Food Safety Management
A food safety management system (FSMS) is a controlled process for managing food safety to ensure that all food that is produced is up to quality and safety standards and safe to consume. This takes into account each and every step from taking deliveries of supplies to shipping out the finished products- which means there must be a defined process for every activity and function. Food safety is the assurance that food will not cause an adverse health effect for the consumer when it is prepared and/or consumed in accordance with its intended use.
Thus, a food safety management system (FSMS) consists of policies and procedures as developed by a multi-functional team as appointed by top management as the basis for the FSMS. A Prerequisite program must be implemented and maintained to ensure that basic conditions and activities that are necessary to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food chain suitable for the production, handling and provision of safe end food products and safe food for human consumption. The prerequisite programs needed depend on the segment of the food chain in which the organisation operates and the type of organisation. Examples of equivalent terms are: Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Hygiene Practice (GHP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), Good Veterinary Practice (GVP), Good Production Practice (GPP), and Good Trading Practice (GTP).
In addition, an FSMS should follow the principles of HACCP and it is each individual organisation’s responsibility to form procedures based on this. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a set of principles which involve analyzing all possible risks relating to food safety and putting controls in place to mitigate them. It should form the basis of all food safety management systems. HACCP is an internationally recognized method of identifying and managing food safety-related risk and, when central to an active food safety program, can provide your customer, the public and regulatory agencies assurance that a food safety program is well managed.
Regulations, national standards and international standards exist to assist companies with the implementation of a food safety management system e.g., Regulation like Regulation R638 (Regulation Governing General Hygiene Regulation for Food Premises, the Transport of Food and Related Matters); South African National Standards (SANS) like: SANS 10049 (Food safety management – Requirements for prerequisite programs (PRP’s)) and SANS 10330 (Food safety management ― Requirements for a food safety system based on prerequisite programs and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles); and international standards like ISO 22000 (Food safety management systems ― Requirements for any organisation in the food chain).
