Services
Food Safety and Quality Systems, Management Consulting
Regulatory Compliance
FSMA compliance, assessments and consulting. FSPCA PCQI Lead Instructor for both Human and Animal Food.
Certification of Food Safety Systems
Gap Analyses, Implementation Plans, Project Management and Monitoring of on-going activities. Standards include FSSC22000, BRC, SQF, IFS Logistics, Safe Food Safe Feed.
Certification of Quality Systems
Gap assessments, implementation plans and transitions to new standard additions.
Supplier Management Systems
Creation of effective supplier management systems that manage risks such as food fraud, food safety and quality. Includes input from all affected departments including Procurement, Production, Marketing, Sales and Quality.
Validation
Ensuring technical requirements are achieved through clear understanding of the production / thermal process, allergen cleaning capabilities and current science including High Pressure Processing (HPP).
Coaching
Coaching managers in producing high quality, safe food, efficiently. Creating a workforce that knows their risks, manages them consistently and precisely, all the while enjoying their work. No surprises.
Plant Design, Construction & Renovation
Working with Engineers, Architects, Construction companies and Operational staff to ensure that the flow of people and materials maximize food safety, quality and efficiency.
Continuous Improvement, Statistical Process Controls
Activities range from design and implementation of SPC programs to upgrading and computerisation of data collection systems.
Due Diligence Assessments
Advisor to business owners and Directors/V.P.’s. Assessments based on facility condition, food safety, quality and new market opportunities. Valuable when capital purchases are considered and well as when insurance companies provide recall coverage.
Auditing
Conducting numerous formal and informal audits against GMP, HACCP and GFSI standards in Canada, United States and Caribbean. FSSC22000 Lead Assessor.
Human Resource Support
Assist in the hiring of Managers and Director level quality staff.
Training Services
On Site / Web Based Training for all levels from line staff to senior management in the areas of Food Safety, HACCP, GFSI-compliant standards, Quality Management and Continuous Improvement.
Food Safety - HACCP Programs
Prerequisite Program
Fundamentals of Food Safety (covers GFSI requirements)
HACCP Plan Development
Developing a Food Safety Risk Management (emphasizing detailed Hazard Analysis)
Validation and Verification
GFSI compliance, without confusing terminology
Food Safety - GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)
Make GFSI Work!
Introduction to the core concepts common to each of the GFSI-compliant group of standards.
SQF Essentials
Covers each element of the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Standard, Levels 2 & 3, including underlying concepts and auditor expectations.
SQF Management Overview
Overview of Safe Quality Food (SQF) requirements focused on the Senior Team’s role.
Internal Auditor Training SQF
Covers the GFSI (e.g. SQF, BRC, FSSC2200) training requirements for Internal Auditors.
Food Safety - BRC (British Retail Consortium)
BRC Essentials
Course reviews BRC (Issue 7) core requirements and auditor expectations.
BRC Management Overview
Overview of the BRC program requirements focused on the Senior Team’s role.
FSSC22000 Food Safety Management System
FSSC22000 Essentials
Course covering the core FSSC22000 programs.
FSSC22000 Management Overview
An overview of the program requirements focused on the Senior Team’s role.
Food Safety Management Skills
Root Cause Analysis
Working with the CAPA process, learn the details of three powerful root cause analysis tools.
CAPA – Corrective Action and Preventive Action
A "how to" course for Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA).
Senior Managers’ Risk Management Overview
An overview of the risk management concepts focused on the Senior Team’s role.
HACCP for Production Supervisors
Leadership concepts, risk management, problem solving, systems for a food safety culture.
Designing Food Safety & Quality Programs
How to design Food Safety & Quality Programs that work!
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Teaches a well considered approach that speeds change and helps achieve a culture of food safety.
Supplier Management
Develop a Supplier Management program integrating R&D, Purchasing, Operations and Quality.
Statistically Valid Sampling programs
Learn how to apply statistics wisely across a wide range of industry situations.
Maintenance and their role in Food Safety
Seminar covers GMP’s, Preventive Maintenance, food-grade materials and verification.
Recall Workshop
Learn to develop and test a Recall process that really works in an crisis situation.
Quality Systems Courses
Principled Management and Continuous Improvement
A series of four sessions covering SPC Basics, Problem Solving, Quality Strategy, Management principles, Customer Focus, Supplier Management.
Statistical Process Control (SPC) for the Food Industry
Basic SPC concepts of Continuous Improvement as applied to both food safety and quality.
Managing Well
Customer Focus, Designing Operating Systems that work!
Human Resources / Food Safety
Overcoming Resistance to Change, Conflict Resolution
Web Based Learning
Internal Auditing
Web Based Course covering Internal audit methods.
Articles and Videos
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 1)
Introduction outlining the specific objectives in this series of articles
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 2)
Ensuring previous audit non-conformances are resolved - This is Job #1 for you and the auditor. Don’t forget it.
