Chapter 4 System management and record keeping
Standards covering food transportation system management and record keeping are similar in content and design to many previously established standards, such as those found in International Standards Organization (ISO) and other certification standards. This chapter includes TransCert management standards, as well as examples of electronic, paper, and real time data collection strategies designed to help companies plan for meeting new rules. While many large companies are currently embracing the evolving GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) approach, others still struggle with the myriad of standards imposed on them by their customer base. All such standards tend to ignore the food transportation sector's need for improved and more objective data, such as those provided by slow and costly bacterial contaminant testing. New lower cost and faster testing for transportation container bacterial, chemical, and radiation needs to be developed by the food industry and associated laboratory entities to provide a more preventive and risk reducing approach. Systems that provide cost analysis capabilities are needed to provide ROI and adequate food transportation controls.