Controlling Hazards in Spices : Basic Supply Chain Food Safety Control Requirements

With the finalization of the FDA’s FSMA Preventive Control Rules, new FDA outbreak testing technologies and increasingly complex supply chain controls, spices and other low moisture foods are becoming increasing identified as outbreak contributors.

Spices are frequently found to carry salmonella, are full of physical adulterants, are often not identified as allergens, and may be impacted by lead and, when not carefully controlled throughout the supply chain, represent a bacterial growth potential that can end up in processed foods.

Spice handling operations are subject to environmental facility controls, environmental sampling and test, process validation, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGPM), sanitary transportation rules, as well as packaging, labeling and other controls.

Why Should You Attend

Virtually all processed foods use spices to enhance flavors.  Most spices used in the United States are imported, often from unknown, unregistered and unregulated farms prior to moving to larger handling and packing centers in the U.S.  Most spices are grown and imported from tropical environments and are hand harvested with little or no food safety controls.  

If your company is involved with spices in any way, you need to assure that you have appropriate food safety controls in place.  With new reports becoming public, it is obvious that in spite of being classified “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS), spices are not as safe as previously thought.

This FDA compliance training will cover outbreaks as well as basic microbial reduction techniques, drying, testing, preventive controls, sanitation operation procedures, water issues, pest controls, storage, facility controls (air/dust/humidity),and other basic spice handling food safety considerations.

Areas Covered in this Webinar

• Identify spices as allergens
• Define your spice supply chain and your operational weak points
• Review spice recall data
• Use the Spice Operation Food Safety Planning Questionnaire
• Establishing Valid Preventive Controls
• Learn about new spice testing for Salmonella:  Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)
• Control humidity, air handling, dust, pests, sanitation, processing zones
• Include spices in preventive control plans

Learning Objectives

Knowing where and how spices are harvested and handled and the basics of spice food safety will prepare your company to prevent outbreaks that can destroy your company.

Who Will Benefit

• All registered food facilities involved with spices and dried herbs
• Domestic spice receivers and foreign spice suppliers to U.S. markets
• Spice growers, packers, handlers, transporters
• Processing, carrier and distributor Facility owners and managers
• Spice importers, handlers, growers, and packers, 
• Food Safety and Quality Personnel whose operations are involved with spices
• Process and facility sanitation and maintenance personnel
• Spice purchasing and supplier qualification personnel
• Company compliance officers
• Internal and External Auditors
• All restaurant and food retail store owners and managers