Food manufacturers are increasingly concerned with meeting food safety regulations. With organisations such as Food Standards Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ) conducting routine inspections to ensure that manufacturers comply with current regulations, there are many reasons why food manufacturers fail food safety audits, however, there are a few key aspects that can impact good health and safety practice.
Human Error
Although mistakes by staff are bound to happen, businesses can take steps to minimise the chance of “slip-ups” in the workplace. Quite often, these errors relate to manual data entry. By using an automated data collection system, businesses can reduce the time spent manually entering or adjusting data, enabling them to spend more time generating accurate information when needed. Many tracking systems use barcodes which are scanned at every stage in the process, from production to shipping. Barcodes are an effective way for companies to trace inventory and minimise mistakes caused by human error.
Failure to meet regulations or not understanding the laws
Food manufacturing is highly competitive and fast-paced industry. Perishable food stock needs to be managed to industry standards to avoid the risk of total factory shutdown. When business practices aren’t in line with current regulations, keeping track of changes can be challenging. Using automation and cloud-based ERP can identify what needs to be adjusted, freeing up your time to focus on other aspects of the business.
Understanding and following a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a food safety and risk assessment plan that helps minimise food safety risks in your business. Food manufacturers should regularly review their HACCP plans to ensure they are in line with current regulations and standards. If your current HACPP hasn’t been updated in a while, it’s a good idea to take the time and do an audit of your processes and system. It’s essential you undertake an audit of your food safety plan annually, as it gives you an opportunity to review processes and update them if required. If your HACPP is paper-based, a digitised copy of all documents in an accessible location will ensure they are safe and no information is missing. All employees should know where the Food Safety Plan is located, which needs to include staff’s roles and responsibilities, the timing of required tasks, and where to report issues.
What’s next?
When searching for the right advice to help your business – seek expert advice. This is where Acacia can help. We work with food manufacturing businesses to implement and achieve operational efficiency. If you are interested in talking through the advantages of using a cloud ERP to track food traceability, contact us and one of our consultants will be in touch soon.
