The Safe Quality Food Institute has released an online, self-paced course to help professionals transition from Edition 9 to Edition 10 of the SQF Code. The course includes real-world scenarios, implementation tools and access to live Q&A sessions with experts.

Shawnil Guiles-Pelcastre stands out as one of the first professionals to earn the Certified SQF Practitioner credential from the Safe Quality Food Institute, a distinction she views as both a mark of credibility and a source of confidence. The certification not only validates Guiles-Pelcastre's daily work in food safety, but also reassures her company of their decision to create the Senior SQF Practitioner role for her. Guiles-Pelcastre encourages others in the industry to pursue the credential, noting that it serves as both proof of expertise for seasoned practitioners and a goal for those beginning their journey.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has introduced the Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods Tool to help low- and middle-income countries address antimicrobial resistance related to food safety by improving the monitoring and risk management of veterinary drug residues in food. A pilot program in Pakistan demonstrated the tool's effectiveness in identifying gaps and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Simbe has introduced a multimodal store intelligence suite that focuses on fresh departments such as produce, deli, bakery and prepared foods. The suite includes the Tally autonomous mobile robot, Tally Spot fixed-sensor solution and Virtual Tour feature, which enables remote freshness assessments. "Simbe gives retailers the visibility and control to meet those expectations, at a time when outdated, manual processes are no longer an option," Simbe co-founder and CEO Brad Bogolea says.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform last-mile logistics, but carriers must move beyond quick fixes to achieve this. Arthur Axelrad of Dispatch Science says that while AI is being used to streamline operations, most tools operate in isolation. Axelrad advocates for a modern, connected platform with cloud-native architecture and open APIs to fully harness AI's power.

Post-processing contamination remains a critical challenge for Listeria control, as products that are already cooked can be re-contaminated through contact with unclean surfaces, equipment or personnel before packaging. The period after cooking and chilling, but prior to packaging, is particularly vulnerable. Preventing this type of contamination requires strict separation of raw and cooked zones, regular disassembly and cleaning of equipment, diligent moisture control (especially in areas like drip pans and overhead pipes) and robust employee hygiene practices. Smaller plants, which may lack dedicated clean rooms, must focus on physical workflow separation and strict movement controls to minimize post-lethality risks.

The SQF Food Safety Code for storage and distribution can provide numerous advantages, including regulatory compliance, risk reduction, standardized practices, enhanced food safety culture, improved reputation, market access, continuous improvement and better integration within the supply chain. Check out our blog!

Do you know how you stack up in key risk areas? Poor performance in your allergen management, food fraud and recall management are key areas that can lead to distrust of your brand and, ultimately, a massive loss in business. Not knowing your risk levels is dangerous, but being unprepared can be disastrous. Take our free risk test and get instant results and recommendations.