Maritime Service
Most of the focus of this blog is generally on the pharmaceutical side of the business related to cold chain, supply chain and the management of temperature controlled drug related products.
We hear so much about GMP, GDP, GD etc., for the drug environment but I believe many times fail to realize how similar the requirements are between the produce and drug regulation landscape.
Recently I had the opportunity to inspect a very large kitchen operation of a cruise liner which included a very interesting meeting with the Executive Chef' of the operation.
During the tour, and from our conversation, it became obvious to me that the regulations that apply to the food preparation operations under the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) is by intent very similar to GMP and GSP for the Drug Manufacturers.
This includes regular audits which are conducted on cruise liners every 6 months for those that are registered or operate out of US ports and the inspection includes testing for bacteria and contaminants in all parts of the kitchen with a review of the temperature logs for the refrigeration equipment. (Similar to vaccine and bio-product storage unit audits!)
At the end of our meeting the parting comment from the Chef' was in regards to his familiarity with the Drug and Medical facility regulations. And I quote: "He felt very competent that he would pass any audit that would allow him to conduct surgery within his kitchens".
