The cold chain, or a temperature-controlled supply chain, provides the means for perishable products to make it to retail stores. Without the sophisticated network of interconnected logistics, the perishables section of the local grocery store would look vastly different. Many, if not most, cold chain failures are preventable and result from out-of-date supply chain technologies. Because of the importance of the...

Written by SmartSense | October 22, 2018 | Food Safety, Supply Chain

The FDA recently announced that Stephen Ostroff, M.D., Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, is retiring. Frank Yiannas, VP of Food Safety at Walmart, will take over his role starting in 2019. The FDA is also creating a new role for Yiannas, as Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response. This role will include the work that Ostroff had previously been overseeing, but also includes a...

Written by SmartSense | October 19, 2018 | Food Safety

What makes the Impossible Burger impossible? For the first time, a veggie burger can truly market itself as “meaty.” That’s right – it looks, smells, sizzles, and “bleeds” like real ground beef. Although the Impossible Burger is officially vegan, Patrick O. Brown, founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, is marketing the product to omnivores and flexitarians (carnivores who are choosing to eat less meat).

Written by SmartSense | October 12, 2018 | Food Safety

Now more than ever, we have seemingly unlimited options when it comes to dining out. With consumers increasingly eating out, businesses will need to leverage excellent customer service to differentiate. You don’t have to look far to see incredible success through unique services: Spotify, Uber, Warby Parker, and Casper are just a few examples of businesses whose product offerings are not revolutionary, but whose...

Written by SmartSense | October 10, 2018 | Food Safety

Before the advent of digital technologies, monitoring temperature to ensure food safety was limited to manual inspections using paper checklists. Surprisingly, analog systems continue to persist within the food services industry. Perhaps the biggest advantage of a manual method is its cheaper cost to implement.

Written by SmartSense | October 4, 2018 | Food Safety

The FDA recently announced that they will publicize the names of retailers associated with recalls “where consumption of the food has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.” Previously, they would only release the name of the recalled product rather than specific retailers distributing the product, largely due to confidential supply chain information.

Written by SmartSense | October 2, 2018 | Food Safety, Supply Chain