The Food Safety Perspective of Eric Timmermans, expert in food safety.

Eric Timmermans is an international expert in food safety and quality. His vision is rich in advice for industries, reflecting over 30 years of work in the sector, particularly in a long career at Friesland Campina, a Dutch dairy cooperative operating globally.

Today, he identifies several challenges facing industries in food safety: « the interpretation of food laws », which varies from country to country, the new shift in food safety from a « risk-based approach » to a « hazard-based approach ». A risk-based approach is based on science, while a hazard-based approach focuses on the presence of a contaminant that « should not be there », even if it doesn’t pose a real food safety risk. This leads companies to recall products "for no reason ».

Another challenge is related to social media. Unlike our judicial system where you are « innocent until proven guilty », social media today makes you « already guilty before » you can prove your innocence. Timmermans personally experienced this when « nothing was wrong » with their product, but posts on Facebook forced them to defend themselves, resulting in « lost market share ».

The third trend is about diagnostics, analytics. Diagnostics are becoming « more and more sensitive », enabling us to identify contaminants and microorganisms much better than before. Some contaminants have always been present but were previously undetectable. Now that we can identify them, « we have to get rid of them », and food companies must be prepared for this.

When it comes to diagnostics, bioMérieux is « the expert on diagnostics ». They know everything about their tools, techniques, methods, and diagnostics. Their solutions help food companies « identify microorganisms or contaminants much faster and much more sensitive ». They also help speed up « root cause analysis in case of issues » or prevent problems from happening. Diagnostics bring focus because techniques like sequencing allow companies to concentrate better on the real causes of an issue.

One area where diagnostics can make a significant difference is in environmental monitoring. The safety of finished products depends not only on the quality of raw materials and processes but also on the manufacturing environment itself. By setting up a good environmental monitoring program, companies can improve their performance against pathogens and spoilers.

In conclusion, Eric Timmermans recommends adopting these diagnostics to get the most value out of them. They help address challenges in food safety by providing faster and more accurate insights into contaminants and microorganisms, ultimately improving overall product quality and safety.