HACCP when used and implemented effectively is there to ensure the food you produce is safe. It is a step-wise process that can seem confusing but when broken down walks you through considerations to ensure food is safe, considering raw material to finished product incl it’s shelf life.

A more formal summary is, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a preventive food safety system built on seven principles. The first steps involve conducting a hazard analysis to identify biological, chemical, and physical risks, determining critical control points (CCPs) where hazards can be controlled, and establishing critical limits for each CCP, such as minimum cooking temperatures.

The remaining principles focus on management: monitoring CCPs to ensure limits are met, defining corrective actions when deviations occur, verifying the system works as intended, and keeping thorough documentation and records. Together, these principles shift food safety from end-product testing to proactive prevention throughout production.

Audits sound formal and threatening, and a visit to the dentist sounds more appealing.

Its not that bad really. In the food industry an audit simply means checking that you are following the requirements of a standard.

An internal audit is for you to check you are doing what you should be doing. Spotting any gaps and fixing them is why internal audits are beneficial.

An external audit is when a 3rd party will come and check you are doing what you say your are doing in your systems. Of course, your systems should be designed around what the audit standard requires.

The language is formal but it is a simple process.

The short but jargon heavy answer is, focus on controlling inputs, measure and reduce variation with SPC and capability indices, validate controls, investigate root causes, and add automated monitoring so the process stays in specification.

More simply, do you truly understand your product? Do you have a consistent raw material? Is the process for making the product clearly defined? Do you have any seasonal variation?

But most importantly, does the person or team making the product understand what they are doing? Sometimes the simplest solution isn’t SPC or automation but being clear with the teams on what they are doing, why their role is important and how changes affect product consistency.

Food safety is a widely used term for assuring that food manufacturers make products that meet legal requirements in the country where they are made and for where they are sold. The baseline requirement in the food industry is a GFSI benchmarked standard. In the UK BRCGS is common whereas in Europe IFS is more popular. In the UK, most Retailers and Food Service companies require their own audits too.

Quality is all about delivering a consistent quality product that meets the initial design, measured by the QAS. In fast follower retailer businesses product quality is determined by delivering a product that closely matches the benchmark.

Crisis management in the Food Industry draws on general crisis management principles. A multi-disciplinary approach is required to assure the safety of product. This covers supplier approval, due diligence testing, in plant allergen and food safety controls. Taking prompt corrective action when an issue occurs can help prevent escalation to a crisis.

Retailers, QSR and Food Service providers all focus on protecting their brand reputation.

Root cause training is available from the UK Food Standards Agency. It is also a requirement from the FSA that you complete a root cause analysis on a recall.

Ukwazi can help you with your crisis management planning and preparation, tailoring your responses to meet your customer needs.

Product benchmarking can be completed either internally, externally using a 3rd party provider or consumers.

Product benchmarking will help determine if your product is meeting the design. Tesco, for example, runs a KQI programme where supplier products are tested against defined attributes either by a taste panel or in store by consumers.

Campden BRI can help with sensory evaluation in benchmark testing. They are used by Retailers and Innovation teams alike.

Many retailers run consistency panels to ensure the product on sale meets the quality standards as agreed in the Quality Attributes. This looks at a product from packaging through component quality to cooked flavour, texture and appearance.

It is an operational imperative that the QAS is delivered to ensure meal consistency which drive Consistency Panel success and consumer satisfaction.