Ensuring the safety of ingredients

“We also review our specifications and certificates of analysis on a regular basis to ensure we are well within compliance of the standards we have set,” she says. “If we see any trends in drifting data, we have a multi-disciplinary team comprised of management, production and QA/QC review and address the situation.”

Cargill Inc., Wayzata, Minn., operates in 66 countries, which makes maintenance of the quality of the food chain at once complex and critical to its success. “Cargill's position has been to establish prerequisite programs, such as Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs) and Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). These programs must be evaluated and validated,” says spokesperson Mark Klein. “We require that of our suppliers, too. In addition, suppliers should be visited and audits conducted."

For DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, N.J., an international supplier of vitamins, carotenoids and other chemicals to the feed, food, pharmaceutical and personal care industries, it is not where products are made, but how they are made.

“The main issue is not about bashing China but about creating a level playing field where all suppliers and manufacturers have to adhere to the same quality and environmental standards globally,” says Todd Sitkowski, senior marketing manager. “Our customer presentation titled ‘A Partnership of Trust’ highlights our quality approach with products and services as well as our relationship with our customers.”

The DSM Partnership of Trust program focuses attention on the three most important areas of food chain integration: quality, reliability and traceability. Quality certification standards – such as cGMP, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, USP, EUR.PHAR, FCC, HACCP, and Kosher and Halal certifications -- are strictly adhered to. As the source of raw materials, DSM selects only reliable suppliers that meet DSM’s stringent specifications.

With an integrated global and local supply chain, global manufacturing sites and a commitment to customers, even in crises, DSM takes its role as a good corporate citizen seriously. “Selecting anything less than quality ingredients places the entire food chain at risk,” says Sitkowski.

Ingredients now come from all over the globe, and at a time when the FDA’s public health mission has been compromised. Recent contamination incidents of food and drugs and the consequent erosion of consumer trust is acting as a kind of Darwinian selective pressure, favoring those companies that take the quality of the food chain the most seriously. It’s a matter of simple evolution.

“The notion of guaranteeing food safety from ‘field to fork’ is no longer possible for any one industry,” sums Heidolf. “Today, there are just too many factors for one company to control. You need to look one step above you and one step below, not just at your company. It should be a continuous learning supplier partnership in which all share the same goal: quality.”