FSMA
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is changing the way bakers think and the way they run their operations.
 

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is changing the way bakers think and the way they run their operations. For veteran Paul Storsin, quality assurance manager at Cleveland-based Orlando Baking, one of the biggest quality assurance challenges involves reworking dough, or the process of taking scrap, trimmed or unused dough from one batch and recycling it to incorporate it into the next. It’s something that’s second nature in many bakeries, but few consider the consequences this longtime practice may have on today’s food safety protocols.

“As a part of our food safety program, we need to keep track of everything — including reworked dough — as a part of our recall process,” Mr. Storsin told Baking & Snack recently.

When reworking dough, he noted, the bakery may start with mixing 250 lbs of dough, but at the end, about 30 lbs of it carries over to the next batch. That can cause a lot of headaches for quality assurance personnel involved in traceability and lot tracking. Operators need to separate the ingredients and make sure that all of the ingredients, including those used in rework from a previous batch, are monitored and recorded.

“Otherwise, if you have any issue with a one-time mix, you don’t have to recall the products that you were making that day,” Mr. Storsin pointed out. “From my standpoint, the hardest and most important issue is to segregate and account for any carryover from one batch to another.”

When it comes to ensuring quality assurance and compliance to FSMA, diligence involves delving into every detail.