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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 Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Cameron Prince is participating on panel with University of Florida Assistant Professor & Seafood Safety Extension Specialist Dr. Razieh Farzad and University of Maine Associate Extension Professor & Food Safety Specialist Dr. Jason Bolton to answer your questions for issues related to seafood safety.
Click here to register.
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.
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.
In 2020, one of the top five triggers for FDA Form 483s stemmed from a lack of a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). With more than 500 facilities being cited last year alone, it’s time to re-examine your FSVP and get it in audit-ready, tip-top shape. Join Lily Yang, Ph.D., TAG’s Food Safety Associate, as she shows you how on March 26, 2021 at 9am PT.
To assist FDQIs in the development of the FDP, TAG is offering a virtual IA VA training on March 9-10, 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 March 8th.
This class is filled, please see June and August for additional classes.
*$595 per person plus training/certificate expense. An additional $50 per person for pre-requisite trainings.
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 April 27-28, 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 April 26.
$595*
*$595 per person plus training/certificate expense. An additional $50 per person for pre-requisite trainings.
What to Know About Virus Variants, New Vaccine Efficacies & Availability, and a Roundup of Required Checks Since COVID-19
Join our April 30th FSMA Friday when Dr. Ben Miller updates manufacturers on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, results, and the roadmap to normalcy. He’ll also recap best practices and required COVID checks for manufacturers so you can see how your facility stacks up. Are your checks and record keeping up-to-date? Attend and find out!
Knock, knock, It’s the FDA, and their quick checks & IA inspections are no joke. While quick checks have begun, at some point in the future routine Intentional Adulteration inspections will begin. In the meantime, numerous companies have been active in preparing their food defense plans, while many others have not even begun. What is the best way to assess your vulnerability and ensure your Food Defense Plan will be compliant — based on your KATs, using the 3 Elements approach, or employing a hybrid method?
In this free one-hour webinar, TAG’s own FSPCA Lead Instructor Christopher Snabes will review the FDA Intentional Adulteration (IA) regulation, suggest several sure-fire ways to conduct your vulnerability assessments, prepare you for a Quick Check, and provide training resources for those interested in additional, virtual IA Vulnerability Assessment Training. Then, after the webinar, when someone knocks at your door, you can confidently respond, “Who’s there?”
In this free webinar, featured speakers, including TAG Senior Director Food Safety & Supply Chain Risk Management Dr. Liliana Casal-Wardle, will discuss the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) as a food safety passport to the global market. They will discuss changes and trends in food safety standards, compliance failures and corresponding controls, as well as present risk management case studies from small, medium and large food companies. A review will cover software solutions, including how to prevent auto-failures and achieve one-minute mock recall compliance. For more information and registration, visit Xtalks.
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 May 20-21 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.
TAG Director of Food Safety Mary Hoffman will join SafetyChain for FSMA Friday to talk about the FDA’s Reportable Food Registry (RFR). Although the RFR has been around for more than a decade, many manufacturers still don’t know exactly what kinds of issues should be reported, nor when, nor how to report them. But, if a food manufacturer fails to report an issue to the RFR, serious consequences can ensue! In 30 minutes, Mary will break down not only who is responsible, but also required steps when an adulteration occurs, and the when-where-what-how RFR reporting protocols.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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 August 10-11, 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 August 9.
$595*
*$595 per person plus training/certificate expense. An additional $50 per person for pre-requisite trainings.
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.
Watch for upcoming TAG Events!
Watch for upcoming TAG Events!
Watch for upcoming TAG events!
