Food safety is fundamental in food businesses, as it ensures the protection of consumers from potential health risks ...
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Food safety is fundamental in food businesses, as it ensures the protection of consumers from potential health risks and upholds the reputation and success of the industry.
All humans need food to survive. The nutrients we get from consuming food give us the energy and nourishment we use to sustain our daily activities. Foods also play a great role in the culture of society and give a certain identity to a community. Together with enjoyment, every consumer is entitled to food safety. With this, food business operators must ask themselves, "Why is food safety so important?"
This aspect of the food supply chain aims to protect customers from food poisoning and foodborne illnesses affecting human life and business performance for establishment owners.
In this article, we will discuss the most important food safety aspects from the point of view of a consumer and a food business owner.
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Food safety refers to the proper food handling procedures applied during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution of the products you deal with in your food business. Food safety is crucial for maintaining and promoting the health of those who consume it.
The concern for the integrity of food safety remains within all parts of a food supply chain. The food safety production life cycle starts from agriculture to the packaging of finished products and delivery to the consumer's table.
Controlling food safety requires knowledge about what could endanger its integrity and stability. Food safety is negatively affected by a variety of food contamination along your food supply chain. Contamination of food products can be caused by biological, chemical, physical, and radiological hazards and can affect all key operations. Without a proper control program for food safety, issues such as foodborne illness and food-related injuries can occur.
Food handling practices that can be applied to keep food products wholesome are what food safety is made up of. All of the members of the food supply chain must comply with established food safety standards to protect public health.
Proper handling and industrial processes may include cooking at the right internal temperature using a food thermometer, preventing cross - contamination through proper segregation to prevent contact, storing chilled foods at cold temperatures, and other critical control points that help make potential infectious diseases ineffective.
Additionally, consumers also play a significant role when it comes to food safety. Customers are expected to follow storage and processing directions for the products they purchase, especially if these are raw materials. Participation of consumers towards food safety is also seen through consumer demand for high-quality, safe products and voicing their complaints if there are food safety issues.
Food safety is essential to provide adequate access to safe, nutritious, and delicious food to all members of the community.
Recent data and food safety news released by the World Health Organization have estimated that at least 600 million people all over the world become inflicted with foodborne infection after consuming unsanitary food. Of these people, at least 420,000 people die every year. Economic progress can be affected by productivity loss and medical expenses as a result of a foodborne disease burden.
In the United States specifically, the federal government estimates that 1 in 6 Americans get foodborne illnesses per year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
The majority of food safety issues are caused by biological contaminations from pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria that cause food poisoning or food intoxication.
Consumption of pathogens in food can cause mild to fatal health consequences that include watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or even debilitating infections and long-term diseases.
In fact, the CDC estimates that there are 31 known pathogens that cause foodborne illesses, the top five of which are:
And that's excluding all of the unspecific agents that don't have sufficient data to track.
The consequences of food safety issues may have fatal outcomes for both food business owners and consumers. Basic and everyday foods can easily become contaminated.
Some examples of foods involved in common illnesses include high-risk foods and any perishable food such as egg and egg products, poultry, fresh fruits, raw meat or deli meats, deli seafood salads, undercooked seafood, ground meat, raw sprouts, and raw milk products. These ingredients can become contaminated by intestinal pathogens, such as bacteria, and cause bacterial infection if preventive measures are not applied.
Here are six reasons why handling food safely is important:
The main objective of food safety is to protect consumers of food products from foodborne illnesses or injuries related to food consumption. Foodborne illnesses are a major threat to food businesses and affect everyone all over the world as a result of inadequate food safety.
These effects are mainly caused by foodborne pathogens that may include harmful bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites, or viruses. Additionally, chemical contaminations, such as artificial chemical substances, heavy metals, and excessive food additives, can also cause foodborne illnesses and acute poisoning. Depending on the nature of your products, a microbiological hazard is expected to survive with inadequate food safety control measures.
Foodborne infections and injuries can also arise as a result of physical hazards such as shards of glass, pieces of metals, or any hard objects that have contaminated your food in production. Physical contamination can enter the food supply chain at any point. With proper food safety measures, you can ensure that the food you serve safe food and that the chance of infection is low.
Big 6 Foodborne illnesses poster from FoodDocs
Unsafe food with proven safety issues may be deemed unfit for consumption and may merit being disposed of. Defective product recalls cost companies more will, affect profits, and can even cause business closure. The cost of food recalls is not only seen in terms of profits.
If the food safety issue has reached a widespread scale, you may be liable to pay for medical expenses or lawsuits concerning damages. Consuming unsanitary food may lead to hospitalization and contribute to the cost of human health care.
