DEAR COLLEAGUES AND CLIENTS

21 April 2020

We are standing by to assist you.

As we draw a line through the fourth week of the now 35-day national lockdown the literature suggests that we experience frustration, anger and in some cases depression. I am sure we can put our hands up for one of these emotions.

As a survival tactic for these emotions let us remember to keep ourselves focused on what we can do right now to make a difference to our team members, families, communities, colleagues and clients.

To all our Muslim colleagues and clients, we wish you, Ramadan Mubarak.

Regards,
The FACTS team

Reminder: FACTS Webinar – How COVID-19 presents vulnerabilities for the food supply chain

Webinar Wednesday hosted by Food Focus presents FACTS/Decernis webinar discussing how COVID-19 presents vulnerabilities for the food supply chain.

We will be outlining the principles around knowing your biological hazard (such as COVID-19) and how this will support you in the Food Industry to best manage the vulnerabilities a hazard may cause. While our attention is focussed on the COVID-19 crisis, could we be even more vulnerable to food fraud than ever before? With shortages of ingredients, lack of resources and the impact on global trade, this is certainly not the time to lower our guard. Then Decernis will be speaking about managing food fraud and anticipating challenging events caused by biohazards (such as COVID-19).

Wed, April 22, 2020 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM SAST

DID YOU KNOW?

Our services include Allergen Testing, Food Fraud Prevention, Food Regulations and Standards, Consumer Assurance programs, Testing and Interpretation & Training and Facilitation

Contact us today!

What is next on the agenda for food fraud pre-, during and post-COVID-19?

In the last few years, we’ve seen authorities clamping down on local businesses selling non-perishable goods beyond their best-before date, as well as counterfeit products. With COVID-19 currently presenting as a biohazard for the food industry, will food fraud pose a greater danger to vulnerabilities in the industry in the aftermath of the pandemic?

DID YOU KNOW?

We are working on collating information that will support the food industry during this time. Check out our FACTS COVID-19 page regularly for more information.

W.H.O provides COVID-19 guidance to the Food Industry

Food industry personnel do not have the opportunity to work from home, and are required to continue to work at their usual workplaces. Keeping all workers in food production and supply chains healthy and safe is critical to surviving the current pandemic. Maintaining the movement of food along the food chain is an essential function, to which all stakeholders along the food chain need to contribute. This is also required to maintain trust and consumer confidence in the safety and availability of food. The WHO issued a guidance document for food businesses on 7 April. You can read the WHO guidance document here.

DO YOU FIND THIS TOPIC INTERESTING?

You may be interested in some of our other articles listed in our Food Safety category.

Find more articles here

DoH Director of Food Control statement relating to food control during lockdown

Penny Campbell, DoH Director of Food Control, has issued a statement on food control during the lockdown. The statement included some important points:

"FOOD SAFETY BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the disaster is NON-NEGOTIABLE"

Effectiveness of and requirements for face-masks

The use of masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19 has been a controversial topic the world over. The South African National Department of Health has released a position statement on how to use masks.

Read more here

DO YOU FIND THIS TOPIC INTERESTING?

You may be interested in some of our other articles listed on our COVID-19 page.

Find more articles here

Useful disinfectants for SARS-CoV-2

Recent studies have identified the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via surfaces, indicating the need for frequent and effective cleaning. But what cleaning agents are best suited to the inactivation of the novel coronavirus?

Read more here

DO YOU FIND THIS TOPIC INTERESTING?

You may be interested in some of our other articles listed in our Food Fraud & Authenticity category.

Find more articles here

FACTS Workshops: Registration now open!

The FACTS workshop registrations are open!
Please view our training calendar below:

CALENDAR

This year we have converted our 2-day Practical Allergen Management Workshop into a 1-day course with more dates available.

Our well supported 2-day Regulatory Workshop will be covering R.146 (Regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs) with some exciting highlights such as regulatory compliance for novel ingredients.

Due to the Covid-19 social and physical distancing requirements we are establishing an online training solution for our Practical Allergen Management Workshop planned for the 29 May 2020.

Please register as normal and further details will be shared.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

We welcome your calls, questions and concerns, and encourage you to communicate with us by calling +27 21 882 9883 or emailing [email protected]

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We share interesting and thought-provoking articles on this platform. Join us to see what we come across and share with our followers.

FACTS Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services

+27 21 882 9883 | [email protected] | www.factssa.com
Office 11, The Woodmill, Vredenburg Rd, Stellenbosch, Western Cape 7600, South Africa