The Coronavirus has changed the way many of us do things, and it’s taken personal hygiene to a whole new level in everyday life. For those of us working in the food industry, this has always been the case; but there’s no doubt though that the COVID-19 crisis is reinforcing the importance of food safety monitoring processes for manufacturers everywhere.
Now is the time to re-evaluate your food safety monitoring processes and take further precautions with your food processing equipment.
Overview
We thank all of you for your support during this time and encourage you to reach out to us if there’s anything we can assist you with.
HACCP & food safety plans
The current COVID-19 virus pandemic is a stark reminder for us all of how easy pathogens can transfer from human to human, but also from humans to other surfaces.
All food businesses should be working hard to re-evaluate their food safety monitoring processes and applications of the HACCP Guidelines at this time.
HACCP is the internationally recognised system used to identify and manage “hazards” – reducing the risks of food contamination across the whole production process.
As early as the 1960s, HACCP was created in an effort to control biological, chemical and physical hazards in the food production process.
HACCP principles
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and is made up of seven principles:
- Conduct a hazard analysis
- Identify critical control points
- Establish critical limits
- Establish monitoring procedures
- Establish corrective actions
- Establish verification procedures
- Establish record-keeping procedures
It’s important that these principles are used at every point in the food production process, from growing and farming to distribution and consumption.
The Coronavirus crisis is a wake-up call for the entire food industry, but perhaps in particular for those involved in agricultural and horticultural activities, where viruses can spread easily, causing loss of crops and short shelf-life of products.
Food safety monitoring processes
There are numerous ways to implement HACCP and other food safety monitoring processes. Here are 3 that you can do right away with the help of FPE.
3 ways to ensure the safety of food
served and sold to customers
1. Eagle food inspection machines
Today, advances in technology have enabled some HACCP control measures to be automated, further improving food safety for processors.
Eagle PI is leading the way in the field of HACCP in product quality inspection equipment.
Christy Draus, Eagle Marketing Manager, says:
“Smarter food safety is data-driven, …those in the food chain – including growers/farmers, manufacturers, retailers and foodservice operators are taking advantage of (or should take advantage of) technologies that allow for greater traceability and quicker responses to suspected illnesses or injuries.”
All Eagle inspection machines through FPE come with the option of HACCP compliance software, improving the functionality, reporting and quality assurance traceability of Eagle’s X-Ray systems.
2. SYSPAL sanitising conveyors
The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety requires there to be physical segregation between low and high care areas.
SYSPAL Sanitising Conveyors make meeting this requirement easy. These machines allow the operator to pass utensils, raw ingredients (still in their packaging) and equipment through the segregation barrier between low and high care areas in absolute safety.
These machines make processing plants compliant, but they’re also essential for eliminating the risk of cross-contamination between production areas.
3. Elpress personal hygiene systems
A blog about food safety and hygiene would not be complete without mentioning Elpress.
The industry-standard when it comes to industrial hygiene, Elpress machines ensure the transmission of pathogens in food processing environments via human contact is minimal.
Having started out supplying high-pressure pumps for cleaning production areas, today the food processing equipment manufacturer’s hygienic entrances (or “hygiene locks”) and washroom solutions are relied upon by processors the world over.
FPE is a proud supplier of Eagle, SYSPAL and Elpress machines because they represent the industry standard in safe, hygienic food manufacturing.
When you order with FPE, you receive comprehensive support, including spare parts supply, equipment training and maintenance. Our Eagle X-Ray machine customers also have access to a 24-hour helpline to provide total peace of mind. Contact FPE today to learn more about food safety monitoring processes and equipment for your plant.
