In-Sites from SCI

In this episode of the Foresight podcast, host Dom Burch interviews Kay Bott, the Integrity Director at Supply Chain Insights (SCI). Kay shares her extensive background in food technology and quality management, highlighting her diverse experience across various food sectors, including her roles at Lyons Bakery (now Kipling's) and NSF.

Kay discusses her journey to SCI and her current role, which involves overseeing food safety, quality management systems, and accreditation. She emphasises the importance of mentoring and empowering employees, aligning with SCI's flexible and customer-focused approach.

SCI is known for its unique culture, featuring a flat organisational structure that encourages open communication and innovation. Kay highlights the benefits of this environment, stating, "We do have that open conversation. And nobody's wary about making open remarks. And that's fantastic."

The conversation also touches on the role of AI and other technologies in enhancing food safety and quality management. While recognising the benefits of these advancements, Kay stresses the need to balance them with human expertise.

Additionally, Kay explains how SCI's ability to scale and operate globally, drawing on a diverse pool of experts, provides significant advantages for their clients. She mentions, "We have availability of people all around the world...with lots of different expertise. There's nothing we can't do."

Tune in to learn more about Kay's insights on food safety, SCI's innovative culture, and the future of quality management.

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Dave Walker is chief agriculture officer for Supply Chain In-sites (SCI), in this podcast with Dom Burch they discuss Dave's career transition, the role of remote auditing in agriculture, and future trends in the industry.

Career Background and Transition:
Dave shares his journey from being born into a farming family to eventually leading the agriculture division at SCI. His diverse experiences include working on his family's farm, joining the police force, and transitioning to agriculture auditing and certification. His background gives him a unique perspective and empathy towards farmers, which he finds invaluable in his current role.

Remote Auditing:
Dave highlights the innovation of remote auditing, which became a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. He played a significant role in establishing remote audits in agriculture, demonstrating that compliance could effectively be assessed via video links. This adaptation allowed for continuous monitoring and maintained standards despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Future Trends and Sustainability:
Looking towards the future, Dave discusses the importance of environmental sustainability in agriculture. He notes the industry's slow pace of change and the need for consistent metrics to measure and demonstrate improvements effectively. The discussion also touches on the potential benefits of AI in monitoring animal health, which could lead to earlier interventions and better welfare outcomes.

Trust and Compliance:
Dave emphasises the importance of building trust with customers through transparency and honest communication. He believes in being a partner rather than just a service provider, which helps in understanding and meeting customer needs more effectively.

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In the Foresight podcast's debut, Dom Burch hosts Shaun Kokott, an SCI retail and manufacturing expert, shedding light on the evolving landscape of compliance, certification, and supply chains. 

Shaun's journey from South Africa to the UK showcases his extensive background in food safety, quality, regulatory, and compliance across various sectors including FMCG, food production, and certification.

A central theme Shaun discusses is the dramatic shift in food fraud over the past two decades. He highlights the sophistication of fraud, where criminals have migrated from traditional illicit activities to the food sector, producing substandard goods or mislabeling products to exploit market value. An example given is the substitution of sugar syrup for honey. 

This shift underscores the need for stringent industry vigilance and technological advancements to combat fraud and improve product traceability.
Shaun emphasises the transformative role of technology in the food industry, particularly in enhancing traceability and auditing processes. He shares an example of a fish site in Grimsby that exemplified unprecedented traceability efficiency, underscoring the potential of technology to streamline operations and ensure food safety. 

The conversation also touches on the concept of "earned trust," advocating for a shift from traditional, time-bound audits to continuous, transparent processes that facilitate trust and compliance throughout the supply chain.

Shaun elaborates on SCI's focus on sustainability and CSR, particularly in helping retailers in Asia develop low carbon options for their products. He mentions engaging directly with farms to measure and improve carbon footprints, reflecting SCI's proactive stance in addressing global sustainability challenges.

Shaun's insights into the future of the food industry focus on combating food fraud and ensuring the health and safety of consumers through advancements in technology and stricter supply chain control. He stresses the importance of authentic, nourishing food and the role of AI in enhancing supply chain traceability and reducing fraud.

This episode not only showcases Shaun's expertise and SCI's innovative projects but also reflects on the broader implications for the food industry's future, emphasising the necessity of embracing technology and innovation to address contemporary challenges.

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