Safeguarding Lives Through Vigilant Food Safety: In Talks With Quality Expert Swasti Singh

Michelle Dennis from Food Infotech has the pleasure of diving into the world of food safety and quality with Swasti Singh, Senior Manager of Quality Assurance at Srinivasa Farms. Swasti will be sharing invaluable insights into the meticulous measures undertaken to ensure the highest standards across their diverse portfolio. Let’s delve into the conversation!

Q1: Welcome to Food Infotech! Today, we have Swasti Singh, Senior Manager of Quality Assurance at Srinivasa Farms, here to discuss food safety measures. Swasti, could you elaborate on the specific measures in place to ensure food safety and quality across your diverse portfolio?

Ans: Certainly! In ensuring food safety, adherence to government guidelines, particularly those outlined by FSSAI in India, is paramount. These guidelines encompass various aspects, from monitoring raw material parameters to ensuring infrastructure compliance with standards set by FSSAI and other international bodies. Additionally, rigorous pest control measures and online quality monitoring during production are integral. Warehouse management, including temperature control for cold storage, also plays a crucial role. Essentially, food safety practices are woven throughout our operations, from procurement to dispatch, ensuring compliance and quality at every step.

Q2: How does your team conduct food inspections, and what criteria do you use to assess compliance with food safety regulations?

Ans: Our approach to food inspections is multifaceted, guided by regulatory standards like those set by FSSAI. Internally, we adhere to SOPs and identify critical control points to mitigate risks effectively. While FSSAI regulations are mandatory, additional certifications like HACCP and ISO standards are pursued to meet customer requirements. Collaborating with suppliers, we ensure adherence to quality parameters and traceability, addressing challenges such as worker education and maintaining robust traceability systems. Through continuous training and education, we aim to enhance food safety practices, ensuring consistent quality across our operations.

Q3: In your experience, what are the most common challenges or issues you encounter in maintaining food quality, and how do you address them?

Ans: One of the significant challenges in food safety is bridging the gap between understanding quality and food safety among workers, particularly those on the shop floor. Training programs are crucial to instill awareness and ensure adherence to hygiene practices. Additionally, ensuring traceability throughout the supply chain presents challenges, requiring comprehensive data management and collaboration with suppliers. Overall, addressing these challenges necessitates a focus on training, basic awareness, and implementing robust traceability systems to uphold food safety standards.

Q4: Could you provide examples of preventive measures implemented to maintain food quality and safety, particularly related to cost reduction?

Ans: Procuring high-quality raw materials is foundational to our preventive measures. By adhering to defined parameters and specifications for raw materials, we minimize process losses and rejections, thereby reducing costs associated with poor quality. Implementing effective control points in our production processes ensures consistency and minimizes the need for rework, further optimizing costs. Additionally, time and motion studies help streamline operations, reducing wastage an enhancing efficiency, ultimately contributing to cost reduction efforts.

Q5: What role does technology play in enhancing food safety and quality assurance processes?

Ans: Technology is instrumental in augmenting food safety and quality assurance efforts. Automation systems enable real-time monitoring of critical parameters, facilitating proactive intervention to prevent deviations. Advanced technologies like PLC operations and infrared monitoring further enhance process control and product quality. Moreover, GPS tracking ensures temperature monitoring during transit, enabling timely interventions to maintain product integrity. With the advent of artificial intelligence, technology continues to revolutionize food safety practices, driving continuous improvement and ensuring adherence to rigorous standards.

Q6: How do you collaborate with farmers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to ensure the quality and safety of products from farm to table?

Ans: Collaboration with farmers and suppliers is essential to maintain product quality and safety throughout the supply chain. We provide education and training to farmers on biosecurity measures and other best practices to safeguard product integrity at the source. Additionally, we work closely with suppliers to communicate our quality requirements and conduct regular assessments to ensure compliance. By fostering transparent communication and providing ongoing support, we establish a collaborative ecosystem focused on delivering safe and high-quality products to consumers.

Q7: Considering the expansive geographic reach, how do you ensure consistency in food safety and quality standards across different regions?

Ans: While adhering to universal food safety standards, we also recognize the importance of adapting to regional variations and challenges. By proactively monitoring local trends, climate patterns, and historical data, we tailor our strategies to address specific geographic considerations. Implementing preventive measures ahead of seasonal changes and leveraging technology for real-time monitoring enables us to maintain consistency in standards across diverse regions. Through continuous assessment and adjustment, we ensure that our protocols effectively mitigate risks and uphold quality standards regardless of geographic location.

Q8: Can you discuss the importance of continuous training and education for food safety professionals in ensuring effective food safety and quality assurance practices?

Ans: Continuous training and education are paramount for food safety professionals to stay abreast of evolving regulations, technologies, and best practices. Organizations must invest in ongoing training programs to equip their teams with the knowledge and skills necessary to uphold rigorous food safety standards. Regulatory bodies like FSSAI offer valuable training resources, and internal training initiatives ensure alignment with industry standards and organizational objectives. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, food safety professionals remain vigilant, adaptable, and well-prepared to address emerging challenges and maintain the highest standards of quality and safety.

Q9: What metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) do you use to measure the effectiveness of food safety and quality assurance efforts?

Ans: Several key performance indicators (KPIs) are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of food safety and quality assurance efforts. Customer complaints serve as a direct indicator of product satisfaction and safety. A decline in customer complaints signifies improved quality and safety measures. Regulatory compliance metrics ensure adherence to established standards and regulations, reflecting the robustness of the quality assurance system. Additionally, recall evidences provide insight into the effectiveness of preventive measures, with fewer recalls indicating stronger quality controls. Supplier quality performance and adherence to first-in-first-out (FIFO) principles further contribute to assessing the overall effectiveness of food safety and quality assurance efforts.

Q10: In your opinion, what are some innovative approaches or best practices in the industry for reducing the cost of poor quality while maintaining high standards of food safety and quality?

Ans: To reduce the cost of poor quality while upholding high standards of food safety and quality, organizations must prioritize preventive measures and operational excellence. Investing in robust supplier management systems ensures the procurement of high-quality raw materials at competitive rates, minimizing the risk of product defects. Embracing automation and technology-driven solutions streamlines processes, reduces manual errors, and enhances overall efficiency. Furthermore, continuous monitoring of critical control points and adherence to standardized procedures mitigate the likelihood of product recalls or rejections, thereby reducing costs associated with poor quality. By emphasizing proactive measures and leveraging innovative approaches, organizations can achieve cost savings while safeguarding the integrity of their products.