Allpax program aids efforts to follow food safety rules

Allpax Products, a division of Pro Mach and a market leader in retort technology and retort room automation, introduces a program for ensuring that retort rooms meet the quality and reporting mandates specified under the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was passed by Congress on Jan. 4.

Under this Allpax program, experienced field technicians will evaluate, free of charge, retort room controls and record keeping and provide recommendations on what steps, if any, are needed to bring the retort operation into compliance with the modernization act. Allpax is focusing a great deal of this effort on older canneries that utilize vertical saturated steam and water immersion retorts and on operations that import foodstuffs.

"Older canneries and importers are at highest risk of not having the control and monitoring capabilities essential for assuring retort room compliance," said Greg Jacob, vice president and general manager of Allpax. "The act emphasizes prevention, holding control, and record keeping to the highest standard in the country's history. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for manual control, clipboard records, and last generation black box controllers to measure up to the new tougher standards."

The modernization act expands FDA access to records in a food emergency, requires all facilities to have in place prevention plans to address identified hazards and adulteration, increases the number of FDA inspections, and gives the agency the power to order mandatory recalls. Furthermore, the act empowers the FDA to suspend a food facility's registration if there is a reasonable probability that food from the facility will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Jacob said that one of the positive unintended consequences of modernizing retort control and monitoring systems is that older canneries will improve productivity, lower waste, and in general extend the operational life of the retort room.

"Allpax has always worked hand-in-hand with regulatory agencies like the FDA to make sure our customers have access to retort room solutions that comply with all the latest rules regarding processing safety and security," Jacob said. "Our solutions provide the peace of mind that comes with an efficient, compliant system."

For information on Allpax's FDA compliant control and monitoring solutions, visit the company’s website.

Source: Allpax Products