With that attention of the whole of the food industry and hospitality firmly on allergen control, it is easy to forget that good food hygiene and good practices are the basic steps that would help any food businesses and hospitality businesses to take care of their customers. The recent article in Big Hospitality is very encouraging – seeing the change in the perception of food safety systems by restaurateurs seems to announce a new approach of accountability and responsibility for the food and hospitality industry.
Following the Food Standard Agency risk analysis system – Safer Food for Better Business – is a really good start to help any business to implement simple solutions. There is a lot of other systems available to assist businesses with recording, gathering evidences, and simply providing due diligence. Technology is a great way to access information quicker – it does not replace a good risk assessment and looking at your practices.
Looking at your practices – from raw material check on delivery, date coding and cooking methods – is really the first step that any food business should take. Being serious about food safety does not have to cause your business headaches to implement simple and safe systems. To ensure that your staff follows these system, they must be involved in designing them so that food safety measures become a second nature to your food handlers.
Contact me if you feel that your business deserves a more bespoke system to be serious about food safety.