus, not a food-borne virus (which needs a live animal or
Embracing new technology for more optimized monitoring of
the supply chain is an important step and necessary step in
the manufacturing process for the dairy industry.

56 APR 2021 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM

human host to survive and multiply), continued assertions made
by Chinese health officials and state media suggested traces
of the virus on imported frozen food or frozen food packaging
may have been the source of the June outbreak of COVID-19
in Beijing and even of China's initial outbreak in Wuhan in
December 2019.
A joint statement issued in February by the Food and
Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscored
" there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging
associated with or as a likely source of viral transmission " of
the virus causing COVID-19.

" Pathogen control in any environment
is a hands-on, proactive approach
that requires multiple tools working
together to provide usable data. "
Mike Clark, Bio-Rad

" Our confidence in the safety of the US food supply
remains steadfast, " the agencies said. " Consumers should
be reassured that we continue to believe, based on our
understanding of currently available reliable scientific
information, and supported by overwhelming international
scientific consensus, that the foods they eat and food
packaging they touch are highly unlikely to spread SARSCoV-2. " The statement was attributed to then Acting Secretary
of Agriculture Kevin Shea and Acting FDA Commissioner
Janet Woodcock, MD.
The International Commission on Microbiological
Specifications for Foods affirmed, " Despite the billions of meals
and food packages handled since the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that
food, food packaging or food handling is a source or important
transmission route for SARS-CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19. "
While concern for food safety related to COVID-19 was
tempered, the conversation quickly pivoted to the protection
and wellbeing of employees in production facilities.
" The virus should be killed at the same temperatures of
other food-borne pathogens including viruses, " said Mr. Clark.
" The high risk lies with the production workers and protecting
them. Providing proper PPE is not enough. Educating and
re-educating employees on proper GMPs including hand
washing is important. "
FMI, The Food Industry Association, announced in
March the establishment of the Food Protection Committee to
establish intiatives regarding food safety.

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The 90-page guide, " Controlling Pathogens in Dairy
Processing Environments: Guidance for the U.S. Dairy
Industry, " was authored by a team of dairy industry and
sanitary design experts. It built upon previous guidance
that focused on Listeria monocytogenes to include best
practices to control Salmonella and Cronobacter Sakazakii.
The guide included checklists the dairy industry can use to
improve existing food safety programs to ensure adequate
control of environmental pathogens.
Pathogens are an ongoing concern when figuring out how
to manage risks, including how to assess food safety culture
in the dairy plants themselves. Ecolab, St. Paul, Minn.,
which specializes in water, hygiene and infection prevention
solutions and services, has been working with its customers
to address those concerns.
" Lately customers have been changing their product mix
which involves new equipment and new risks, " said Rick
Stokes, area technical support manager for Ecolab. " We
work with them as part of the sanitary design review process
to make sure the equipment is designed appropriately for
sanitation. If there are new risks, like allergens, we work
with the plants to guide them on how to set up a robust
allergen management program. "

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Dairy Processing - April 2021

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