Last Updated on January 10, 2024 by Ossian Muscad
If you’re running a food business, you should know how important food safety is. It’s critical to customer safety and is also required by law in many jurisdictions. That’s where a food safety management system comes in handy.
A food safety management system helps manage and enforce food safety, ensuring all your food meets quality and safety standards. You won’t have to deal with customer complaints or legal disputes. This article will discuss FSMS and its importance for food businesses. So, if you want to know how to improve your food safety standards, continue reading!
What is FSMS About?
Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is a program businesses use to ensure their food is safe and meets quality standards. It’s a controlled process of managing food safety to ensure that all the food a restaurant produces is up to quality standards, which indicates that it’s safe to consume.
The FSMS considers every step of food production, from receiving supplies to shipping finished products. It ensures a defined process for every activity and function related to food safety. FSMS helps food businesses create a food safety plan and outlines what procedures must be followed to ensure food safety.
In addition, FSMS should also follow the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). Each organization is responsible for forming key procedures based on this principle. An FSMS is also a requirement by law for restaurant and food businesses to comply with food safety regulations.
Why is FSMS Important?
A Food Safety Management System is a requirement for the following laws and regulations:
- FDA’s Food and Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): A comprehensive legislation enacted to ensure the safety of the food supply chain in the United States, focusing on prevention, inspection, and response to potential food safety issues.
- ISO 22000: An international standard that specifies the requirements for a food safety management system aimed at ensuring the safe production, handling, and distribution of food products across the globe.
- BRC Global Standard: A globally recognized certification program that sets the benchmark for food safety, quality, and operational criteria within the food industry, promoting best practices and continuous improvement.
FSMS also assures food manufacturers, suppliers, and staff that food management is effective and safe. It guarantees that every potential risk has been planned and thought through. For example, if you plan to sell chocolate chip cookies, having an FSMS guides you in managing every aspect of creating your product. This could include the following processes:
- Sourcing quality ingredients.
- Sourcing suitable packaging material.
- Highlighting potential allergens and possible exposure to these allergens.
- Complete details of your supplier’s credentials, including relevant health and safety inspections.
- Ensuring the method is broken down into smaller steps to produce a consistent product every time.
These are some things you might need to apply the HACCP principles and make sure your FSMS works. Remember that the procedures and tasks you implement will vary from one business to another, depending on your organization’s type, size, and scale.
Key Elements of Food Safety Management System
To set up an effective Food Safety Management System (FSMS), there are several key elements that need to be considered. These include Interactive Communication, Prerequisite Programs, System Management, and HACCP Principles. Each of these plays a crucial role in ensuring that your FSMS is robust and effective in safeguarding food safety within your business.
Interactive Communication
Interactive communication is a vital component of any successful FSMS. This involves clear, timely, and effective communication between all individuals and departments involved in food handling and production. This could be between suppliers, distributors, staff members, and even customers.
This type of communication ensures that all parties are aware of any potential food safety hazards, changes in procedures, or updates in regulation. It also fosters an environment where responsibilities are clearly defined and understood and where any issues or concerns can be promptly addressed.
Prerequisite Programs
Prerequisite programs are basic conditions and activities necessary to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food chain suitable for the production, handling, and provision of safe end products and safe food for human consumption. These can include:
- Proper sanitation and hygiene practices: Regularly clean and disinfect all surfaces and equipment, ensuring handwashing facilities are readily available for staff and customers.
- Pest control measures: Implementing effective pest prevention methods, such as regular inspections, sealing entry points, and proper waste disposal to minimize the risk of infestations.
- Waste management: Proper segregation and disposal of waste according to local regulations, promoting recycling and reducing environmental impact.
- Training of staff in food safety practices: Providing comprehensive training on food handling, storage, and preparation, emphasizing the importance of personal hygiene and following food safety guidelines.
They act as the foundational pillars for other FSMS components, providing a baseline level of control for operational conditions within a food establishment.
System Management
System management refers to the organizational structure, procedures, processes, and resources needed to implement, maintain, and continually improve the FSMS. This process includes:
- Leadership commitment: Demonstrate a strong dedication to food safety through active involvement and setting clear expectations for all team members.
- Food safety policies: Develop and implement comprehensive policies that prioritize food safety and outline guidelines for handling, storing, and preparing food.
- Planning: Establish effective processes for identifying and managing potential food safety risks, including proper training and resources for staff.
- Support services: Provide necessary resources, such as training programs and equipment, to ensure compliance with food safety standards and regulations.
- Operation processes: Implement robust procedures and protocols for maintaining cleanliness, hygiene, and proper food handling practices throughout all stages of operations.
- Performance evaluation: Regularly assess and measure the effectiveness of food safety practices, using metrics and feedback to identify areas for improvement and recognize achievements.
- Improvement procedures: Continuously enhance food safety practices by implementing corrective actions, conducting regular audits, and staying informed about industry best practices and emerging trends.
