Dealing with Major Disruptions in Food Processing
Course details
Self-Paced eLearning
69.00
45 Min
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Unexpected disruptions can quickly impact food safety, production, and business continuity. From power outages and water interruptions to equipment failures and supply chain disruptions, food processors must be prepared to respond effectively while maintaining control of food safety risks.
This course provides practical guidance on identifying potential disruptions, evaluating their impact, and developing response strategies that help protect consumers, maintain operations, and support business continuity. Participants will learn how to apply risk-based thinking to disruption planning and strengthen preparedness before an event occurs.
Benefits and Learning Objectives
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Define what constitutes a major disruption in a food processing facility.
- Explain how disruptions can impact food safety and business operations.
- Identify common disruptions encountered in food processing.
- Apply risk-based thinking to evaluate potential threats.
- Conduct risk-benefit analyses to prioritize preparedness efforts.
- Select appropriate response strategies to help maintain food safety and operational continuity.
Agenda
- Understanding Major Disruptions
- Food Safety & Operational Impacts
- Common Types of Disruptions
- Risk Assessment & Risk-Based Thinking
- Risk-Benefit Analysis
- Response & Mitigation Strategies
- Protecting Food Safety & Business Continuity
Who Should Attend?
- Food safety professionals
- Quality assurance and quality control professionals
- Plant and operations managers
- Production supervisors
- HACCP team members
- Regulatory and compliance professionals
- Business continuity and risk management personnel
- Food manufacturing professionals
Registration and Payment
To register for this course, please visit our training portal.
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Vice President, Technical Services
IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group
Meet the Instructor
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Dr. Gene Bartholomew joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2019. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University and a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University. Dr. Bartholomew began his professional career at International Paper in 1983 as a research scientist.
During his 15 years there, he commercialized and validated an aseptic packaging system, managed a beverage pilot plant and its laboratory, started taste panel testing for the company, and advanced to manage several product development groups. Dr. Bartholomew then joined Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats. He started in the John Morrell Group as the corporate director of food safety for 7 meat processing and slaughter facilities and 1 spice plant. He later took on the role of Senior Director of Corporate Food Safety, during which he was responsible for 14 meat processing plants and several FDA-regulated plants.
Throughout his 20-year career at Smithfield, he led HACCP plan design and validation, thermal processing, regulatory compliance, sanitation, allergen control and environmental pathogen monitoring. He also managed a corporate microbiology laboratory and its accreditation, and has certifications in HACCP training, BRC and SQF schemes, and is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Dr. Bartholomew was a founding member of the North American Meat Institute Listeria Control Workshop and has taught numerous courses to members of the food industry.