Unwelcomed Additions
This tiny fashion statement belongs on your head so your hair doesn’t decide to fill any bald spots on our gummy clusters.
You find a loose bolt on the floor next to a packaging line. The correct move is not “kick it under the machine,” but this.
Before ingredients are accepted, workers check for damage, leaks, or signs that this happened during shipping.
What is contamination or tampering?
Cracks, broken flooring, or damaged walls can become places for these unwelcome factory guests to hide.
What are pests? -OR- What are microorganisms?
When employees regularly review GMPs, food safety, and quality policies and procedures, they’re participating in this important activity.
What is Quality and Food Safety training.
If you spot one of these multi-legged “uninvited guests” crawling around on a pallet of materials, you should report it immediately.
What is a pest? (or insect activity)
DAILY DOUBLE
A tool is missing after maintenance on the gummy line, but production is ready to start. The safest action is this.
Raw materials should stay off the warehouse floor on these to help protect them from dirt and damage. These should also be in good repair and discarded if found to be damaged.
What are pallets?
Standing water anywhere inside the facility is bad news because these tiny living things you can’t see may decide to throw a party there.
What are bacteria/microorganisms?
If you are unsure whether something is safe, the best action is usually this instead of guessing.
What is ask questions or escalate the concern?
A contractor enters the plant carrying loose screws in their pocket “just in case.” This is the food safety concern we’re trying to avoid.
What is foreign material contamination?
This quick check after sanitation or maintenance activities helps confirm scrapers, brushes, and tools all made it back home.
What is tool/utensil reconciliation? -OR- What is maintenance/sanitation pass-off checklist/forms?
When older ingredients get used before newer ones, we call this inventory practice by a four-letter acronym.
What is FIFO (First In, First Out)?
A hard-to-clean machine with hidden spaces, incompatible materials, and a lot of rough tack welds may have been poorly what, making it harder to keep our product safe?
What is Hygienically Designed?
DAILY DOUBLE
A teammate skips handwashing because "they only had to run back into the break area to grab the pen they left" is an example of this violation.
You notice a visitor without proper PPE walking near a conveyor of exposed black forest gummy bears. The best response is this action.
What is politely stopping them and notifying a supervisor or escort?
Checking boxes on documentation without actually checking equipment may save seconds now, but it can create major problems later. This unsafe shortcut is commonly referred to as this.
What is pencil-whipping? -OR- What is falsifying documentation?
A raw ingredient truck delivery arrives smelling strongly like chemicals. What is proper procedure to follow in this instance?
What is reject the load and report it?
A cracked/damaged mirror, plastic cover, or control panel/screen are all examples of equipment that should be on this regular audit/inspection, which should be performed frequently to ensure those items don't become a foreign material risk!
What is a glass and plastic audit? -OR- What is a GMP audit?
After any sort of training, supervisors check understanding by a quiz or observing employees doing tasks correctly. This is called this important follow-up.
What is verification? (coaching/follow-up)
Someone intentionally or purposefully trying to contaminate candy or ingredients would fall under this serious food safety term.
What is intentional adulteration?
Consistent sanitation, allergen controls, and inspections across all Ferrara sites help prevent this food safety outcome, which involves the company having to take back a large amount of product from the market!
What is a Recall?
Keeping allergen and non-allergen ingredients sealed and properly labeled in storage helps prevent mix-ups and this sneaky food safety issue.
What is cross-contact?
A recurring leak over or around a production area should never be ignored because it creates this type of hidden risk.
What is a contamination/environmental/microbiological risk?
This idea reminds us that food safety is not just QA’s job — from sanitation to forklift drivers to operations employees, everybody plays a role.