Packer Fresh Take: Carey Allen of SCS Global Services
Welcome to The Packer’s Fresh Take, a new column featuring advice and inspiration from leaders and innovators in the produce industry, in their own words.
Carey Allen, Vice President and Managing Director of Food and Agriculture certifications at SCS Global Services, shares what the industry should take advantage of, her favorite trade show memory and the best concert she’s ever been to.
Tell us about your roots.
I was educated in food science and technology and spent many years working in food product development and quality. When we moved to Michigan, I started work in the testing, inspection and certification world. I got involved in the produce industry initially through my roles in technical quality management as a certifier in organic and food safety certification. I helped the certification and auditing team manage compliance issues, product recalls and failure investigations. The certification business has given me a broad perspective. having worked with operations at each link in the supply chain. It's really helped me understand the operational challenges that the produce industry faces with respect to supply chain and food safety risks.
Hit us with your best advice.
Help your customer identify a way to bring value to their product and then communicate how you'll meet that need in a unique way. Being a trusted partner that will help solve problems and increase value builds long term, mutually beneficial relationships.
What’s an untapped opportunity for the produce industry?
The momentum is rising and it's starting to take hold, but a huge opportunity exists in predictive technology. We have so much data and past experience to draw from on the source of hazards and recalls. Tapping into that ability can help regulators and managers take action to avoid hazards and mitigate risk introduced by changing conditions in weather, people, geographic proximity, equipment, supplies, etc. Getting those tools into the hands of producers small and large to alert and provide action steps can help avoid food safety incidents and costly recalls and investigations and help manage resource utilization in a sustainable way. It takes a lot of knowledge and data sharing to load these systems in order to make predictive technologies work. Transparency is critical to moving the food industry forward and will benefit producers, processors and consumers alike.
What’s your favorite trade show memory?
My best memories are of meeting up with colleagues who have been in the industry a long time and have a wealth of experience to share. I really enjoy having the opportunity to meet up in person and learn from them in a more relaxed, informal environment. One of the most fun moments was watching live band karaoke during the evening social event at a trade show a few years ago, when one of our customers (I won’t name names, but the guy was such a great performer!) did an amazing and crowd-pumping rendition of "This Is How We Do It," originally made famous by Montell Jordan back in the ‘90s.
What are you most proud of?
I have always enjoyed product and service development and seeing a finished product out there in the marketplace. From my days in food manufacturing, we would put out so many product concepts and some of them would be shelved for later consideration. Years after having moved on to new roles, I have seen products that I helped develop be launched in retail and foodservice. That's a lot of fun. I have been really proud of certification programs I developed that drive sustainable business practice. In particular development of standards to reduce reliance on antibiotics in food production and transitional production standards for farmers moving to organic production. If that work is even just a small piece toward a solution for a more sustainable world, I feel like its time and effort well spent.
What keeps you cool as a cucumber?
I like to take walks for exercise with my family and have a chance to get away from the cell phone and tablets, or just hang out in the sunshine on the deck with my family. I have two teenagers and I really cherish the time we have together talking during walks, knowing they'll be moving on to college soon.
What's your favorite produce item?
My kids think I’m totally weird, but I love sliced banana in cottage cheese. I eat this for breakfast at least four times a week. Bananas are so convenient and healthy, and the sweet/salty combo is perfect, kind of like salted caramel ice cream.
What's the best concert you’ve ever been to?
My husband and I discovered this alt country singer, Robbie Fulks, when we were living in Madison, Wis., for graduate school. He would come through town on tour every year and we had a such a great time going to see him at the Harmony Bar. We have followed his music for over 20 years now. This year we are looking forward to taking our teenage kids to a very different show, the Hella Mega Tour in Hershey, Pa., that was cancelled last summer due to COVID-19.