{"id":2356,"date":"2019-11-19T11:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T16:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.produceinventory.com\/blog\/?p=2356"},"modified":"2019-11-19T11:00:39","modified_gmt":"2019-11-19T16:00:39","slug":"novembers-business-improvement-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.produceinventory.com\/blog\/novembers-business-improvement-news\/2019\/11\/19\/","title":{"rendered":"November’s Business Improvement News!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Save the Date for CPMA’s Farm to Plate Event…<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Date<\/strong>: February 25, 2020
\nLocation<\/strong>: Ottawa<\/p>\n

This is your chance to meet the new Members of Parliament and ensure the fresh produce industry’s voice is heard. More details will follow…<\/p>\n

3rd Party Software We Use and Recommend…<\/h3>\n

This month’s featured software suggested by WaudWare president, F. Charles Waud.<\/p>\n

PDF Creator<\/strong> – https:\/\/www.pdfforge.org\/pdfcreator<\/a>
\nThis is an application used for converting documents into Portable Document Format (PDF) on Microsoft Windows operating systems. Here at WaudWare, this is our preferred software for creating PDFs when you print. It allows the PDF to be opened automatically after it has been created, and can be set up to allow you to email the PDF as well. For these 2 reasons, we prefer this to CutePDF, Microsoft\u2019s PDF Printer and other PDF software. Check out some of the other 3rd Party Software Applications<\/a> we use and recommend.<\/p>\n

Public Meeting on a New Era of Smarter Food Safety…<\/h3>\n

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) held a public meeting on October 21, 2019 to discuss critical areas related to the new era of smarter food safety initiative. The meeting, which was at maximum capacity for both in-person as well as webcast attendance<\/strong>, began with a call to action from FDA Deputy Commissioner, Office of Food Policy and Response, Frank Yiannas on the importance of all stakeholders in the industry to work together to drive the change. Read the Food Safety Tech article<\/a>…<\/p>\n

CFIA Extends<\/span> Mandatory Compliance with SFCR Traceability Requirements Impacting Produce Packaging…<\/h3>\n

<Excerpt Source: CPMA Member Bulletin – November 8, 2019><\/em><\/p>\n

CPMA, CHC AND RCC are pleased to announce an extension to the timeline by which fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) packaging is required to be compliant with the traceability regulations included in the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Although the regulations will come into place on January 15, 2020, industry packaging will not be expected to be compliant with the traceability regulations until the following year<\/strong>. Although the CFIA website will continue to state January 15, 2020, is the compliance date for traceability regulations for FFV, CFIA is developing language to explain this \u201csoft enforcement\u201d period for packaging. Industry will be advised when that language is on the website.<\/p>\n

CFIA Makes Final Decision Regarding Lot on Consumer Prepackaged Produce…<\/h3>\n

Safe Food For Canadians Regulations \u2013 Traceability<\/h4>\n

<Source: CPMA Member Bulletin, October 31, 2019><\/em><\/p>\n

CFIA has advised CPMA of their final decision around the specifics of lot code options to comply with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) on traceability. Unfortunately, after months of meetings, evidence presented from data collection and member presentations, CFIA is unwilling to change their decision relative to the particulars of use of Growing Region as an acceptable lot code for the purposes of the regulations. They are also unwilling to extend the compliance date for fresh produce, so the compliance date remains as January 15, 2020.<\/p>\n

This issue is of significant impact to those companies packing in the field or orchard where including a lot on a label can be much more complex than in a packhouse environment. CPMA was pleased when CFIA agreed to expand the parameters of lot code to support this sector by allowing the fresh fruit and vegetable industry more flexibility in what constitutes a lot code; in particular, the allowance of growing region as the lot was expected to enable those producers to continue field packing without substantive change or cost. Specifically, after CFIA\u2019s reversal of a previously accepted definition, the definition of Growing Region to include country (accompanied by a brand name), or province\/state or production region was the expected outcome. As of yesterday, the following outlines CFIA\u2019s decision:<\/p>\n