The type of HACCP food safety system you need depends on the size of your business and the activities it operates. That`s why it`s important to conduct regular risk assessments (or HACCP risk assessment) to determine your needs. A HACCP decision tree can also help you identify key hazards in your food facilities and implement adequate controls. The law focuses on preventing the distribution of potentially harmful foods. Food distribution in the U.S. has changed dramatically since the first food safety law was passed in 1938, but food safety laws remained essentially the same until last year, when the FDA`s Food Safety Modernization Act was passed in 2011. A company`s food safety culture must be evident and rigorously practiced by everyone in the company. It needs to be reinforced through ongoing training and reassessment of current food safety practices to capture and institutionalize culture throughout the company`s supply chain. The need for food safety precautions includes not only things that could have gone wrong in the past, but also things that could reasonably be expected. It is therefore essential that all food business operators integrate food safety practices and procedures as an essential part of day-to-day business operations. Section 210: Improving Food Safety Grants are awarded to food safety organizations that work with colleges to conduct research and develop programs to improve the safe distribution of food. “Centres of Excellence” are established and serve as sources of research and information to further improve food safety.
Food establishments may be subject to a number of enforcement actions at any time, including: Due diligence is the primary defence under the Food Safety Act when a company is involved in a safety incident involving its food that could result in prosecution. Food businesses can demonstrate their duty of care by ensuring a complete and up-to-date record of food safety management. It is about providing evidence that you have done everything in your power to prevent food safety breaches. It is of paramount importance that these organizations be able to demonstrate that they follow these practices by keeping records of their food safety system. By keeping these records, organizations can exercise due diligence that can protect them from certain legal consequences. For example, in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, HACCP testing determines that the safety of a particular food requires adequate temperature control at one or more stages of production, storage and distribution. Therefore, the submission of appropriate temperature readings in accordance with the HACCP risk assessment is the only practically acceptable means, along with other necessary food safety measures taken to demonstrate due diligence and that all appropriate safety measures have been taken to the satisfaction of the food enforcement officer and a criminal court. All food businesses must ensure that they comply with food safety laws and procedures. This ensures that the food they sell is safe to eat. However, it is not enough to follow food safety laws, you need to prove your food safety due diligence.
This means that you must keep proper records of the food safety systems used by your business to comply with the law. Article 104: Performance Standards The FDA will work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate key contaminants and provide advice on how to control them. Did you know? HACCP was first used in the 1960s by the Pillsbury Company to produce the safest and highest quality food for astronauts in the space program. By law, all organizations that produce, distribute or sell food must follow the food hygiene practices set out in food safety regulations to ensure that food can be consumed safely. Section 304 Pre-Notification of Shipments of Imported Food Importers must notify FDA of other countries to which shipments of food products have been refused. Section 111: Safe Transportation of Food The FDA will comply with the requirements of a previous amendment to regulate the safe transportation of food. Due diligence can be demonstrated by the simple but effective task of keeping relevant records of hygiene procedures. Our list below contains the main documents that food companies should have available and use in their daily practices. Checklists form the basis of your food safety management system and are therefore necessary to demonstrate due diligence. Article 110: National Capacity Building The FDA will report to Congress on progress in preventive food safety programs to measure their effectiveness.
Did you know? The Food Safety Act 1990 provides the framework for all food law in the UK.