Posts Tagged ‘food safety management system’

Compulsory Specifications for Employing a Food Safety Management System

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

EC food hygiene laws, passed in 2006, need all food firms to carry out documented food safety management systems based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points principles.
This suggests being aware of all the food safety perils in their food operations and putting systems in place to manage them. An important step in safeguarding food safety is the realization of a structured Food Safety Management System that’s consolidated into thefinal management activities of the organization. The Food Safety Management System must address legal requirements as well as physical, chemical, biological risks highlighted by the HACCP.

To set up an efficient food safety management system many key managerial requirements are required. Management systems must merge the affairs of key functions. Senior management should communicate policy and standards and responsibilities with authority levels must be obviously defined. It must be obvious to all staff that everyone is accountable for food safety. Food safety management responsibility shouldn’t to be delegated to technical staff. Having a comprehensive HACCP system and having implemented hazard analysis and assessment is basic to the food safety management system. All the above must be supported by regular verification activities

One of the first steps for an organisation pushing through a Food Safety Management System will be to consider are their customer wants and what must be done to meet those needs. Most patrons will need a food safety management system to be authorized to a recognized standard. These may include BRC, SQF, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000, all of which are approved by the GFSI scheme.

Choose which food safety management system standard meets your client needs and buy a copy. This standard should be read and understood by key staff.

You need to begin the whole food safety management system implementation process by the upper management preparing an organisational plan. In this process food safety policies and goals must be generated as responsibility for a food safety management system lies with senior management. At this point the resource including staff, infrastructure, training and work environment needed to implement, maintain and improve the food safety management system should be considered and provided.

The food safety management system paperwork must be made based totally on research by your HACCP staff. The HACCP team must make HACCP plans and associated documents, procedures and records that ensure the safe produce of your products.

The very next step to implementing your food safety management system is communication and coaching. During the implementation phase all staff should be trained, follow procedures and fill in records that demonstrate the efficacy of your food safety management system.

As soon as your food safety management system is implemented, verification activities must be done to show it is running efficiently. Once you have completed that and found the system to be operating effectively you should prepare your assessment with your chosen licensing body. At that point the controlling body will conduct an audit and assess your food safety management system and determine whether you should be suggested for registration. When you have been authorized you will receive a certificate approving your food safety management system meets the prerequisites of your chosen food safety standard.
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Conditions that Compromise Food Safety Standards

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

When it comes to Food safety standards in a restaurant, there are many things that can compromise them. All of these items can be controlled with careful monitoring.

Food safety standards are first compromised by poor personal hygiene of employees. When employees don’t wash their hands as required, the germs on their hands can be transferred to food. When someone finds a hair in their food, it’s usually because the hair of the employee wasn’t restrained as it should have been. Germs get into food also when an employee works with food and comes to work sick. As you can see, person hygiene is imperative when considering food safety standards.

A second matter which is very important when it comes to Food safety standards is cleanliness. Everything that is going to touch the food or come into contact with it has to be cleaned thoroughly. Total cleaning is very important for the tools and items that will be used in preparing and cooking food. Tools should be cleaned at the day’s beginning, when there’s a c chance of cross contamination, and when the day’s over. A really big concern is cross contamination when you are in food service.

A third concern in food safety standards is cooking. Monitoring cooking temperatures is the way that this is handled. Temperatures need to be high enough on meat to kill off germs. That’ s the reason for temperature monitoring, so that the meat is safe to eat.

Pest control is yet another thing that affects food safety standards. Even though mice and rats are things that come to mind w hen talking about pests, there are others to think about. Springing to mind at the top of the list is the cockroach. Most people are utterly disgusted when they see one of them. Add them to ants and flies, and you know what other pest problems you can have.

The last point for food safety standards concern is proper refrigeration. Good refrigeration is necessary for fresh and safe ingredients. Proper temperature and storage are important to keep the food consumable. There are minimum temperatures for the freezer and refrigerator, so those should be maintained.

The most pressing concerns about Food safety standards have to do with the items which are listed above. When you’re paying special attention to those items above, you’re going to find that your food is healthy and that your customers are coming back again and again. The price of not paying attention to the details could mean someone will get ill.

No one wants to pay that price.