7 Ways Regulatory Managers Stay Up to Date With Regulation
Compliance is essential in the food and beverage processing industry, but policy and regulatory changes happen almost overnight. Failure to adapt to policy changes and amendments can result in expensive compliance problems.
So we at QTalent put together 7 key ways regulatory managers can stay up to date with information about regulations in the food manufacturing industry.
What is regulatory monitoring for food compliance?
Regulatory compliance monitoring is the process of consistently reviewing food and beverage regulations and policy changes to ensure compliance with Canada’s food safety regulations.
We read almost every day about recalls due to incorrect labelling in the food processing industry. Not declaring allergens on food labels, using misleading claims, and failing contamination checks during processing are not just against Canadian food safety regulations but pose a significant health risk to consumers.
Regulatory labelling is just one area of food and beverage processing policy and regulatory changes that regulatory managers must monitor. Manually carrying our updates can feel impossible, especially with an increasingly global supply network feeding the demand for speedier product development.
Compliance software helps food manufacturers to automate processes throughout the entire production process. Implementing regulations, such as the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), requires plants to develop a preventive food safety plan focusing on traceability.
That reason alone makes compliance software even more important. Regulatory managers will have instant access to the information they need to demonstrate compliance with new regulations or to adapt their processes where necessary.
Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) are now commonly used to maintain records and documents. Traceability software applications are used to identify the source of food contamination in the event of a food safety incident.
Choosing a plant or factory with updated technology systems will ensure regulatory managers and food safety professionals can access the best software systems.
(Not convinced? Read our previous blog here: Should A Company's Lack Of Technology Be A Deal Breaker?)
Why are regulatory agencies important?
The food and beverage processing industry must comply with a range of regulations and policies to ensure the health and safety of all consumers. Canadian food and beverage processing manufacturers are governed by legislation such as the Food and Drugs Act, Safe Food for Canadians Act, and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, to name a few.
Regulatory agencies such as Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and local health authorities are responsible for enforcing regulations related to food and beverage processing. These regulations cover various areas, including food safety, labelling, and packaging. The regulatory agencies ensure food regulatory managers are updated on the latest food policy and regulatory changes.
How regulatory managers stay up to date with regulatory changes
- Follow regulatory agencies: Health Canada and CFIA post food regulatory changes on their Facebook and Twitter feeds. This is an excellent way for regulatory managers to stay informed about regulatory changes.
- Subscribe to regulatory newsletters: Subscribing to regulatory newsletters is an easy way to stay informed about new and changing regulations in the food manufacturing industry. Suppose you prefer not to have your email inbox spammed. In that case, you can also use a feed reader such as Feeder that will automatically curate updates from the regulatory agencies' websites.
- Attend conferences: Attending industry events and conferences is one of the best to get first-hand information about regulatory changes. Most events include sessions on regulatory updates and provide regulatory managers with an opportunity to learn from industry experts and ask questions.
- Join industry associations: Industry Associations provide members with regulatory updates and educational resources.
- Read industry publications: Reading industry publications, such as Food Safety Magazine and Food Engineering Magazine, often feature articles on compliance updates.
- Use compliance software: Compliance software can help automate regulatory processes and improve efficiency, making it easier to stay up-to-date with changing regulations.
- Follow QTalent: QTalent is Canada’s first talent acquisition platform that allows you to find the right company for you based on its sophisticated matching technology. We constantly post updates on the latest recalls, regulations, and compliance to ensure our candidates are always up to date with regulatory changes.
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