How To Choose Flooring, Walls, Ceilings, and Doors For Facility Food Safety

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When it comes to food safety, materials matter.

By Joseph Bove, PE, Stellar, Vice President, Business Development

This post was originally published on Food For Thought


Whether you’re designing a new food and beverage facility (like a coffee roasting plant) or renovating an existing one, it’s important to consider the materials you choose for to surround your processing — literally.

When it comes to food safety, these features sometimes get less attention than other factors — such as equipment, ingredient storage/segregation and product handling — but they can be a plant’s Achilles heel if ignored.

Here, we’re going to look at the best practices when selecting materials for your facility’s flooring, walls, ceilings, and doors.

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Coffee Career Center: Jobs of the Week

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Whether you’re an industry veteran or looking to make a change, there’s never been a more exciting time to pursue a career in coffee.

Check out this week’s featured job listings – and visit the Coffee Career Center for more. (Please note that you will need to set up a free account to view the full post.)

Premium Post
Financial Analyst, Central & South America
| Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA
VA

Premium Post
VP, Coffee
| Fair Trade USA
CA

Education Manager | Toddy, LLC
CO

Food Safety Quality Manager | Toddy, LLC
CO

Machine Technician | La Colombe
NY

Barista | Cafe Grumpy
NY

All positions | Urth Caffe
CA

Branch Quality and Technical Manager | illycaffe
FL

Visit the Coffee Career Center to view more listings, share your resume, or post a job. 

How a New Administration May Impact the Coffee Industry

By Joseph DeRupo, Director of External Relations, NCA

 The following is an excerpt from a recent NCA Member Alert. (Want to receive the latest industry updates directly? Learn more about NCA membership.)

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After a deeply divisive campaign, a new administration is poised to assume power in Washington, having been elected on a platform which has expressed skepticism toward big government and regulatory intervention.

The transfer of power has only just begun, cabinet and agency appointments are a still in progress, and budget negotiations are far off – including the implications of funding cutbacks or additions.

In the meantime, we’re preparing for the changes that may be ahead. Earlier this year, the NCA released the first-ever Economic Impact Study to measure the U.S. coffee economy, and the NCA’s 2017 plan already includes outreach in Washington to raise awareness of the industry’s importance. That outreach will now take on even greater significance as the coming months unfold.

The NCA will not speculate as to what these changes in Washington may mean for coffee. But it’s never too soon to begin planning, and here are some key issues on the industry’s docket:

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FSMA Compliance Deadline for Large Companies Has Arrived

By ToxStrategies

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The first major compliance deadline for larger businesses (> 500 employees) to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Control rules for human and animal foods has arrived.  FSMA was “a call for a new, prevention-oriented safety system.”  This new focus on prevention requires food facilities to have written food safety plans encompassing both Good Manufacturing Practices and applicable Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls.

As of September 19, businesses involved in the production of human foods must comply with both the Hazard Analysis and Preventive Controls regulations as well as adhere to the current Good Manufacturing Practices published in 21 CFR Part 117 Subpart B.  Animal food businesses are only required to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices described in 21 CFR Part 507 Subpart B.

This is a new era for food safety regulation and is being met with some expected angst and trepidation. Continue reading

Finding Answers to Today’s Top 5 Challenges

By Kyra Auffermann, National Coffee Association

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Our industry is facing a range of unprecedented challenges. The coffee supply chain is incredibly complex – and interconnected. This can create a lot of uncertainty for businesses trying to succeed in such a competitive market.

But with a shift in perspective – and by asking the right questions – potential problems can become opportunities.

Check out the following list of the top challenges facing coffee companies today. (And if you’re interested in learning more, join leaders from across the industry at the NCA Coffee Summit, Oct. 26-28, Miami, FL.)

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