Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to master a food safety program. From the top executives down to the line operators, all parties involved must be aware of—and able to execute—today’s ever-changing food safety regulations.

Food safety is at the core of every successful food business. When making a purchasing decision on food, consumers have to trust that the food manufacturers have delivered a product that is safe to consume.

The easiest way to prevent recalls associated with refrigerated foods is to ensure you are continually producing safe, wholesome product that never needs to be recalled. Sounds easy, right?

Food recalls reached a 2-year quarterly high in 2012, according to the ExpertRECALL Index documented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Picture the quality of your food products as a boat floating in the sea. On a perfect day, the sea would be completely calm and still, making predictions about the general safety and shelf life of these products relatively easy.