Food and beverage companies would be well-served by moving away from paper-based compliance systems and replacing them with modern, automated solutions.

Regulations contained in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food and Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) have made the food industry safer, improved product quality, and reduced food recalls. They have helped businesses focus on quality and manage suppliers in a more efficient and proactive way. This has minimized their costs of incidents associated with noncompliance, such as reinspections, food recalls, and even brand and reputation damages.

For most companies, FSMA has meant:

• An increase in the frequency of inspections. Implementation of a prevention-based food management solution and a food safety plan is now a requirement for compliance.
• Supplier verification. Companies that import foods internationally must ensure their suppliers are verified and their food products are safe.
• More intensive sampling and testing of food. This requirement has placed an enormous