Foodborne illness is a severe problem; every year, 48 million people become ill, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 people die due to food poisoning. Anything that can be done to alleviate human suffering should be prioritized, which is why having an effective food safety strategy in place is critical for foodservice enterprises of all sizes.
What is the significance of food safety?
It is critical for firms in the food industry to guarantee that product is produced in a safe and sanitary environment. When creating a culture that values food safety and hygiene, there are many elements to consider, but failing to follow food safety rules could result in outbreaks of germs that cause foodborne illnesses like salmonella, E.coli, and campylobacter.
What is the definition of food safety?
Before going into how to increase food safety in a business, it’s important to define what we mean by food safety because it’s sometimes mistaken with other terms.
The distinction is relatively easy to comprehend at a high level. Food safety encompasses all facets of ensuring that food is fit for human consumption. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is in charge of food safety, which is backed up by UK regulations.
Foodborne illnesses, which are caused mostly by bacterial contamination but also by chemicals and physical risks, are usually more specifically addressed by food hygiene. According to UK authorities, food hygiene is largely concerned with ensuring that food does not cause harm due to allergies or microorganisms.
The key to a successful business, then, is to ensure good food hygiene and safety – here are 5 ways to accomplish so:
Ensuring Food Safety Management System
A food safety management system (FSMS) is a method of resolving food safety issues in the food industry in such a way that the food is safe to eat.
Managing food safety management systems (FSMS), which includes developing a HACCP plan, is one of the world’s most pressing issues in the food sector. It’s not just a legal requirement, but it’s also a great tool for ensuring that your business follows safe methods.
FoodDocs, a food safety software, is available to make the lives of food businesses easier. They make it easier for business owners to design HACCP plans and administer their food safety management systems. Their program also contains machine learning, which assures food safety compliance and includes regulations of all the countries, including the US and the UK.
Consider your facility’s architecture and location.
Find out which regions are known to be pest hotspots and are sensitive to pollution when determining the placement of your business, as these areas are more likely to produce contamination. Ascertain that the area is built to prevent contamination and that handwashing stations are in good working order.
Approach maintenance in a proactive manner.
Food processing machinery requires regular maintenance; watch for signs of wear and tear, as well as insect damage, which could cause production problems or contaminate the goods. Inspections of the premises should also be conducted, and any problems should be corrected before they become more serious.
Put pest-control measures in place.
Insects, rodents, birds, and animals, for example, can swiftly establish themselves in your facility and spread diseases, contaminating produce with foodborne illnesses or inflicting significant damage. To keep them from making your business their home, make sure the premises are sealed, cleaned, inspected, and clutter-free.
Clean on a regular basis.
To limit the danger of contamination, it is critical to clean and disinfect food preparation spaces, machinery, and equipment used during food processing on a regular basis. To guarantee adequate decontamination, use appropriate disinfectant products, but always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Reasons to Consider Food Safety
It Can Save a Life
The primary goal of a food safety management system (FSMS) is to ensure that customers are healthy. We should not have to be concerned about the safety of the food we eat as consumers. We can reasonably believe that businesses are doing everything possible to safeguard the safety of their customers.
Food safety management systems have come a long way, and there’s no reason to keep reacting to foodborne illnesses. By the time deviations are discovered in a reactive strategy, the damage has already been done, emphasizing the significance of preventing foodborne illness. Foodborne illness management that is proactive is critical in preventing illness and can contribute to the ultimate good: saving a life.
Legal and Regulatory Requirements
The legal standards stated by regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the next most evident reason to adopt adequate food safety practices (CDC).
Foodservice businesses that refuse to comply with mandated food safety rules risk being forced to close their doors. Simply put, these regulatory standards are in place to safeguard the safety of clients. While these rules may look onerous, even oppressive at times, they are the result of years of research and experience in the prevention of foodborne illness. Compliance management and the difficulty of achieving these criteria can be made easier with digital food safety.
Saving Time and Money
Food safety management systems that take advantage of IoT technologies have been shown to reduce foodborne disease, which is a no-brainer for anyone trying to improve food safety.
Digital food safety, on the other hand, can help organizations save time and money by enhancing staff productivity, simplifying compliance administration, and finding areas for improvement in their food safety strategy.
Task Management
Daily operations, such as opening and closing checklists, can be managed and updated in real-time from a central location. When compared to paper methods, digital checklists make this process easier and need less effort to maintain. Many firms rely on manual time management methods, foregoing the advantages of digital checklists, such as greater accountability and simpler workflow management.
Compliance Management
As previously stated, there are several regulatory authorities that have distinct criteria for foodservice businesses. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, for example, necessitates record-keeping methods to demonstrate that the organization has met the essential control point’s critical limitations (CCP).
Food safety management systems can alleviate this burden by retaining digital records and driving efficiency during regulatory reviews, saving time and money.
Preventing the Loss of Credibility and Trust
Food poisoning can have devastating consequences. A breach in food safety can cost millions of dollars and the lives of unknowing victims, ranging from bad reviews to bankruptcy to death. Foodborne illness prevention must be addressed seriously, as a single occurrence can permanently ruin a company’s reputation.
As a result, businesses have a compelling motivation to invest in a food safety management system that can detect problems before they happen. The age of reviews and social media has resulted in greater transparency and honesty, but it has also increased the demand for businesses to maintain high standards. This benefits the consumer but also causes additional pain for firms that receive negative ratings.
Reducing Waste
Finally, food safety management systems can aid in the reduction of waste, both in terms of paper and food products. Today, many food safety systems rely on pen and paper, and a single organization can use up to 96 trees each month in the paper. Digital food safety eliminates the use of paper and automates laborious processes. This is both environmentally friendly and makes analysis much easier.
It is far easier to analyze a data set on a computer than it is to analyze piles of paper. Furthermore, through real-time temperature management and equipment analysis, digital food safety can aid in the reduction of food waste. Managers can be notified of a failing piece of equipment in real-time, giving them enough time to save the product.