Food products that have been proven to have food safety issues may be subjected to disposal. Through safe food handling, a food business can cut waste as a result of a better food production process.
Food safety management systems are also designed to detect and control food hazards even before they enter production, which can lead to more waste if processed further.
Any foodborne illness affects productivity in consumers. Once afflicted, consumers can function well and may even need hospitalization in extreme cases. These events cause dramatic disruptions in everyday activities.
If food safety practices are applied in a food service establishment, these cases can be prevented. Everyone can enjoy the delights that foods bring and healthy life without the inconvenience and dangers of food safety hazards.
Some food production practices have already received negative feedback from different communities because of the negative effects they contribute to the environment. Safe food handling includes food manufacturing processes that not only protect the consumer but also consider the environment.
Practices such as reducing synthetic fertilizers that can leach into food products are controlled under food safety legislation. In addition, food safety practices include assurance of clean drinking water and the reduction of air, sewage, and other environmental pollutants, which significantly contribute to the environment.
These practices go a long way and can significantly affect consumer confidence. Contaminated water can easily affect all other ingredients and enter the human body since water is a key ingredient in almost all processes.
All food hygiene legislations are designed to protect consumers from food safety matters. Adhering to these comprehensive guidelines makes your products as competitive as possible, especially in the fast-paced globalization of the food industry. With proper food safety management systems, routes to a broader distribution channel become open for your food business.
Secure food safety compliance using our smart Food Safety Management System. With our innovative and AI-powered software, food business managers can ensure compliance using smart tools, such as our real-time dashboard that shows the team's everyday food safety task progress. Users can also get task notifications that will remind them of important tasks that need to be done on time.
Real-time dashboard from the FoodDocs software that will help food managers supervise the team remotely
Food safety plays a great role within the entire food chain more than we think it does. Food businesses are required to implement food safety management systems to protect the health of consumers from any foodborne disease. Beyond this concept, food safety contributes as well to solving food insecurity.
When properly implemented, food safety practices can:
By providing safe food for consumption, continuous food movement for everyone can be ensured. The many benefits of food safety in various aspects of life prove why food safety is important for everyone.
The concept of farm-to-fork (or farm-to-table) and principles of food hygiene and safety are well-known in the food industry.
This concept tells us that food safety should be observed right from the beginning when uncooked foods are just being produced, up until the finished product reaches the consumer. Standard food safety practices for growing produce have been established in laws such as the Food Safety Management Act in the United States. The farm-to-fork concept emphasizes how food safety hazards can occur at any point in the food supply chain.
The ultimate goal of food safety is to create a sustainable and secure food source for everyone. This goal aims to emphasize the enjoyable food experience while ensuring that the food we get is safe. When all participating parties in the entire food chain, food processors, suppliers, the government, and consumers, play their role in food safety, this goal can be achieved.
And what are critical responsibilities for food safety?
Each member of the food supply chain has a role to play in the food safety concept. All roles are vital and invaluable in the process. Whether you are a food business owner, government personnel, or a customer, your role cannot be replaced. Food safety is everyone's responsibility.
Here are some ideas on the roles of major food industry players in the management of food safety:
Food regulatory bodies are responsible for establishing food safety standards on food handling, food and personal hygiene, and distribution.
Federal agencies are also responsible for ensuring that distinct consumer rights are upheld and that concerns about food safety are properly addressed. Some of the well-known regulatory agencies include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) in the United States and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK.
These agencies, together with the presiding government, create food laws and federal regulations that aim to prevent food safety concerns such as foodborne illnesses or infections. Government bodies are accountable for public health and also perform food safety risk communication. They also hold the authority for imports and regulate any food product that goes in and out of their countries. They regulate the use of chemical additives and ensure "pollution-free" food.
They are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of these laws and food safety rules to ensure active food safety compliance of food retailers, catering outlets, and other businesses. Government food safety regulatory bodies prepare appropriate sanctions for non-complying food businesses to uphold any international standard.
Some food agencies conduct food safety inspections and external compliance audits of food manufacturing companies. They provide certification programs and auditing services to update food businesses with the new laws and federal regulations that keep safe food. In the UK, the FSA is responsible for providing food hygiene rating to food businesses.
The manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to handle food safely.
As food business operators who manage manufacturing operations, some of your biggest tasks in managing food safety include:
You are similarly responsible for building an effective food safety protocol for the welfare of your food business to show your concern for health care. Your implementation of a food defense plan must follow international and domestic food safety standards and laws related to the industry you are in.
As such, you have to research and update the knowledge of your team about food safety regulations and related scientific disciplines.
