Tag: FSMA

World GMO Cultivation

Posted on by Susan Whipkey
Chart Showing World GMO Culivation by Domestic and Imported Percentages
Growing percentage of U.S.
organic commodities from import
Demand for organic soybeans and corn is outpacing domestic supply, causing an increase in imported organic commodities, and a subsequent requirement for heightened testing.

Did you know that U.S. grain imports are on the rise? The increasing consumer demand for organic and non-GMO foods has exposed a shortfall in the U.S. supply chain. Even as domestic acreage devoted to organic soybeans and corn is increasing, production remains well short of demand.

The complex risk/reward calculation, as well as the multi-year commitment, has made it tough on US farmers to commit to joining the market. An additional 1 to 5 million acres would need to be converted to meet demand. Added to that, a ready supply of these commodities on the world market from countries such as Turkey, India, Ukraine and Romania keep a damper on market premiums for these commodities.

Unfortunately, it has also led to less-than-honest business practices, if not outright fraud, within the international supply chain. The Washington Post recently identified several shipments of grain that showed conventional pricing at the point of purchase that were inexplicably identified as organic when they reached the U.S.—and proven to not conform to the organic standard.

The truth is, there is very little confirmation testing when organic and non-GMO shipments are received; the documentation provided is relied upon, endangering the integrity of all downstream usage. Imported grain gets shuttled in numerous ways through various transit points with little traceability.

Though you are familiar with what crops are grown in your area, as well as your domestic partners supplying grain, there are many ways that your supply chain can be infiltrated with commodities from unknown sources. Reliance on paperwork and handshakes can severely compromise your product as well as your reputation.

EnviroLogix is committed to getting you the answers you need to ensure that you can reliably participate in non-GMO markets, with world-class GMO test coverage and traceable, quantifiable results for corn and soy, as well as canola, alfalfa and more. Test with confidence and get your own answers, insuring your own claims and reputation.

Want a GMO test? We have them available for the crops above and more…

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Test DDGS for Mycotoxins Due to Increased Risk This Year

Posted on by Brian Harris

Although ethanol plants don’t need to check every incoming truck for every mycotoxin, it is good practice to screen the first incoming loads of harvested corn carefully to get a sense of the mycotoxins that might be present in newly-harvested corn. The mycotoxins of most concern are Aflatoxin, Vomitoxin (DON), and Fumonisin.  Testing for mycotoxins in ethanol plants isn’t new. It was implemented in most facilities when a secondary market for feed was found for the byproduct of ethanol production, DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles).

Screening for mycotoxins appears to be especially important this year; double-digit percentages of corn in “poor” and “very poor” condition are being reported in 9 states responsible for 70% of the US corn production, according to the latest USDA/NASS 2017 Crop Progress and Condition Report (see graphic).

In other words, conditions are ripe, and it is important to test DDGS for harmful mycotoxins.

Feed markets have very strict guidelines about the levels of mycotoxins present. With the multiplicative effect of corn ethanol production, even small amounts of mycotoxins coming into the plant can be magnified to reportable levels in the end product. And because each mycotoxin has known negative health impacts in animals, each has individual limits that vary according to species and age.

Added to that, the new guidelines for complying with the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) require testing and traceability of feed components. Plants with robust quality systems have been able to utilize existing systems to comply with the requirements for analyzing hazards and reporting results. But FSMA does not give guidance as to how frequently or comprehensively to test.

In general, getting a comprehensive baseline for a season can help quality managers set their testing frequencies and cutoffs for any particular year, and support the justification for that testing. Supplementary testing of homogeneous DDGS can provide additional data points and confirmation of good quality screening of incoming materials. That approach provides the basis for complying with the requirements and intention of FSMA.

Along with offering mycotoxin tests for corn and DDGS, EnviroLogix has introduced Common Extraction  testing for Aflatoxin, DON and Fumonisin that will allow for one sample preparation and a common run time when testing for these three mycotoxins in incoming corn.

The resulting operational efficiency streamlines early-season testing, and our world-class QuickScan System provides unparalleled quantification and traceability.  Contact us today to find out how you can take advantage of time-saving Common Extraction mycotoxin testing.

Are You Ready for FSMA?

Posted on by Brian Harris

Understanding FSMA and new liabilities

Each year, 3,000 Americans die from foodborne illness (Source: CDC).

The Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA,  has four main objectives:

  1. Improve capacity to prevent food-safety problems
  2. Improve capacity to detect and respond to food-safety problems
  3. Improve the safety of imported food
  4. Miscellaneous provisions, such as whistle-blower protection

If your company is required by the FDA to register under its current food facility registration regulations, FSMA applies to you.

By June 30, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must finalize a series of seven regulations that create significant new criminal liabilities affecting companies in the food industry (Source: Retail Leader).

How big is this? Once regulations are final, business operations can cease pending investigation and a company CEO can be held personally liable for violating any of the new regulations, even if that CEO had no knowledge of the violation. If your company doesn’t have strong controls in place to manage its production as well as other aspects of the supply chain, you’re taking on significant risk.

Recognizing the FDA’s reach

More than ever before, FSMA intends to hold the food industry accountable for securing the supply chain. Here’s a short list of what’s within the FDA’s power:

  • Require a recall rather than recommend a recall.
  • Require verification of imported ingredients used in U.S.-produced feed; the burden to track is on the manufacturer.
  • Compel disclosure of records without a warrant.
  • Detain ingredients or inventory, causing delays in production and even immediate shutdown.
  • Suspend license of noncompliant operators.
  • Conduct unscheduled audits, typically records-based. This could force a reconciliation of ingredients, requiring documentation of existing best practices and their application.

Protecting your business

Agribusinesses can’t afford any gaps in their safety testing practices. To compete in this climate while protecting the supply chain and your place in it, you need strategic solutions.  You want to optimize your people, processes and technological assets for agile and effective mycotoxin testing and traceability. Contact EnviroLogix to discuss how their industry-leading  QuickScan system, GIPSA-certified QuickTox kits and team of experts can support the necessary training, testing and documentation for meeting the new FSMA regulations.

 

Portions of this post were reposted with permission from Repete.

To read the original post in its entirety, click here.