FOOD SAFETY OVERVIEW

NN-IFQSS is a food defense system that stresses on strong alignment of all steps of the food safety system, starting from planning formulation, implementation, verification/performance appraisal, to improvement. Each step is developed to fulfill a quantifiable, outcome-based goal. The implementation of the food safety system is guided by Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Oriented (SMART) SOP and clearly delegated to ensure strong accountability. Work tools; modules and work documents are created based on the relevant SOP to guarantee strong alignment between the SOP and the actual implementation of the day to day operation. Continuous improvement of NN-IFQSS is provided by the quantitative performance scoring system. The entire steps are framed in BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Issue# 7 and integrated in a database system management. The following are the elements of NN-IFQSS:

1. 1. Customer Identification
      Customer/consumer is the party who uses and/or consumes the finished product. Therefore, it is important to be clear on where the product will be distributed and who is the targeted consumer. This will help focus on understanding the expectations and regulations that become the standard parameters of quality and food safety.
   2. Finished Product Specification
      Based on clarity of the targeted market/customers and their standards of quality and food safety, Finished Product Specification is developed, both for the quality and food safety aspects of the finished product material and the packaging used.  Therefore, the Finished Product Specification is the output of what is viewed as a safe and good quality product by the targeted market.
   3. Supply Chain Analysis
      The quality and food safety parameters required by the finished product specification are the guidelines to determine the raw material required and the supply chain to source the raw material from. The goal of a supply chain analysis is to analyse and confirm the minimum level of quality and food safety that can be controlled consistently by the supply chain.
   4. Raw Material Product Specification
      It is a manifestation of the minimum standard quality and food safety that has been confirmed to be consistent within the control of the supply chain. Thus, it consists of quality and food safety parameters that reflect the characteristics of the raw material and how the supply chain operates from producing the raw material until delivery of the material to Navil Natural’s facility.
   5. Determine Production Flow
      A production flow is a series of production steps, which is designed and developed to achieve the quality and food safety parameters required by the finished product specification based on the minimum standards of quality and food safety maintained by the raw material product specification.
   6. Implementation of the 7 Principles of HACCP
      The 7 principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation, and control of food safety hazards that may come from the raw material, the personnel, the production equipment, and the environment where the production processes take place.
   7. Establish SMART Prerequisite Program
      Prerequisite program are practices and conditions needed prior to and during the implementation of HACCP, which are essential for food safety. Prerequisite programs provide a foundation for an effective HACCP system. Navil Natural SMART prerequisite program is a program that is manifested into Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Oriented (SMART) standard operational procedures (SOP). Each SOP sustains quantifiable, outcome-based goal(s), which are required to sustain an effective implementation of HACCP system. Each SOP is clearly delegated for strong accountability, the implementation is represented by relevant work tools/documents/modules, and the effectivity level of the SOP is continuously measured by a quantitative performance scoring system, which then provides a foundation for a continuous improvement.
   8. Integration to BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Issue# 7
      NN-IFSS is an integrated food safety system, which is developed specifically for Navil Natural’s operation. Thus, it needs to be framed in a globally acknowledged food safety system. Due to complex challenges in today’s food supply chain, many of the world’s largest food retailers are mandating supplier certification to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) schemes. GFSI was established to ensure confidence in the delivery of safer food to consumers, while continuing to improve food safety throughout the supply chain.  These global standards address food, packaging, packaging materials, storage and distribution for primary producers, manufacturers and distributors. Based on the targeted market, Navil Natural decides to choose BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Issue# 7 (one of GFSI recognized food safety system) as the framework for its food safety system. Thus, NN-IFSS management of verification or performance appraisal system is built based on BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, Issue# 7 benchmarked standards.
   9. Integrated Performance Appraisal System
      Each step in the food safety system is generated from a quantifiable, outcome-based goal(s) and it is built to ensure alignment of the entire steps of the food safety system. This means alignment within all steps in the food safety plan, and alignment of the plan with actual day to day operation/implementation. NN-IFSS integrated performance appraisal/verification system integrates all the actual achievements of the targeted goals/standards and provide a quantitative report showing how well the standards are followed and implemented at the actual day to day operation, also showing how well the targeted goals are achieved (this determines the relevance level of the standards against the targeted goals/standards).
   10. Continuous Improvement
       The integrated performance appraisal system provides detail reports that show both the level of conformity and non-conformity either for each section of the food safety program and/or the entire food safety program. These reports show detail and on point gaps/non-conformities/room of improvements, which then become the foundation of continuous improvement program.