Stress Free Audits

Any type of audit of your work systems and practices can be a daunting process to go through. The level of anxiety experienced by auditees seems to be greater when your business is dependant upon successful certification.

After 17 years of auditing regulatory, compliance and certification standards, I have often reflected on why one company can obtain a good audit result when another company performs poorly. What I have observed is that there are common practices that have contributed to both successful audit outcomes and failures.

HACCP Flow Process Charts

The first part when developing a HACCP plan is to undertake the 5 preliminary steps. The preliminary steps are intended to help you gather and collate background information that will help with implementation of the 7 principles of HACCP. The HACCP preliminary steps form an important precursor to effectively identifying and controlling food safety hazards within your food business.

7 Non-chemical pest control methods

My faith in effective pest control has been renewed this week. After auditing a medium sized bakery, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did not have to raise a corrective action request for any level of pest infestation. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that it was a newly constructed building with an exceptional level of cleanliness.

The presence of pests within food premises is not a given and this attitude held by many food businesses needs to change. Failure to maintain adequate pest control may result in your business being fined, prosecuted or ending up on a “Name and Shame” database.

Food Allergen Management in Your Business

It is very important for your business to be aware of food allergens and the effect they can have on susceptible customers. Allergic reactions to food can vary in severity and can be life threatening. You and your business also have a duty of care and a legal responsibility to produce safe food. By complying with basic legal requirements and implementing best practice allergen management you will be protecting yourself and your business.