In the food industry, ensuring the safety and quality of products is of utmost importance. Food safety breaches can have severe consequences, including health risks to consumers and damage to a company’s reputation. To mitigate these risks, manufacturers must implement stringent food safety protocols and continuously evaluate their effectiveness. PSSI is committed to upholding the highest standards of food safety through our comprehensive internal assessment programs. Our dedication to frequent, thorough assessments and continuous improvement helps our customers maintain their reputation and deliver safe food to consumers.

Internal Assessments at Plants

PSSI’s internal assessment process is a foundational element of our food safety strategy. These assessments are designed to carefully evaluate the sanitation processes at each facility, ensuring they meet our food safety standards. Our approach is systematic and thorough:

Assessment Frequency: Large facilities undergo assessments quarterly, while smaller plants are assessed twice a year. This frequency ensures consistent monitoring and timely identification of potential issues.

Evaluation Criteria: During each assessment, PSSI’s audits cover a wide range of categories, each critical to maintaining high food safety standards:

• Training: Ensuring that all team members are properly trained in food safety expectations.
• Documentation: Keeping accurate records of all sanitation activities and protocols.
• Sanitation Process and Preparation: Evaluating the thoroughness and effectiveness of sanitation procedures.
• Eight Steps of Sanitation: Ensuring adherence to the eight critical steps in the sanitation process.
• Master Sanitation Schedule: Reviewing the schedule to ensure all areas, including often-overlooked ones, are cleaned regularly.
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): Assessing compliance with GMP standards.
• Chemical Handling and Storage: Ensuring safe and proper handling and storage of cleaning chemicals.
• Regulatory Compliance: Verifying adherence to all relevant food safety regulations.
• Micro Results and Trends: Analyzing microbial test results and identifying trends.
• Facility Audit: Conducting a thorough audit of the facility’s physical condition and sanitation practices.
• Titration Kits: Ensuring that titration kits are up-to-date and used properly.
• Food Safety Mandates: Evaluating compliance with mandates related to preventing foreign material contamination.
• Chemical Titration: Checking that chemical titration processes are accurate and effective.

The action plans derived from these assessments are executed by our teams, ensuring continuous improvement and adherence to food safety standards. Facilities that score above 90% on their assessments maintain their status, while those falling below 80% receive additional support. This support aims to address root causes and prevent potential failures that could impact compliance and customer satisfaction.

Driving Continuous Improvement and Collaboration

Our internal assessments drive continuous improvement by setting high standards and systematically working towards them. By identifying potential failures early on and implementing corrective actions, we help our customers maintain compliance with regulatory standards.

Effective food safety management is a collaborative effort. We encourage weekly sanitation meetings with our customers to discuss challenges, progress, and action plans. Transparency in these discussions is key, fostering a collaborative environment where both PSSI and our customers work together towards common goals. Facility issues that could affect sanitation, such as water pressure or temperature, must be addressed in partnership to ensure top cleaning conditions. This collaborative approach enhances the overall effectiveness of our sanitation programs and aligns all parties in their efforts to maintain high standards of cleanliness and food safety.

Preparing for 3^rd Party Audits

Internal assessments are a crucial part of preparing for external audits. Our comprehensive evaluations cover all relevant categories, ensuring that documentation, execution, and audit readiness are up to standard. We coach our Site Managers to effectively communicate with auditors, focusing on the accuracy and completeness of the documentation. This preparation helps ensure a successful audit outcome and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Proactive Approach to Food Safety

PSSI takes a proactive approach to prevent issues by identifying risks early and implementing corrective actions. Through regular, thorough food safety assessments, we assist facilities in maintaining high standards of cleanliness and regulatory compliance. Our commitment to excellence in food safety management ensures transparency and continuous improvement, preparing facilities to consistently meet audit requirements and safeguard our nation’s food supply.