How to identify food safety risks in your business.

This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

A big part of your food safety management system is identifying food safety hazards and food safety risks in your businesses. There will be many risks in your business made of of different types of hazards including including chemical hazards, physical hazards and biological hazards which will be present.

The following types of food safety risks should be well understood and senior food managers must consider these risks and apply appropriate controls to eliminate, control or mitigate these risks to ensure the safety of customers and clients

1. Risks to different types of customer, these could be infants and young children, the elderly, pregnant ladies (and the unborn infant), people with low or compromised immunity and people who have food allergies and intolerances.

2. Risks from different types of food, this could be because that particular type of food will have naturally occurring high levels of pathogenic bacteria, it could be that they are high protein or a moist product and will therefore readily accept bacterial growth if contaminated or it could be the number of different stages that the food has undergone which could present a greater risk.

Certain types of food are more vulnerable to other types of micro-organisms such as viruses, microscopic parasites, worms, mould, yeasts, natural toxins as well as toxins released by bacteria. Some bacteria can also form spores.

Managers must understand these risks from different foods which may need some research as new foods are introduced into the offering.

3. Risks from untrained staff, lack of information, lack of knowledge relative to their job role and lack of supervision, not undertaking training relevant with their work activities, not being trained in specifics such as allergen awareness, handwashing technique, correct cleaning and disinfection procedures, labelling procedures, how to use a probe correctly etc.

4. Risks from visitors, contractors, engineers, pest control etc. and others who have not undertaken training and may be unaware of the good safety and hygiene procedures which are critical in a food environment.

5. Risks from the food operation itself and the type and style of catering employed by the business. Risks could come from a poor linear flow through the kitchen, ill-defined areas for unboxing, pot wash, storage, allergen free food preparation, risks of cross contamination.

Some catering techniques will present further risks such as vacuum packing and sous vide, cook chill and cook freeze processes for example senior management including executive chefs, head chefs, food operations managers should identify all of these factors when reviewing, amending or editing any part of your food safety management system, they must also identify any new control measures that will need to be implemented, everything must be documented and communicated to all staff, who may also require extra training and supervision.