Food Safety and Security: Discussion 14

There are many ways that contaminants can happen. Food should be safe and there are many steps to ensure that this remains the case. There are allowable limits on some things in some products. Bugs fly into things, equipment can fail and more. This needs to foreseen. Regular maintenance of equipment as well as regular, scheduled checks should be done for equipment. Metal detectors should be used. Filters and screens are helpful to get rid of contaminants. The area should be kept clean and sanitized. Regular visual inspections should be conducted. The product should be tested to avoid chemicals and toxins.

Pathogens could arise, so temperature should be properly maintained product should be properly stored.. it should be tested, not be cross contaminated and it may be treated with heat or irradiation. Sanitation is vital to prevent the spread of pathogens. Cross contamination is prevented through proper cleaning Maintenance, employee training, care not to contaminates canning ingredient bar codes, using color coded utensils to designated products with  colors and covering packages properly help prevent cross contamination.

Staff should be properly trained to spot contaminants. They should know what to look for. This may mean knowing what tests to run. It could mean knowing how to properly clean or what sort of certification may be required to ensure that the human error possibilities are lessened or eliminated.

The employees and management should be trained on proper record keeping to ensure tests are done correctly and on time. There should be write ups detailing each step to ensure the proper steps are done to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy. To organize the staff, calendars and schedules should be used. Records should be kept and maintained. Dates should be kept of what was done and someone should ensure the products are properly scanned. This may be through a HACCP Team. The product and activities should be monitored. They should be verified to ensure they are correct. The consumer’s use and misuse should be determined and correctly organized and any repercussions should be foreseen with the tests and what should be done to prevent issues.

An HACCP Team can ensure that everyone does there best to ensure a safe final product. They will research sanitization techniques, how to fix certain products and how to test. They will put together the plan which will ensure everyone continues to follow a safe, good guide on ensuring healthy safe food. This may mean that each employee undergoes training and the HACCP Team may include this in their information.

An HACCP plan should be in place, and there should be designated team that is well rounded in the required subjects. This is to ensure all aspects are handled. The employee training is important. Hazard analysis is vital to ensure safety. Raw materials may have hazards, as well as there being biological, chemical and physical risks. These should be analyzed and employees should be trained a proper HACCP plan will help address issues. Each step to ensure safety ensures the consumer can be confident in a food that will not cause harm.