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Today's global environment places a shared responsibility for food safety on all those involved in the supply of food. Increased concern and liabilities dealing with issues of consumer health protection affect everyone in the industry. Westernized nations and international companies are placing more demands on developing countries and smaller producers to meet their high standards. Failure to improve safety measures can result in cancelation of orders and product removal from the market thus jeopardizing a company's reputation and long-term success.
Questions regarding food safety are increasingly an issue for all who handle or come into contact with food.Regularly cases of foodborne illness are reported. The media often highlights the problems relentlessly, and retailers and consumers are acutely aware of each foodborne illness that occurs.
The risks involved with agricultural products can protect both the health of the consumer and the financial health of their company from the impacts of foodborne illness.
What Is a Food Safety Plan?
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- It is a written set of procedures and system of documentation that can effectively demonstrate to an external body or auditor that the processes involve in preparing and serving food in your establishment have been complied with and that you are serving 'Safe Food' all the time.
- The developement of effective Food Safety Plan is based on identifying where a potential food contamination or hazard could occur and developing a process that will ensure that it is identified and prevented from occuring.
- A food safety plan based on Hazard Analysis can be a simple set of procedures followed by or maybe a complex as a full HACCP system (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)
- Some Food Safety Procedures are developed using hazard analysis based processes that identify potential problems.
- These include such things as selecting appropriate suppliers and documenting the specific arrangements with them so that you have a safe and sound procedure.
- How to handle a product recall if a product you use in your food preparation is subsequently recalled by the manufacturer.
- Personal Hygiene procedures and cross contamination safety guidelines.
- Safe Washing-Up Procedures to help ensure that all items are safe to be use in the processing or delivery of food.
- Safe Cooking procedures that ensure all food is cooked corretly.
- What to do if one of your customers suffers from Food Poisoning.
- Remember , it is a training program but will help identify the training requirements of each individual staff member.It is also an ongoing process based on documented procedures that helps ensure you deliver safe food and will also assist you in your staff training programs.
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Benefits of Good Food Safety Management
For the food industry, global trade is both essential and profitable. In order to ensure, that food safety standards are adhered to,it is critical for all involved in the production or preparation of food to be aware of what is required of them.
- Competitive advantage through improved marketablility of HACCP certified products.
- Better control of hazards providing a higher and more consistent assurance to consumers of product quality.
- Improved brand protection.
- Access to new markets and protection of existing markets.
- Reduced waste generation through improved process control.
- Increased credibility - supplier / distributor of choice
- Incresed confidence in the high - and long- stay tourism sector.
- Ability to demonstrate due diligence.
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