In this episode of Food Safety Matters, Richard Stier, M.S., a consulting food scientist and longtime Food Safety Magazine contributor, recalls lessons from decades in food processing facilities, discussing crisis preparedness, internal audits, facility sanitation and employee hygiene, HACCP, and why strong food safety programs must be continuously improved to remain effective.

This article presents the conceptual understanding and objectives of hygienic zoning for food and beverage processing facilities. It discusses linear workflow and cross-contamination, the design of cleaning and disinfection strategies, pathogen environmental monitoring, and the legal implications of hygienic zoning and positive outcomes for industry.

This article further discusses the results of a survey of food processors worldwide regarding food safety culture and the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure daily operations and continuous improvement.

Every food processor, food handler, or other food operator under FDA jurisdiction should have a program in place to deal with an FDA inspection. This column explains what this program should include and how to work with FDA investigators during an inspection.