Food safety management is about complying with food hygiene and food standards. You must ensure that you have food safety management procedures in place. You also need to consider:
- the suppliers you use
- how you trace the food you buy, and the food you sell to other businesses
- how you transport food
Managing food safety procedures
You must put in place food safety management procedures based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).
HACCP is a system that helps you identify potential food hazards and introduce procedures to make sure those hazards are removed or reduced to an acceptable level.
These procedures will help you produce and sell food that is safe to eat, providing you:
- keep up-to-date documents and records relating to your procedures
- regularly review your procedures to ensure they reflect what you produce or how you work
Some businesses may wish to use remote temperature monitoring to ensure their stored food is safe. There are basic requirements for using these systems.
To help you put your food safety management procedures in place, we provide information packs for small businesses.
Some food businesses switched their business model to include takeaway and delivery due to government-mandated shutdowns — many of which had never conducted that type of service before the pandemic. Lack of knowledge and experience in time and temperature control can lead to serious food-borne illness incidents in these types of service.
Delivery requires that food be transported to the customer in a delivery container. Food businesses must ensure that delivery bags are able to keep hot food hot and cold food cold so that food out for delivery does not sit in the Temperature Danger Zone while being transported.
Food Storage
Storing food properly is essential to keeping food safe for consumption. Food that is not stored properly and safely can become contaminated and lead to food-borne illness among customers.
Ensuring that food is stored properly begins at the receiving stage. When food is received, food businesses must ensure that the food is being delivered at the correct temperature. For example, refrigerated foods must be delivered at 5°C or less. Refrigerated food that is delivered at a temperature higher than 5°C must be rejected.
Preventing Food Contamination
Food Handlers can contaminate food by improperly handling high-risk foods. For example, cross-contamination can occur if a Food Handler handles raw eggs and then prepares a ready-to-eat sandwich without washing their hands. Pathogens from the raw eggs can be transferred to the fresh sandwich ingredients which are then consumed by an unsuspecting customer.
The best way to prevent cross-contamination from happening in a food business is through food safety training and education. Ensuring that all Food Handlers within the business are up-to-date on their food safety training is key.