Food safety compliance is an area of operational risk which is largely overlooked across the foodservice sector.
Ignoring operational risk can expose any foodservice operation (i.e. aged care, health care, larger catering operations, community meal service etc) to significant losses.
Issues of risk and corporate reporting and governance also need to be considered here.
Food safety compliance should influence your broader business strategy, so it’s important to keep abreast of what has changed.
In a global food supply chain where ingredients and food products come from many sources and travel great distances, food safety becomes even more important.
If you are a Chief Executive, your senior managers should be a reliable source of food safety information for you and your customers (residents/patients); keep the trust of food regulators and accreditation assessors; earn the confidence of customers; and be a catalyst to improve food safety across the organisation.
As an organisation it should be accountable for managing food safety systems and continuously seek ways to improve. Your food handling employees (and management) need to be accountable for implementing the food safety policies, procedures, and continuous improvement in these areas.
The Benefits….
Doug Powell, a former professor of food safety for 17 years at the University of Guelph and subsequently Kansas State says…the best (food operations) will far exceed minimal government standards, will proactively test to verify their food safety systems are working, will transparently publicise those results and will brag about their excellent food safety by marketing so consumers can actually choose safe food.
The Way Forward….
Meeting (or exceeding) food safety compliance food handlers and management will require further specialised training from industry experts.
Final word…..
Powell adds “Anyone who produces food for the public has a responsibility for its safety”
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