In FoodSafetyNews.com: Digitized Systems Protect Profitability During Avian Influenza Outbreaks
Icicle Business Development Manager Paul Tolnai was recently featured in FoodSafetyNews, an award-winning publication with international coverage ranging from policy and politics to foodborne illness outbreaks, sustainability, science, and food industry research to discuss how digitized solutions protect poultry businesses facing the threat of H5N1 outbreaks. In the article, titled “Canadian Food Processors Brace for the Impact of Avian Influenza,” Tolnai details the growing concern over the spread of avian influenza, yet another unprecedented emergency to hit the food industry in recent years. He notes that biohazards like H5N1 is one that raises the stakes for traceability and food safety for poultry producers and processors, and shares the systematic approaches that food manufacturers take to protect their business and supply chain.
Tolnai notes that the industry has been on high alert since reports of the avian influenza outbreak reached farms in Atlantic Canada in December 2021.The first reported outbreaks since 2015, this caused The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to clearly outline its plan for emergency prevention, preparedness and response to the outbreak. Poultry farmers have implemented the highest levels of biohazard safety to prevent outbreaks that could result in the depopulation of their flocks, as well as disrupt poultry processor supply chains.
Never before has the modern supply chain network seen the challenges which face food producers today. Small and medium-sized food manufacturers are getting squeezed out of the market place if they continue with business as usual.
Paul Tolnai, Business Development Manager, Icicle Technologies Inc.
Reinforcing Control Measures to Prevent Avian Influenza Infection
Centralizing information on control measures on a multi-platform, cloud-based system keeps teams agile in the event of emergency situations. Poultry producers are able to maintain audit-readiness against on-farm and post-farm biosecurity measures, bringing all team members together to prevent any potentially devastating outbreaks at the facility. As Tolnai noted…
Food processors that utilize an integrated and automated corrective actions infrastructure can ensure that the proper interventions are initiated immediately, providing clear direction on the responsibilities that staff must fulfill. Both on-farm and post-farm biosecurity measures can be locked in and reinforced with automatic notifications to ensure teams are always informed and contributing to overall safety, both at the facility and to its customers.
Paul Tolnai, Business Development Manager, Icicle Technologies Inc.
Icicle ERP is able to automate compliance management against the highest biosecurity levels, ensuring that poultry processors can consistently execute bulletproof preventive control plans to protect their business.
In addition, poultry businesses are able to monitor critical real-time data on production, inspections, and nonconformities as they happen to respond quickly when any issues arise to minimize the potential impacts of an H5N1 outbreak.
Poultry Processors Build Business Resiliency with Icicle ERP
For any small to mid-sized poultry business facing the threat of avian influenza, the automation of complete traceability provides a complete record for identifying and diagnosing areas of concern, as well as executing surgical recalls whenever necessary. This becomes especially important to poultry processors who rely on regional poultry producers for a steady supply of ingredients to deliver orders.
Icicle ERP’s supplier management features make it easy for poultry product manufacturers to closely monitor how suppliers are performing, as well as build flexibility by developing alternate supplier relationships when a supply disruption occurs. Trending lead times and pricing also gives food manufacturers better oversight to make better purchasing decisions to meet customer demand.
Especially with costs on the rise, connecting supplier management to other facets of operations helps companies plan for contingencies to keep production uptime maximized to meet demands while improving razor thin margins. Icicle activates efficiencies at every stage of production, reducing documentation, admin and food safety program costs to improve profitability, as well as reducing insurance costs by mitigating business risks.
Icicle Protects Profitability for Poultry Processors
Tolnai described how marketplace volatility due to increasing food costs in Canada, as well as the growing cost for all other materials needed for production due to skyrocketing fuel prices, have pushed food manufacturers to find creative solutions in these unprecedented times. This means that poultry processors need to consider all aspects connected to purchasing and production to avoid offloading costs to consumers where possible.
Increasingly, R&D Departments will be called on to have multiple formulas to avoid price spikes and supply chain interruptions. A company’s ability to quickly find and qualify alternative vendors will play an important factor in maintaining market share. Smart businesses will also diversify their market share, so that in the event demand for one of their products dries up, they have alternative markets to maintain business momentum.
Paul Tolnai, Business Development Manager, Icicle Technologies Inc.
Automated food production software solutions help poultry producers and processors successfully manage compliance and costs. Tolnai noted that sooner is always better to bring all aspects of food production operations together, as it allows businesses to reap numerous benefits to process automation, including reduced safety, quality control and administrative burdens.
For poultry producers and processors alike, Icicle’s intelligent cloud-based systems tailored for small to mid-sized food manufacturers, gives businesses peace of mind through unavoidable and unprecedented events. They remain prepared in the event of emergencies, natural disasters or outbreaks, and able to pick up production as quickly as possible.
Members of the Icicle Community are able to closely monitor real-time production run cost to maximize margins, all while improving both the capability and capacity of lean production teams to protect their bottom line.
Request a demo today to learn how Icicle ERP offers transformative solutions for highly regulated meat processing operations.
