An Introduction to Food Safety Standards
An Introduction to Food Safety is crucial in the food manufacturing, packaging, and distribution industry. Food safety regulations typically cover all aspects of food production, from harvesting ingredients and materials and processing to packaging and distribution. This way, customers and workers have comprehensive protections and controls to prevent the risks of preparing and manufacturing food products.
Typically, food safety standards cover all aspects of food production, from harvesting ingredients and materials and processing to packaging and distribution. That way, customers and workers are provided with comprehensive protections and controls to prevent the risks of preparing and manufacturing food products.
That said, food safety standards are varied. There are international standards, such as those from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and local standards that may be unique to your location. Therefore, reading up on local and international standards before beginning operations is important.
FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS
Food safety standards are rules and regulations established by governments, international organizations, and industry bodies to ensure the safety and quality of the food supply chain. The standards are intended to reduce the risk of contamination, reduce the chances of foodborne illness, and protect workers and customers who come into contact with the product.
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS
The first and most important reason to follow food safety regulations is to protect workers and customers. Whenever food products are produced, there is a significant risk to the health of employees and customers. This is because contaminated or infected food can cause major problems, such as foodborne illness, which food production organizations must seek to prevent.
Whenever there is an outbreak of foodborne illness, organizations held responsible can find themselves in serious trouble. In addition to having to cover the expenses of everyone infected, there are also legal repercussions to consider if contamination was caused by failure to comply with safety regulations.
In addition, these regulations add transparency, traceability, and accountability to your organization’s operations. Therefore, they are critical to keeping operations running smoothly and responsibly. WIKIPEDIA
Features Of Safety Culture
- Ensure employees always follow best practices and standard safety procedures through food safety checklists during comprehensive internal audits
- Maintain transparency easily by automatically generating food safety audit reports that you can present as proof of compliance to consumers and relevant authorities
- Track food safety performance metrics and address gaps in implementation with data collection tools
- Establish a food safety culture in your organization by training your employees on your best practices
- Align all team members regarding food safety by making announcements through Heads Up
- Constantly monitor food safety performance by scheduling audits and creating inspection workflows
- Keep your food environments safe with automated sensors that inform you when conditions do not meet food safety standards
5 Food Safety Regulations Around the World
Food safety regulations vary around the world. The regulations your organization must follow differ depending on your location. To get a clearer idea of what food regulations look like and what you must follow during production, packaging, and distribution, here are five important food regulations around the world:
Food Safety Modernization Act (US)
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a law that completely changed the US approach to food safety. Enacted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the FSMA is a comprehensive document containing regulations on agricultural water, food traceability, sanitation, preventive controls, and more.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the EU’s main governing body for food safety standards in member states. The authority provides scientific data and suggests food-related risks to protect consumers from related to food health and safety risks.
Food Standards Agency (UK)
The Food Standard Agency is responsible for food safety in the UK. The agency works with local authorities to ensure that UK food industry organizations comply with safety standards to reduce the risk of foodborne illness and safety hazards.
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Food Safety Management Tools
- Have qualified Food Safety Supervisors overseeing food handling processes in your daily operations. This person must have had a formal certification as a recognized FSS within the last 5 years.
- Ensure that all food handlers complete a food handler training course that includes information on safe food handling, food contamination, sanitization of food facilities and equipment, and personal hygiene.
- Demonstrate or prove that your food is safe by justifying critical food safety controls. Food businesses must record anything that demonstrates their commitment to safe food handling.
What Happens When You Don’t Abide By Food Safety Standards?
- The biggest risk of non-compliance with food safety standards is accidentally contaminating your food products.
- This can result in consumers getting sick, putting their health at risk.
- If the source of contamination can be traced to your company, you will face hefty fines and consequences. Not only may you be required to pay for the medical expenses of the affected consumers, but you may also face legal action from the government and private citizens.