Popularised by Malcolm Gladwell, the ideas of consumer research scientist Howard Moskowitz have redefined the consumer goods industry. The work of Moskowitz has found applications in the food industry and more recently in the wine sector. E. & J. Gallo Winery, in 2010, recognised the importance of consumer data and “developed a framework to understand…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 6 American suffers from foodborne diseases annually, resulting in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.1 In response to this growing public health concern, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011. The objective of FSMA is to strengthen the…
The Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations came into force on January 15, 2019.1 The new food safety regulations target food for human consumption including ingredients. Requirements are established for food that is imported, exported, or traded between Canadian provinces and territories. Other requirements pertaining to food traceability, labelling and advertising also apply to…
The global food certification market was estimated at USD 8.45 billion in 2017. It is projected to reach USD 11.45 billion by 2023. Food certification is a process that allows a business to demonstrate compliance to food safety and quality standards. Certification is achieved through independent and reliable third-party audits of manufacturing or storage sites.…
Last month, Sirocco food and wine consulting launched Sirocco Insights, a new consumer behaviour and trends research service, to help wineries and wine retailers collect reliable consumer preference data and effectively engage their customer base. Why Consumer Research? The United States consumes more wine in total than any other country according to the Wine Institute,…
A previous blog post provided a-step-by-step approach to developing a Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment. For this month’s post, we introduce new resources and give you tips to train your team and satisfy the SQF code’s food fraud control requirements. One easy way to meet SQF food fraud audit expectations is to create a register of…
Continuous improvement is a requirement of SQF and all food safety quality management systems. When demonstrating process improvements, the CAPA process is followed. This is a diagnostic procedure aimed at identifying the root cause(s) of system non-conformities. The objective of a CAPA investigation is the development and implementation of an action plan designed to prevent…
UPDATE: It was just announced that the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations will come into force on January 15, 2019. Are you up-to-date on the new Canadian Food Safety regulations? Implementation timetables for food manufacturers (including alcoholic beverages) and food importers can be found here. Some businesses listed under “All Other Foods” (this category may…
The SQF Institute rolled out an updated SQF certification scheme in July 2017. Suppliers wishing to retain their SQF food safety certificate in 2018 were first audited against the revised standard on January 1, 2018. SQF professionals who attended the SQFI Professional Update last July got a chance to receive up-to-date information on the…
A look into sensory evaluation methods for the quality control of food and beverages. The sensory quality of food and beverages is an important aspect of overall quality. Sensory science ensures products meet quality specifications and customer expectations. Fraud management, product development, product identity-preservation and consumer insight are among the applications of sensory analysis. The…