Food business operators play a great role in maintaining food safety. Effective food safety management is achieved by applying a proactive approach to identifying the food safety hazards of your business and establishing control measures for all of them.
To achieve these responsibilities, a food handler must disclose its company information to the food safety regulatory bodies through an inspection for proper assessment and gain consumer trust. To further prove commitment to the health and safety of consumers, managers in charge of food safety can acquire certification for food manufacturers.
Although unusually emphasized, consumers also have a great role they should play in maintaining food safety. The first responsibility of a consumer is to demand safe foods from food manufacturing companies and food handlers.
Consumer opinions and demands emphasize the task of food business owners to uphold high food safety standards. In addition, it is also the responsibility of the consumer to be educated and aware of food safety practices and foodborne illnesses. Once the products arrive at your households safely, the responsibility to keep the product safe for consumption becomes yours partly.
Some reports about foodborne illnesses have been linked to the consumer's lack of knowledge and awareness about proper food safety practices. Customers are required to know how to properly handle, process, and store the products they buy as instructed by the producer, as these are based on international standards. The information about food safety that customers must possess does not need to be very advanced.
Basic knowledge about cross-contamination, risks of hazards, and proper preventive measures would do great. Some activities that easily go unnoticed but are vital to maintaining food safety may include proper handwashing, sanitizing the working area, and proper segregation of fresh produce and cooked foods.
Food safety is a concept that only becomes effective if all food industry players work together. Food laws and regulations may be present, but without complying with them, food safety will not be effective. In the effort to control food safety within the whole food chain, education about food safety hazards, proper training, and certified food handlers are keys.
A model example of food safety practices is a restaurant food safety system. Restaurants deal with lesser complex raw material receiving, storing, processing, serving, and distributing food products when compared with big manufacturing operations. Despite this, a restaurant's food system is a simple yet great design for food safety systems.
In a food business such as a restaurant, food safety is controlled by a mandatory food safety management system in compliance with food regulations stated in food laws. This program is implemented by the food business owner or manager and applied and practiced by the whole team, including the quality assurance supervisor, service personnel, chef, and even the visitors. Each member of the system contributes to controlling food safety.
Having detailed safety programs would enable your team to identify which points of your operation would hazards most likely occur and what preventive and control measures would be most appropriate.
During receiving, your food safety plan must contain thorough inspection directives to detect any outright visible hazards. An example would be passing the raw materials through a metal detector or more advanced technologies.
At the processing stage, your chefs and personnel must follow food safety standards for food preparation and cooking. Standards such as properly cooking the food to the correct internal temperature using a food thermometer to check, separating raw food items from cooked materials, and maintaining prescribed adequate temperature control during service are included in a food safety system.
Restaurants are expected to uphold a certain level of food sanitation. Contaminants in food must be found nowhere within the food service area. This can be achieved by properly and regularly sanitizing all surfaces, such as counter tops, that come in contact with food.
As a food worker, the manager's most important food safety responsibility is training you to manage food safety hazards and apply corrective actions properly should standards be breached. All of these components are parts of a comprehensive food safety plan. For start-up businesses and even those that have been in the food industry for a long time, having a detailed food safety management plan would be the best way to ensure food safety.
Completing these documents and food safety procedures in the fastest way possible is our main goal at FoodDocs. Our services can help you create a HACCP Plan in 1 hour, set up your food safety management system in just 15 minutes, and implement it immediately. You are very welcome to browse and test our services at FoodDocs with our free 14-day trial.
To create a food safety system, your food business must come up with a team dedicated to food safety. Opportunities in the food safety sector range from food safety and health officials to food safety field inspectors and senior managers for food safety. With the ultimate goal of protecting public health from food illnesses and other food-related issues, these jobs play vital roles in the food supply chain.
A food safety officer is a qualified employee with extensive experience and knowledge about food safety. They are food safety experts and have a vast knowledge of regulations. An officer may be hand-picked or voted as the best representative to implement and monitor food safety management systems in a food business. They are overall in charge of food safety tasks in a business.
As a food manager, this employee must be knowledgeable and updated on the current food safety news, laws, and regulations locally and internationally for food protection. They must understand the core of food safety and advanced food safety principles. The food safety officer also must ensure that all other food business operators follow proper food safety practices during any operations process. Food safety officer compliance audits concern all fields of processing that can affect food safety.
