Achieving & Implementing Food Safety Management System

With the growing global concerns on food safety as well as growing global supply chains, food & beverage eccentric businesses should implement a documented food safety management system. Risk Management and it's control measures should be established and implemented to control the identified food safety hazards (Physical, Chemical, and Biological).

In the implementation of food safety management system, it was often thought that it would involve major changes to the whole organization business operating system. Thus, creating challenge and barrier to change in the implementation of the system. However, we need to discard that perception as implementation would not merely changing the whole business operating system but to consolidated, improve the existing system and increase the food safety awareness. Not to mention, it would also integrate management of the activities with HACCP & GMP principles, legal & statutory requirements, customer requirements, and other relevant requirements.

The most fundamental key to the establishment of the system is the commitment from the top management. Policies and objectives should be established by the top management to set the strategies and way forward in ensuring the implementation of food safety management system. The role and responsibilities of all the personnel should be addressed and clearly defined as each and every employee is the organization is responsible in the system.

Process flow diagrams and product description need to be defined & developed as well as hazard analysis need to be conducted prior implementation. In addition, the organization should consider what their customer requirements are and actions needed to meet those requirements before implementation. Most customers will require a food safety management system to be certified to a recognised international standard e.g. HACCP, ISO 22000,FSSC 22000 or BRC. Remember to get a copy of the relevant standard and start to comprehend the requirements required to comply with.

At the same time, we should be focusing in the provision of resource e.g. Personnel, infrastructure, facilities, training and work environments which will require to be conducive, appropriated, properly maintained and improved as it would be also the pillar of strength in the implementation of the food safety management system later.

As for the documentation part, the design should base on a study by your HACCP team. The question here would be who should be in the HACCP team? Well, HACCP team should be multidisciplinary which means all functions of the business should be represented and should be lead by HACCP Coordinator/Team Leader. The HACCP team should be competent and involved in the development of HACCP plans and associated documents, procedures and records. Validation of the HACCP Plan need to be conducted prior implementation

The areas to focus would be the communication and training. During the implementation phase all personnel should be trained, follow procedures and complete records that demonstrate the effectiveness of your food safety management system. Verification (e.g. Internal audit, management review, verification of monitoring activities, just to name a few) should be undertaken to demonstrate the food safety management system is working effectively.

After effective implementation of the system, it’s time to assess the system by conducting internal audit to check the compliance and for improvement. All the internal auditors should be trained and competent prior performing the internal audit. Ensure all the correction and correction/preventive action is taken accordingly and effectively by performing verification. Once done, it’s time to arrange for certification body to assess the system in the organization and recommend for certification. A certificate will be issued confirming your food safety management system meets the requirements of your chosen food safety standard.

Achieving the certification is just the beginning. The sustainability of the system would require total commitments from all of the personnel in the organization. Let’s play our parts in ensuring a meaningful approach in the implementation of food safety management system. Cheers!