What is a Food Safety Management System and why do I need one?

Today, I’m going to talk about Food Safety Management System.

Running a successful food business involves more than just creating delicious dishes. It also entails ensuring the safety and well-being of your customers. This is where a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) comes into play. In this blog, we will explore the concept of a FSMS and its significance for a food business.

A FSMS is a systematic approach to managing food safety at every step of the food production process. The ultimate aim is to ensure that all food produced is safe to eat. This includes controlling food safety hazards at every step, from receiving deliveries through to service or dispatch of the finished product.

By law, all food businesses are required to put in place, implement and maintain a FSMS based on the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

By implementing a robust FSMS in your business, you establish a framework that minimises the risk of foodborne illnesses, protects your customers’ health and upholds your business’s reputation.

Why do you need a Food Safety Management System?

1. Compliance with legislation

In the UK, Article 5 of the retained Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 requires that food business operators put in place, implement and maintain food safety management procedures based on the principles of HACCP. Implementing an FSMS will help you comply with the law and reduce the risk of penalties, closures or damage to your business’s reputation.

2. Protection of consumer health

Consumers put their trust in food businesses to provide them with food that is safe to eat. By implementing an FSMS, you demonstrate your commitment to ensuring high standards of food safety. This will help to protect your customers from potential hazards such as contamination, allergens and food poisoning. In turn, it fosters customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth and repeat business.

3. Minimisation of risks and costs

A comprehensive FSMS will help you identify potential hazards at each stage of the food production process.  By implementing preventative measures and putting controls in place, you minimise the likelihood of customer complaints, food poisoning outbreaks, the need for product recalls and legal action. An effective FSMS should also help to reduce food wastage.

4. Enhance business reputation

Food safety incidents can have a significant impact on a business’s reputation. News of a food poisoning outbreak can spread rapidly, leading to negative publicity and a loss of trust among customers. On the other hand, a well-implemented FSMS demonstrates your commitment to food safety. Not to mention the food hygiene rating scheme, a business that does not have a documented FSMS in place is going to struggle to achieve a food hygiene rating of more than 1 out of 5.

What are the HACCP principles?

A Food Safety Management System  must be based on the principles of HACCP. HACCP is essentially a systemic approach to identifying potential hazards in the food production process and implementing measures to control those hazards.

HACCP is based on seven principles:

1. Identifying hazards- this means looking closely at what you do in your business, what could go wrong and what food safety risks are present
2. Identifying Critical Control Points- these are points in the process you need to focus on to ensure any risks are removed or reduced to a safe level
3. Establishing critical limits- these are the maximum or minimum values that must be met to ensure that a hazard is controlled at a Critical Control Point
4. Establishing monitoring procedures- you must carry out monitoring to ensure that the critical limits at each Critical Control Point are being met
5. Establishing corrective action- you must decide what action you need to take if something goes wrong
6. Verification and review- you must make sure your procedures are being followed and are working. You must also review your FSMS periodically and when any changes take place.
7. Record-keeping- you must keep records to show your procedures are working. These records can be in paper form or digital using an app such as Leafe.

Where can I get a Food Safety Management System?

If you are a small catering or retail business where your food production processes are simple, the FSA’s Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack may be right for you. It is free to download here. For a step-by-step guide on how to complete SFBB, check out my blog here.

If you run a small manufacturing business then the FSA’s free web tool ‘MyHACCP’ may be for you.

For businesses with more complex production processes, you may need a bespoke FSMS. You must ensure that if you create this in-house it is created by someone who is competent and trained in food safety and HACCP. Alternatively, you may wish to engage the services of a competent food safety consultant.

If you are looking for a digital option then there are many digital HACCP builders and monitoring solutions on the market. FoodDocs for example offers a digital HACCP builder and monitoring solution. And then there is Leafe which is an app that offers food hygiene records on your phone.

Conclusion:

When it comes to your food business, maintaining food safety isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a commitment to your customers’ well-being. By implementing a Food Safety Management System (FSMS), you create a robust framework that safeguards consumer health, keeps you compliant with regulations, and protects your business’s reputation.