The preventive controls are less rigorous at some food processing facilities than at others, potentially increasing the risk of microbiological, chemical, and physical food safety hazards. We used a modified threerround Delphi technique to generate expert opinion on the ten food safety problems that are of top concern for the food processing industry today; and the preventive controls needed to address them. The expert panel members evaluated the frequency and severity of the food safety risk posed for five food processing industry sectors (baked, dairy, frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable goods, excluding meat and poultry products) and three plant sizes for each of the ten most important problems identified. The experts collectively ranked "deficient employee training" as the top problem lacing food processors today, followed by "poor plant and equipment sanitation" and "contamination of raw materials." Other problems included "poor plant design and construction," "post-process contamination,""difficult-to-clean equipment," and "incorrect labeling and packaging." The expert panel also made recommendations on the types of preventive controls needed to address these problems. Some of the main recommendations with broad applicability across allfood sectors included ongoing and targeted training of employees, management, and suppliers; periodic audits of facility and raw material suppliers; improved recordkeeping; and validation/evaluation of activities such as employee training and cleaning procedures.
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