Blog Articles

Many in the Australian food industry had more than acceptable food safety programs in place before the pandemic, yet still faced unprecedented challenges as it unfolded. Supply chains and business continuity were most significantly impacted, and a new level of risk management evolved, above and beyond any seen previously. Across the industry cleaning, hygiene, and sanitation practices have been transformed and a much sharper focus has developed around sustainability.

As we navigate the dynamic terrain of social compliance in Australia and New Zealand, we find a landscape in rapid evolution. With the growing demand for standardised ESG measures, increased regulatory scrutiny worldwide, and a surge in consumer demand for ethically sourced products, businesses are being pushed towards a new era of transparency and accountability.

The number of people impacted by modern slavery increases dramatically from year to year, with women and children still disproportionately the most vulnerable. According to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage report, produced in collaboration between the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration, the latest global estimates indicate that 50 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021.

At Intertek SAI Global, an auditor’s entire reason for being is to make every business better, safer, and more successful. The only way to do this is through reviews, feedback, and ongoing support and encouragement.

Have you been asked to get GFSI Certified? What does this mean and how do you know which GFSI recognised Standard is right for your organisation? In this article, we explore the answers to these questions, as well as provide some tips to implement and achieve certification:

Food safety management systems don’t stop evolving as soon as they are implemented. They must continue to morph and change along with business growth and changing dynamics. If a food safety system is not continually evolving and improving to stay effective, it no longer serves the purpose of safeguarding the staff, customers and consumers. In this blog, we will uncover how to achieve a successfully established food safety management system, and 6 tips to improve your food safety management system and audit scores.

It is impossible to be too prepared for a food safety audit and every audit presents an opportunity for your facility to continually evolve to be better. Audits are not an end in themselves, nor are they a time for pointing fingers and finding fault. Audits do not start because an auditor arrives to perform them. Rather, audits happen because the purpose is to determine if your system is working as it should. Audits identify gaps and shortcomings, after which the team has an opportunity to make any corrections necessary to align with the food safety program so that the process is safe, effective, efficient and consistent throughout all locations. When a strong food safety culture is embedded in an organisation, half the work of audit preparation is already done.

The launch of BRCGS Food Safety 9 represents a huge milestone in the development of the Standard – now the leading global food safety programme with over 22,000 certificated sites across more than 130 countries.

There is certainly considerable time, effort and investment committed to establishing and implementing an effective food safety management system, however at this point, the work has only just begun. Maintaining an effective food safety program that grows and develops with the business is as fundamental to ongoing operations as anything else the business may do. Systems and processes must be constantly monitored, assessed, and evolved in the pursuit of excellence and all of it must be underpinned by a healthy and deeply embedded food safety culture.