Supermarket Perimeter - November 2021 - 53

For (supermarkets')
smaller local suppliers, they
might only need a thirdparty
GMP audit or GFSI
Global Market Audit. "
Tyler Williams, ASI
That being said, retailers and their supplier partners shouldn't ignore
one food safety best practice just because it has a lower risk, he added.
Most suppliers of grocery stores are required to have some type
of third-party certificate and meet specific requirements set by that
particular grocery store. For example, most major grocery stores require
that all of their medium to large suppliers to obtain a GFSI Certificate,
such as SQF, Williams said.
" For their smaller local suppliers, they might only need a third-party
GMP audit or GFSI Global Market Audit. Depending on which type of
third-party certification the supplier is required to obtain sets the food
safety best practices they must follow. "
Those standards are typically designed around current Good
Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and the 12 steps of HACCP (Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Point), Williams added.
ASI helps retail grocery stores by performing kitchen audits of their
delis and prepared foods sections. The company also conducts thirdparty
and second-party audits on behalf of several large grocery chains
to ensure their suppliers are supplying safe and quality food.
CDC studies: delis have work to do
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Environmental
Health Services division has conducted studies to see if retail delis are
meeting food safety standards.
Some of their findings suggested that many delis have considerable
work to do:
* 1 in 6 delis had a refrigerator that was too warm.
* 1 in 4 delis had sanitizer solutions at improper concentrations for
cleaning surfaces that come into contact with food.
* 3 in 5 delis had slicers that were damaged.
* About half of delis did not fully clean their slicers every 4 hours.
* Most delis inspect their slicers, but only 1 in 4 reported inspecting
their slicers for damage every 4 hours.
Most delis had proper practices for storing and handling raw meat,
but some did not. One in four delis did not store raw meat in separate
containers, bins, or trays away from ready-to-eat food; one in 10 delis
with a cold storage unit stored raw meat above ready-to-eat food; and
one in 10 delis had potential cross-contamination of raw meat and
ready-to-eat foods during preparation (for example, same knife used on
raw meat and ready-to-eat foods without cleaning in between).
Retail delis were more likely to engage in these recommended food
supermarketperimeter.com
NOVEMBER 2021 - 53
safety practices if they were chain delis, required kitchen managers
to be certified in food safety, provided food safety training to workers,
monitored and recorded refrigerator temperatures and had written
slicer cleaning policies.
Food safety prioritized in new line of
packaging for deli sandwiches
Mansfield, Mass.-based Lacerta Group, Inc., a leading designer and
manufacturer of specialty thermoformed packaging solutions, has
announced the launch of five new containers for sandwiches sold in
instore delis and other channels that put food safety front and center.
The company's newest additions to its Fresh N' Sealed line are
designed to meet increased demands for not only safety but also
convenience and quality ingredients, according to the company.
Created to showcase the shape and contents of the sandwich, the
packaging can also be made with up to 100% post-consumer recycled
(PCR) content.
The new sandwich containers include Single Wrap Tamper Evident
containers and many other packages in a variety of sizes to help prevent
sandwiches from being tampered with.
" Among consumers who are spending more on convenience store
prepared foods, 35% attributed their spending to the food looking
or tasting fresh, and 34% cited high quality, " said Ali Lotfi, president
of Lacerta Group. " Aside from the need to present food with quality,
freshness, and overall shelf appeal in mind, we also know the consumer
of today values health and convenience. In keeping with our mission of
providing innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers, our
new line of sandwich containers aims to help them find more ways to
meet increasing demands and scale their operations. "
One in four delis
does not separate
raw meat properly
from other foods.
https://www.cspdailynews.com/foodservice/sandwiches-wraps-offer-fresh-grab-go-alternatives https://www.cspdailynews.com/foodservice/sandwiches-wraps-offer-fresh-grab-go-alternatives https://www.cspdailynews.com/foodservice/sandwiches-wraps-offer-fresh-grab-go-alternatives http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - November 2021

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