Some of the other tasks of a food safety officer include:
Although their title suggests mainly being concerned with the quality of the products, it is also part of a quality officer to detect malpractices and food safety hazards in operation. They are part of the inspection program personnel. Included in their task is to document and report any deviation from the standards of the production process. Other tasks involved in being a quality assurance officer may include:
An operations manager's main task is to facilitate the proper use of equipment, scheduling of production, and measurable cost reduction. They are concerned with compliance with standards on the factory floor and administrative duties. This role is vital as a part of a food safety management system team because they are concerned with the design and structures of the operations facility. Additionally, they are also involved in improving the overall performance of the whole production team. In terms of food safety, here are some tasks that an operations manager plays:
Whether a frontline service employee, food production personnel, sanitation crew, or the chef, all food safety personnel are responsible for carrying out food safety mandates from their respective officers and the law. They focus on food safety compliance and prevent any issues from occurring.
As personnel of the food business, they are accountable for maintaining and executing proper food safety practices and preventive measures during your operations. These employees must secure a food handlers card as proof of their proficiency in working around food.
In the previous decades, food safety issues have troubled nations worldwide. Widespread foodborne disease outbreaks such as the Jack-In-the-Box foodborne illness outbreak, which was caused by the widespread enterohaemorrhagic E. coli 0157:H7 in the United States, and the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy disease in cattle in the United Kingdom have prompted food safety agencies to seek more effective food safety standards.
These events have also highlighted the participation of consumers when it comes to food safety. The foodborne pathogens in these severe food poisoning outbreaks are still present and are commonly found in perishable food such as unpasteurized milk or raw meat.
This history of food safety has sparked the interest of food regulatory bodies in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to increase significantly. After other major food safety issues, the food safety sectors have focused on implementing preventive measures to apprehend food poisoning. After the initial implementation procedures of the HACCP food safety program, incidences of foodborne illnesses have started to decrease significantly.
During the implementation years of the HACCP food safety plan, scientists and government food agencies have gained more information on the nature of different foodborne hazards. This information led to an increase in food safety awareness among food businesses and consumers alike. Initiatives and international benchmarking systems, such as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), have also been created to certify similarly-natured food safety management systems.
In addition, laws such as the Food Safety Management Act of 2011 in the United States have shifted the focus of the whole food industry toward preventing food safety hazards. This proactive approach aims to detect food safety hazards before they even happen and prevent further issues. Soon after major outbreaks in the food industry, other international standards for food safety were established.
Although still a major concern, the developments in the field of food safety and advanced technology have made food safety issues manageable.
Food safety standards, laws, and enforcement measures significantly vary depending on the location context. Perhaps some of the most well-known food safety agencies that set international-level standards are from the UK and the US. Below are some differences and similarities between the food safety standards of the US and the UK.
The UK and the US food laws differ in terms of principles and focus. The main food safety legislation in effect in the United States is the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA) which is the most recent reform made to the FDA food safety laws. This law shifted the focus of the food industry and governmental authorities from the containment of food safety issues to a proactive preventive approach. It was established to strengthen national food control systems in the U.S.
The FSMA includes directives on maintaining food safety within the whole food supply chain for local and international businesses of the US traditional food market, in addition to the FDA Food Code.
The law mandates all food businesses to have a risk-based food safety system to identify hazards and establish preventive measures. It is the country's solution to control any foodborne illness outbreak and any concern with food products.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom's main food safety law is the Food Safety Act 1990. This law is the main framework of all the food regulations of Wales, England, and Scotland. In addition, Northern Ireland mainly refers to The Food Safety Order 1991.
The Food Safety Act 1990 emphasizes the importance of ensuring that food businesses do not have or will remove any material that can damage public health and safety. It aims to protect the interest of the consumers and uphold the quality they demand. Under this food legislation, food safety guidelines on proper food labelling, advertising, and presenting information about food products are included.
The United States food safety regulations do not mandate implementing the HACCP food safety program for most food businesses. Despite this, some industries under the FDA, such as the seafood and beverage industries, must have a HACCP food safety plan in place. In addition, the USDA mandates all food processors handling raw meat and poultry products to have a HACCP food safety system.
Despite having a HACCP plan not being mandatory, the FDA FSMA law requires all food businesses to have a risk-based system for food safety relevant to all other food businesses. This food management system specified by the FDA is called the Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls system or HARPC.
In the UK, the HACCP plan for food safety was only a recommended food safety system until the amendments passed in the early days of January 2006. Under Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, all food businesses in the UK are mandated to implement a HACCP food safety system. In addition to its mandatory implementation, the HACCP system of food businesses is due for scheduled auditing to measure its effectiveness.
There are a few differences when it comes to labelling food agents that can cause allergic reactions in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the US, the FDA mandates the disclosure of eight major food allergens in all of the food packaging of foods ready for sale. These common food allergen hazards include tree nuts, milk, egg, shellfish, soybean, fish, wheat, and peanuts. Most recently, the allergen sesame was added to the list as there have been increasing numbers of sesame-related food allergy cases in the US.
