Purdue alum focuses on food safety in new venture

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Purdue University-affiliated entrepreneur hopes to help smaller businesses follow new federal regulations on importing food. Jennifer Crandall started Safe Food En Route to help companies meet guidelines under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program.

The rule requires U.S. importers to verify the food they’re importing meets safety standards.

“We want to bring corporate-level food safety programs to these smaller businesses and help them meet the requirements,” Crandall said. “We do this by reviewing the policies and procedures in place for foreign suppliers, reviewing third-party audit reports and determining if the importers need to take any other actions to determine if the food is safe prior to importing.”     

Crandall says her team learns procedures to ensure hygienic practices are being followed by foreign suppliers to manage foodborne hazards.  

“During the pandemic, it is just as important that the additional attention being focused on hygienic practices and health issues does not take away from the other work ensuring the safety of our imported food,” Crandall said.