Why Should Food Safety Decisions Be Driven by Data?

Author Steve Dowd

The saying goes that if something is not measured, it’s not managed. This is especially true when it comes to food safety parameters, in more ways than you might think. Data driven food safety decisions are just as critical to business health as they are to consumer health– that includes businesses at the production stage, the processing stage, and the retail stage. In today’s blog, we’ll be going over the importance of food safety data management, the advantage it provides to both suppliers and customers, and how Eagle systems make food safety data storage and retrieval simple with our proprietary solution.

What Data Driven Food Safety Means

Data driven food safety is the idea that food producers, processors, and suppliers should utilize key data when assessing the quality of products both sent and received. But what exactly does this data look like? While there are many different facets of data to be collected and analyzed between food production, processing, and retail, the things that matter can vary greatly in different applications.

For example, a meat processor may be concerned with data regarding chemical lean values not only before they accept a delivery of red meat from their supplier but also at  the processing stage,  along with  other metrics like throughput and reject rates. In both cases, data is a strong driving force that influences important decisions like whether they should look into new supplier options or reevaluate the efficiency of their production line.

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Uncover Hidden Insights

Data collection and analysis can help identify a multitude of improvement points in your facility, including some that may have never come up otherwise. For example, one processor found themselves perplexed by a steady uptick in defective product. Their process hadn’t changed at all in the time that they noticed the increase in rejects, so they decided to take a closer look at their production data. What they found was that there were two times of day where more defective product was produced: once immediately before the first shift’s break, and once again just before the second shift’s break. In anticipation for their upcoming break time, employees would often rush through production or become more lax about their duties. By analyzing the data they had available, this producer was able to identify the source of the defect trend and correct the issue for improved product quality and throughput.

Data analysis can also help identify overlooked critical control points, or CCPs, in a production line. While many CCPs are identified at food processing facilities during the development of FSP and HACCP plans, these are subject to change as processes evolve. It’s not uncommon for new CCPs to emerge as the result of a process change, especially when new machinery is implemented. By monitoring data at any two points, it can be easier to identify when a new CCP has appeared between them.

Data analysis can also help strengthen supplier relationships by providing a new measure of reliability. This works both ways, as suppliers can better guarantee their offerings, and producers and retailers can better vet suppliers based off of their track record. For more information on how retailers can leverage x-ray inspection technology for quality assurance, be sure to read the article Why X-Ray Inspection Is Demanded By Food Retailers.

Enhance Traceability

With retailers on the lookout for reliability in their supply chains, a robust data collection and analysis system can help suppliers stand out from the competition. A backlog of food processing data can help prove a positive history of producing quality product and rejecting items that don’t make the cut. The ability to quickly respond to report requests with an easy to use system is another advantage which can enable your business to provide customers with peace of mind faster.

Keep in mind that retailers aren’t the only ones looking out for traceability—regulatory bodies are, too. Implementing a data storage and retrieval system can help food producers, processors, and retailers stay compliant with regulatory requirements. For the latest on FDA guidelines for food businesses, be sure to read our guide to Comprehensive 2024 FSMA Updates and Guidelines from the FDA.

Data traceability and x-ray inspection go hand in hand. Speak with an Eagle representative today to find out more about our x-ray solutions designed with food safety in mind. CONTACT US >>>

Data Storage & Retrieval Made Easy with TraceServer™

So, how can food businesses empower their decision making process with a data retrieval and storage system? For Eagle customers, there’s one simple solution: TraceServer™.

TraceServer™, a PC and network based software program proprietary to Eagle PI, provides a scalable data storage and retrieval solution that can grow alongside your business. This application can connect with up to 32 different Eagle machines to keep your facility’s data housed in one secure, central system. Not only can users access and filter data by categories like Machine, Time, and Batch, but they can also generate summary reports as needed for HACCP compliance and general due diligence. Although data is stored centrally on the TraceServer™ network, it can be accessed remotely by multiple approved users through the TraceView™ program, compatible with Windows OS.

For additional information on TraceServer™ and more ways that food businesses can enhance their traceability, explore our guide to Improve Your Line with Product Traceability through Every Stage of Production.