The main food safety regulation that is used as a reference for labelling food allergens in any US food commodity is the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA).
On the other hand, food regulations in the UK require the declaration of 14 different major food allergens. These allergens include celery, peanuts, wheat, soybean, fish, crustacean, tree nut, milk, egg, sulfite, mustard, lupin, mollusk, and sesame seed. Products containing these allergens must always have precautionary allergen labelling.
Under Natasha's Law of the UK jurisdiction, food allergens must be clearly emphasized on product labels to inform customers of any potential food safety risk.
The significance of proper handling of food allergens is critical for food businesses. Approximately 400 food allergen recalls are ordered each year. Food allergens can easily spread through cross-contact in food contact materials.
Use our free Food Allergen Chart to guide food handlers on handling allergenic foods.
There have been several different surveys that aimed to compare the food safety laws of the UK and the US. Despite the many claims that the US food safety management laws are inferior to that of the United Kingdom, a global survey conducted by the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2020 has shown that the UK and the US food safety standards are equally competitive.
The mentioned analysis was based on the evaluation of the core elements of food security:
In the 2020 study, the UK and the US share the same spot in third place. In the most recent (2021) food security index, the US food security standing fell a few places but was still in the top 10 countries with the best food safety standards. In summary, legislation and food safety guidelines from both countries equally uphold high standards for food safety.
We also have an in-depth article about the Food Standards Australia New Zealand and other important regulations for these countries.
The main function of government agencies in terms of food matters is to ensure that businesses in the industry comply with all food safety regulations. This objective is supported by functions such as conducting training programs, implementing national food safety surveillance, and verifying compliance through regular inspections. Agencies help reduce food safety risks like food fraud.
Food regulations may vary depending on your location, but the significance that this aspect of a food business will remain equally significant.
Maintaining compliance with food safety is a task that must be consistently performed in every food business to stay in the industry and prevent any food-related issues.
At FoodDocs, it is our objective to make food safety compliance easy and accessible to all food businesses. We have developed a digital solution that can help food safety teams fulfill tasks more efficiently and ensure that every food safety practice in line within a working day is done correctly.
Users can get a smart notification system through our mobile food safety application. This system sends food safety alerts to employees whenever a task needs to be done. With this feature, you can help your employees keep track of every task that needs to be done in a day and ensure compliance.
The notification system can also be used for team-management tasks and traceability functions. The system alerts users whenever a training program certification is about to expire, reminding the user to update training programs. Similarly, the system will alert food handlers of product batches that may expire.
Stay on top of food safety tasks and ensure that every operation is done on time by using our smart notification system for your team.
Smart task notifications from the FoodDocs software
After signing up, users can get automatically generated food safety monitoring logs based on the most significant operations needed for compliance.
These monitoring logs and checklist templates are preset according to the user's business profile and can be further customized to fit your operations.
Some of the most useful logs that we can generate for you include the following:
Customizable Master Sanitation Schedule from the FoodDocs software
These monitoring forms come with detailed instructions on how to perform the task correctly and how to monitor them. With these instructions, you can ensure that every food safety operation is done effectively. Users can also utilize this feature to help new employees with the onboarding process.
Secure proper food safety compliance with comprehensive step-by-step instructions on food safety operations.
In addition and to help employees save time, our monitoring forms are also equipped with a pre-fill solution, which automatically fills the logs based on your previously inserted data. This feature can help you improve the accuracy of monitoring and save a significant amount of time for your team.
Our system automatically inserts correct values to temperature readings, and assigned employees must only verify the information.
Our smart software features an essential smart tool that gives food safety managers an overview of their food safety progress status every day. Use our real-time dashboard that reflects an overview of your food safety operations. Save 20% of your time from supervising and micromanaging everything with this feature.
Easily identify areas that need more attention and address them right away. The dashboard shows which food safety operations have been correctly performed and finished and which ones have problems. Use this feature to verify compliance with overall food safety regulations in the food business.
Always stay updated with the business' food safety compliance throughout all branches with just a glance at our real-time dashboard.
Powered by a machine-learning program and artificial intelligence, our digital Food Safety Management System can help you switch from a paper-based system to a completely digital one in a matter of 15 minutes. All you need to do is answer a few basic questions describing your operations to our system.
With our digital solution, food safety compliance can become more efficient and effective. We cater to the legal and regulatory requirements of major food safety regulations and can help you get compliant in just a few minutes.
Experience how our digital solution can help you and start becoming food safety compliant now. Use our free 14-day trial to try our food safety features first-hand.
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