Blog & News

Obsolescence not scary enough? If you ever wanted to envision a collective shoulder shrug, there may be no better way than to read this: Many of today’s manufacturing plant process automation systems could suddenly fail with costly consequences. Across the industry, companies are familiar with the threat of obsolescence. Few are prepared for it. While sound reasons for this exist, such as budget, one rather fuzzy and unspoken one may be at work. Could it be the threat obsolescence just isn’t scary enough? After all, the way you feel about something can profoundly influence your perception of risk. If you don’t really perceive that obsolescence will cause imminent harm, a shoulder shrug may be all you can muster. When people calculate risk, they rely more on feeling than fact (Source: Peters, Burraston, and Mertz; OSU). It’s hard to take action and prepare for a risk if we don’t feel it’s […]

Lot Tracking Basics – A Primer to Clear Up Confusion Lot tracking can sometimes seem a bit like tax code. Everyone is aware of it. Few really understand it. Most avoid delving into it until faced with a recall or violation. It won’t take long to learn some lot tracking basics. Find out why lot tracking only keeps getting more important. After that, decide whether manually tracking is worth the risk. You can take small steps to mitigate large risk. Why wait for bad news that could inflict both financial and commercial pain? New Times, New Rules The first thing to recognize about lot tracking is that regulations have changed, and the number of new regulations is piling up. You likely know the FDA now has authority to mandate recalls and shut down mill operations. All it takes is lack of proof on the part of the mill. A mill […]

Many manufacturers don’t fully understand the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), its ramifications, and the steps they should take to protect their businesses. With new regulations, including unlikely, but possible, criminal liabilities, becoming effective June 30, gaining some perspective is more important than ever. Understanding FSMA and new liabilities Each year, 3,000 Americans die from foodborne illness (Source: CDC). FSMA was enacted to prevent contamination in the food supply chain and save lives. FSMA has four main objectives: Improve capacity to prevent food-safety problems Improve capacity to detect and respond to food-safety problems Improve the safety of imported food Miscellaneous provisions, such as whistle-blower protection If your company is required by the FDA to register under its current food facility registration regulations, FSMA applies to you. In just two about months – by June 30, 2015 – the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must finalize a series of seven regulations […]