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 3)
Auditing your plant for the obvious GMP issues - Look in every ‘nook and cranny’!
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 4)
Ensure there is rigorous internal auditing being done - Your team can conduct the most thorough audit.
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 5)
Ensure potential non-conformances are communicated to Senior Management - No surprises!
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 6)
Manage the audit - it’s best if you are quietly in charge of the audit
GFSI Re-Certification Audits (Part 7)
Get a second opinion - you don’t know what you don’t know
GFSI-light? Is it about Safety or Money?
Are we compromising the integrity of audits?
Third-Party Audits
Ensuring we keep the ultimate goal in mind.
Test Video
Don't let your employees sleep in.
About Us
HACCPbyDESIGN is committed to managing risk across the food chain through food safety systems and effective management. We offer consulting services that assist companies in meeting the various certifications and standards required by the food industry. We also provide a range of training services.
Irwin Pronk
Principal Advisor
Food Safety and Quality Systems - Management Consulting
Irwin Pronk has over 35 years of experience in the food processing, animal feed and packaging industries.
Working experience includes Maple Leaf (R&D) and Pillsbury/Green Giant (QA) and since Feb’95, Consulting, Training and Auditing in the areas of Food Safety (HACCP), Continuous Improvement and Management Systems development including the GFSI standards: SQF, FSSC22000, BRC, IFS and SFSF (Safe Food Safety Feed). FSMA PCQI Lead Instructor for both Human and Animal Food. Experience includes food processors, food service, on-farm, grain elevators, oil processing, feed mills, produce, distribution centres, municipal water treatment and packaging manufacturers, in Canada, United States, Mexico, Japan, China and Jamaica.
Irwin has worked with over 700 companies and trained over 10,000 individuals.
Experience as Acting Director of Quality for a company with 10+ plants.
In 2005, Irwin was recognized by the Ontario Food Protection Association as Sanitarian of the Year.
Experience includes supporting companies of all sizes in their Quality and Food Safety implementation efforts with Gap Analyses, Implementation Plans, Project Management and Monitoring of on-going activities. Standards include FSSC22000, BRC, SQF, IFS Logistics, Safe Food Safe Feed (with over 60 facilities certified to GFSI-compliant standards). Products include meat, bakery, Juice, animal feed, municipal water treatment, confectionary, warehousing and more. Examples include Weston Bakeries, Kelloggs, Cadbury Adams, Maple Lodge Farms, McCain Foods, Piller’s Sausages, Durham Region (Toronto) Water Treatment Facilities, ADM, Cargill, Wrigley, Shurgain Animal Feeds, Jones Packaging, Chantler Packaging, Penske Logistics.
“Efficiently producing safe, high quality food is as much managing well as it is about being technically correct.”
Regulatory Compliance
FSMA compliance, assessments and consulting. FSPCA PCQI Lead Instructor for both Human and Animal Food.
Certification of Food Safety Systems
Gap Analyses, Implementation Plans, Project Management and Monitoring of on-going activities. Standards include FSSC22000, BRC, SQF, IFS Logistics, Safe Food Safe Feed (with over 60 facilities certified to GFSI-compliant standards).
Certification of Quality Systems
Gap assessments, implementation plans and transitions to new standard additions.
Supplier Management Systems
Creation of effective supplier management systems that manage risks such as food fraud, food safety and quality. The most effective risk assessments include input from all affected departments including Procurement, Production, Marketing, Sales and Quality. The approval and management processes then vary in level of rigor, based on risk.
Validation
Ensuring that technical requirements are achieved through a clear understanding of the production process, thermal process, allergen cleaning capabilities and current science including High Pressure Processing (HPP).
Coaching
Coaching managers in producing high quality, safe food, efficiently. Creating a workforce that knows their risks, manages them consistently and precisely, all the while enjoying their work. No surprises.
Plant Design, Construction & Renovation
Working with Engineers, Architects, Construction companies and Operational staff to ensure that the flow of people and materials maximize food safety, quality and efficiency. Clients include Kellogg, Cadbury, F.G. Lister, Chudleigh’s and more.
Continuous Improvement / Statistical Process Control
Activities range from design and implementation of SPC programs to upgrading and computerisation of data collection systems.
“To be effective Continuous Improvement must infiltrate all departments from Sales through Production, Quality, and Human Resources to Accounts Receivable.”
Due Diligence Assessments
Advisor to business owners and Directors/V.P.’s. Plant / business assessments based on facility condition, food safety, quality and new market opportunities. These assessments are valuable when capital purchases are considered and well as when insurance companies provide recall coverage.
Auditing
Conducting numerous formal and informal audits against GMP, HACCP and GFSI standards in Canada, United States and Caribbean. FSSC22000 Lead Assessor.
Human Resource Support
Assist in the hiring of Managers and Director level quality staff.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science (Honours Food Science), University of Guelph,
ISO 9000 Lead Assessor Training ISO 9000 Documentation Design of Industrial Experiments Statistical Process Control Leadership Training