Effective system management ensures that food safety is a shared responsibility and is integrated into daily operations. At the same time, it provides a framework for continual improvement and adaptation to changing circumstances.
HACCP Principles
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally recognized system for reducing the risk of safety hazards in food. The HACCP system does this by identifying physical, allergenic, chemical, and biological hazards (steps) in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measurements to reduce these risks to a safe level. It forms the backbone of any FSMS and should be implemented by all food businesses regardless of their size or scale.
Every Critical Control Point (CCP) must be assigned a critical limit, which represents the minimum or maximum value. The remaining HACCP principles will require the following:
- Monitoring procedures: These are the methods and processes used to regularly track and assess the progress, performance, or status of a particular system or activity.
- Verification procedures: These are the steps taken to confirm or validate the accuracy, completeness, or effectiveness of a process, system, or product.
- Corrective actions: These are the measures or steps taken to rectify or resolve any identified issues, problems, or non-conformities.
- Documentation procedures: These are the established guidelines or processes for creating, recording, organizing, and managing documents and records related to a particular system, process, or project.
5 Steps of Food Safety Management System
Implementing an FSMS is a methodical process guided by a step-by-step approach that tailors the system to the specific needs and objectives of a food business. With a clear vision and commitment, food establishments can develop and maintain a robust FSMS that ensures the provision of safe food and complies with regulatory standards. Let’s explore the five key steps involved in developing and implementing an FSMS:
Step 1: Identify Needs, Scope, and Objectives
The first step in creating an FSMS involves identifying the needs of the business and the scope of the system. It’s essential to clarify the types of food products or services offered, the processes involved, and the risks associated. Establishing the objectives of the FSMS, which might include compliance with standards, improving customer satisfaction, or minimizing food safety hazards, lays the foundation for what the system should achieve.
An FSMS should start with food business operators asking themselves why they need a system, what their goals are, and how the system will help achieve these objectives. To ensure that the FSMS meets food safety requirements, it’s essential to involve food safety experts in this step.
Step 2: Establish a Food Safety Policy
Developing a food safety policy is a vital step in articulating the organization’s commitment to maintaining food safety. It provides a clear guideline for handling, storing, and preparing food safely. The policy needs to be communicated and understood across all levels of the organization and should be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect any changes in food safety regulations or business operations.
A Food Safety Policy should contain procedures for managing complaints and reporting food safety issues, ensuring that everyone within the organization is vigilant and accountable. It’s essential to have the policy written down and displayed in prominent locations within the food establishment. By doing so, the policy will serve as a constant reminder of the organization’s commitment to food safety.
Step 3: Develop a Hazard Control Plan
A hazard control plan, based on the principles of HACCP, is essential in identifying and managing food safety risks. This step requires thorough knowledge of the food production process and should be carried out by a team with expertise in food safety. The food business should develop a hazard control plan for every food or food product being introduced or sold. This plan should include the following aspects:
- Identification of Hazards: This involves identifying potential hazards that could compromise food safety, including biological, chemical, and physical hazards. These could come from raw materials, the environment, or poor handling practices.
- Determination of Critical Control Points (CCPs): Critical Control Points are stages in the food production process where control is crucial to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
- Establishment of Critical Limits: For each CCP, a maximum and/or minimum value must be determined at which the hazard can be controlled. These values can be related to temperatures, times, moisture levels, pH, and other parameters that can be measured and monitored.
- Monitoring of Critical Control Points: Regular monitoring of CCPs is vital to ensure the process is under control at each CCP. The frequency of monitoring should be sufficient to guarantee the CCPs are in control.
- Development of Corrective Actions: In cases where monitoring indicates a deviation from an established critical limit, defined corrective actions must be taken to bring the process back under control.
- Verification Procedures: Verification procedures ensure that the hazard control plan is functioning as intended. Verification activities include reviewing the records, recalibrating, measuring, and monitoring equipment, or taking product samples for detailed analysis.
- Record Keeping: Detailed and accurate documentation provides evidence of effective compliance with agreed safety procedures. Records should include details about hazard identification, CCP determination, critical limits, monitoring system, and actions taken to correct potential process deviations.
Step 4: Follow Prerequisite Programs
Prerequisite programs provide the foundational conditions for an FSMS. They establish basic practices and conditions necessary for maintaining a hygienic environment suitable for food production and handling. Examples of prerequisite programs are GMP, GAP, and GHP:
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): GMPs are guidelines that dictate the aspects of production and testing that can impact the quality of a product. In the context of a food safety management system, GMPs ensure that food is consistently produced and controlled to quality standards. They cover various aspects of manufacturing, including sanitation and hygiene, personnel qualifications, equipment verification, process validation, and complaint handling.
