Presentation regarding Produce Traceability as presented to FDA & FSIS on December 9 & 10, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

1. Global Food Safety Standards
Ana Hooper
Vice President, Total Quality
December 9, 2009

2. Darden
Global Food Safety Standards
Darden is the world’s largest full service restaurant company
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– Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse
– Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52
Nearly 1 800 company owned and operated restaurants in over
1,800
1000 North American communities
Employs more than 180,000 people across North America
Serves over 400 million meals to US customers annually
Purchases from over 1,500 suppliers in the US and 35 countries
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3. Darden
Global Food Safety Standards
FOOD SAFETY IS OUR #1 PRIORITY
International Team of Food Safety and Quality Professionals
– Over 50 Biologists, Food Scientists, and Public Health Professionals
Located Around the World
o 17 Field Plant Inspectors in US and 10 foreign countries who inspect
food plants, products and processes
o 20 Field Total Quality Managers who review and certify in-restaurant
processes
The best way to ensure quality is to go to the source
Utilizing a Risk Based, Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points
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(HACCP) approach, ensure:
– Food safety practices are integrated at all levels of the supply chain
– Highest level of security to the Darden supply chain (domestic &
international), with traceability from pond to plate / farm to fork
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4. Darden
Global Food Safety Standards
Visibility to Manufacturing Facilities Inspection Data
– Products may only be purchased from approved Manufacturing Facilities
Product Specifications for all Products
– Products are not purchased without an approved, signed, Product
Specification
Visibility to Critical Product Data
– Full visibility to Food Safety and Quality Compliance
– Corrective Action Tools to drive Continuous Improvement
– Full visibility to supplier data verifying products meet the Specifications
prior to shipping
Full Product Traceability
– Highest level of security to the Darden supply chain with traceability from
pond to plate/ Farm to fork
– Intelligent Bar Coding throughout Supply Chain
– Shelf Life Management
– Food Safety Crisis Management
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5. Darden
Global Food Safety Standards
Darden Food Safety Crisis Response/Traceability Imperative:
– To successfully and swiftly manage any food safety incident, ensuring speed of
action for problem resolution with clear, timely communications
Expectations of Darden Suppliers - Full Product Traceability:
– Suppliers must readily be able to identify :
o Number of cases produced by date code
o Where products were shipped and when
o How much remaining on hand
– Have system in place to do the same with their raw material suppliers
Examples of Challenges with Recent Trace-backs:
– Tomatoes - Salmonella
– Dry Milk Powder - Salmonella
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6. Darden
Global Food Safety Standards
In the event of a food-borne outbreak, the goals of the government’s
food safety organizations are clear:
– Find and contain the problem quickly
– Find the source of the problem
– Trace forward to its spread, and inform consumers
Recommendations for Improvement:
– Greater Industry and Government collaboration to expedite investigations
– Enhance the transparency and exchange of information between Industry and
Government during the investigative process
Benefits:
– Minimi es search time for s spect prod ct
Minimizes suspect product
– Allows government to concentrate limited investigative resources on high-risk,
non-excludable segments of Industry
– Reduces the cost burden failure rate and health impact of prolonged
burden,
investigations by identifying affected product more quickly
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7. Thank You!
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