As I stare out of my office window, looking out at a warm spring morning, I cannot believe that it has been more than 12 months since the states began shutting down in response to COVID-19. In the time that has passed, we have endured an unsettled spring, a long summer, a cold fall and a harsh winter.

Now, with yet another spring on the horizon, the cold winter is beginning to give way to warming weather, blossoming trees and awakening critters. But as we transition into a new season, these are not the only things coming to life: So, too, are the food safety regulators.

Moreso on the FDA side, but also to some extent on the USDA side, the food safety regulators are beginning to stir. Now that most companies have demonstrated their ability to control the spread of COVID-19 within their facilities, and the intrusive interventions put in place to address the virus have become routine, the regulators are beginning to spread more broadly into the field, while conducting surveillance and inspections. Thus, as you begin to plan for the coming months, you should anticipate the potential for a visit from FDA or USDA investigators.

In turn, because much of the food industry’s attention over the last 12 months has been focused on COVID-19, the resources in many companies usually available to support food safety have been diverted to other needs. Because COVID-19 interventions and strategies have been extremely costly for many companies, in many cases there have been even fewer funds available to support food safety. In addition to the lack of overall resources suffered by many in the industry, the focus of management and employees has also been diverted away from food safety as well.

As a result, there may be some gaps or shortfalls in the food safety programs in some companies. Knowing this may be true, and knowing that a visit from FDA or USDA investigators may also be looming on the horizon, creates a great incentive for food companies to give themselves a good spring cleaning.

Indeed, it might be a good strategy for all food safety professionals to set aside a few hours to take close look at your programs and spend some quality time on the floor to see how they are being executed in this post-COVID-19 world. Not only might you identify some gaps, but you might also find some areas where improvements could be made.

Even if your existing programs are in tip-top shape, a self-critical audit and a second set of eyes can always be helpful. In turn, with a little effort today, you should be able to assure yourself that you will be prepared if FDA or USDA springs a visit on you tomorrow.

It’s time for spring cleaning

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