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): GAPs are a collection of principles for on-farm production and post-production processes, resulting in safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural products. The application of GAP ensures that the products are produced, processed, and handled in the safest possible manner while considering economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
- Good Hygiene Practices (GHP): GHPs form the basis for effective food safety controls, focusing on conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at every step of the food chain. Key GHP areas in an FSMS include premises design and facilities, cleaning and sanitation, pest control, personal hygiene, waste management, and storage.
Implementing these PRPs as part of an FSMS can significantly enhance food safety, minimize risks, and ensure compliance with food regulations and standards.
Step 5: Measure the Effectiveness of the System
Finally, the effectiveness of the FSMS should be measured and evaluated regularly. This involves monitoring and verification procedures to ensure compliance with the established food safety policy and objectives. Regular audits and reviews provide valuable insights into the system’s performance, identifying areas for improvement and acknowledging successful practices. It’s through this continuous evaluation and improvement that an FSMS remains effective and compliant over time.
Questions to Consider When Assessing FSMS
When evaluating the efficacy of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS), specific questions need to be asked to gain a comprehensive understanding of its performance. These questions are meant to scrutinize each critical aspect of the FSMS, identifying potential areas of improvement while also highlighting effective practices. These assessments contribute to a more secure, efficient, and compliant food safety management system.
- Is the food safety policy clearly defined, regularly reviewed, and communicated across all levels of the organization?
- Are potential hazards effectively identified and evaluated for each step in the food production process?
- Are critical control points (CCPs) correctly identified and sufficiently controlled?
- Do established critical limits adequately control the identified hazards?
- Is the monitoring of critical control points regular and consistent?
- Are there predefined corrective actions in place for when deviations from critical limits occur?
- Are verification procedures being implemented effectively to ensure the functionality of the hazard control plan?
- Is there a thorough documentation and record-keeping process detailing all aspects of the FSMS?
- Are prerequisite programs (GMP, GAP, GHP) properly implemented and followed?
- Is there a regular review and audit process in place to measure the effectiveness of the FSMS?
- Are there plans for continual improvement and updating of the FSMS in line with evolving regulations, standards, and business operations?
- Is there sufficient training and competency among the staff to execute the FSMS effectively?
- Is there a strong commitment from the management towards food safety and adherence to the FSMS?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What’s the role of a food safety team in an FSMS?
The food safety team plays a crucial role in developing and implementing the FSMS. They are responsible for conducting hazard analysis, determining CCPs, setting critical limits, monitoring procedures, and developing corrective actions and verification procedures. They also ensure the FSMS complies with the necessary regulations and standards.
Q2: Can an FSMS be integrated with other management systems?
Yes, an FSMS can be integrated with other management systems such as Quality Management System (QMS) or Environmental Management System (EMS). This allows for a unified approach to managing an organization’s different compliance requirements, reducing duplication and promoting consistency.
Q3: What’s the importance of management commitment in an FSMS?
Management commitment is vital for the success of an FSMS. It is the management’s role to provide the necessary resources, set the organization’s food safety policy, establish objectives, conduct management reviews, and lead by example in following and endorsing the FSMS.
Q4: How is the effectiveness of an FSMS measured?
The effectiveness of an FSMS is measured through regular audits and reviews, which assess compliance with the established food safety policy and objectives. These audits also identify areas for improvement and acknowledge successful practices, ensuring the continuous evolution and effectiveness of the FSMS.
Q5: What is a food safety audit?
A food safety audit is a systematic examination or review of the FSMS. It assesses the system’s compliance with regulatory requirements, the effectiveness of the system in ensuring food safety, and the identification and control of food safety hazards.
Q6: How often should an FSMS be reviewed?
An FSMS should be reviewed regularly to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness. The frequency of reviews could be annually, but it might be more often depending on the organization’s size, type, complexity, when significant changes occur in operation, or the food safety regulations.
Streamline FSMS with DATAMYTE
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DATAMYTE also lets you conduct layered process audits, a high-frequency evaluation of critical process steps. This audit focuses on areas with the highest failure risk or non-compliance. Conducting LPA with DATAMYTE lets you effectively identify and correct potential defects before they become major quality issues.
With DATAMYTE, you have an all-in-one solution for developing, implementing, and maintaining your FSMS. Our platform helps ensure compliance with food safety regulations while promoting continuous improvement through regular audits and reviews. Book a demo now to learn more.
Conclusion
A well-implemented Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is paramount to maintaining the quality and safety of food products. It helps organizations identify and control food safety hazards, ensuring the final product is safe for consumption.
Regular reviews and audits are essential to gauge the FSMS’s effectiveness and pinpoint areas of improvement. While implementing and maintaining an FSMS can be challenging, the benefits it brings in terms of regulatory compliance, food safety, and customer trust are well worth the effort.
As regulations and standards continue to evolve in the food industry, the importance of an effective Food Safety Management System (FSMS) cannot be overstated. Implementing a robust FSMS not only ensures compliance but also safeguards consumer health and maintains trust in the industry.
