The advantages of excellent food safety for your business

“Food safety is directly associated with the quality of the product offered, because it is through this that we offer good quality, nutritious and healthy products that don’t pose a risk to consumers

Implementing a food safety system and following its guidelines and controls to the letter only brings advantages to companies. There are many benefits that a company gains from following food safety procedures correctly. Taking care of the integrity of food is fundamental to ensuring the success of the business.

In my opinion, as a senior food safety technician, and according to my experience, the businesses that are most aligned with correct food safety, and all its surroundings, have a significant improvement in all business areas.

In this article, I’ll share the 5 improvements I’ve already seen with the implementation of proper food safety:

1. Improving production

Companies that implement and follow food safety issues to the letter produce more and better. When we talk about food safety, we are talking about various processes such as product reception, storage, good hygiene practices and food handling. It is important that this control is carried out properly to avoid actions that could compromise the productivity of the team and the image of the company.

2. Efficient working conditions

When we talk about efficient working conditions, we’re talking about safety at work. This is a fact. It is the responsibility of employers to provide efficient working conditions for their employees. In food companies, safety at work and food safety go hand in hand. In food safety, we advocate that the employer should provide training for all staff and efficient conditions for staff to be able to produce effectively. Occupational safety in the food sector means that the company must have facilities in a good state of repair and hygiene, have changing rooms with lockers and sanitary facilities for workers, provide full uniforms, footwear and personal protective equipment necessary for the functions and tasks of each worker.

Food safety, in symbiosis with safety at work, advocates that employers have a duty to ensure that all workers carry out their activities and duties in conditions of health and safety, always taking into account the general principles of prevention. It is important never to forget to respect breaks, and in the event of illness, workers should not work and can only return to work when they are in good health.

3. More sustainable business – reduced food waste

For a more sustainable business, the first step is to make the whole team aware of how to make the most of all the raw materials and how to take care of the environment. Knowing how to respect the environment means respecting food and, consequently, respecting public health. This respect is achieved through food safety. This is an element that is present from the choice of supplier and food products to the final product. A very practical example is this: a worker who is responsible for purchasing the food products and materials needed for the activity must be careful to buy only the necessary products and choose the right quantity at certain times (high season and low season). As well as not buying unnecessary products, the storage process is lighter and it’s easier to control the expiry dates of your products. As a result, there is less need to “discard” products that will not be consumed due to their expiry date, and we avoid wasting food and the money invested in these products.

You can find more articles on food waste and sustainability on the website.

4. Compliance with the law

It is very important, I would even say extremely important, that companies (employers and workers) comply with the rules, regulations and legislation in force. All professionals who work directly with food handling on a daily basis need to be fully aware of the rules and practices for sanitizing food and maintaining the facilities where the products are prepared and cooked. And of course, personal hygiene is fundamental. This is the only way to reduce the risk of contamination in general and ensure that the company complies with current legislation. Another very important point is the continuous training of workers. It is very important that workers are trained and aware of the laws, handling processes and good hygiene practices.

In fact, by law, all food workers have to undergo annual training.

More information on legislation, handling and sanitization is available on our website.

5. Quality product delivery

Delivering a product that meets all the quality requirements is the key to any business doing well. And who can help in this process? Having a food safety technician is a fundamental part of guaranteeing food safety in companies. After all, the technician has the necessary knowledge to guarantee the integrity of the food, has knowledge of the processes, standards and laws involved in the area, as well as checking and controlling the work of the workers.

In this way, the company will run less risk of offering products that are not up to the required quality standard. No matter the size of the company, whether small or large, it is essential to rely on this professional to guarantee the quality and integrity of the food throughout the production process, from the receipt of raw materials to the final product. Another important factor is the preservation of nutrients in the food that is stored and produced. And here, I once again emphasize the importance of training. To ensure that the nutrients present in food are preserved, it is necessary to know the relationship between cooking time, volume and temperature used in cooking. Training workers, and in this case cooks and chefs, is important.

You can find more articles on food waste and sustainability on the website.