Food risk in the UK
Failure of food safety is no longer a slap on the wrist, it can result in substantial fines, factory closures and even imprisonment.
"On 19 April 2021, Tesco Stores Limited was fined £7.56 million at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to twenty-two out of date food offences which occurred at three of its stores in 2016 and 2017. The level of fine is unparalleled in food safety prosecutions and one of the highest safety regulatory fines in recent memory".
"The North Yorkshire based company was a supplier to the Aldi group which abruptly pulled its business from the North Yorkshire seafood supplier earlier this year.
Gavan Wafer, head of investigation at the unit, which is the law enforcement arm of the Food Standards Agency, said in a statement that the investigation was related to a number of alleged issues including concerns about the country of origin on some of Bliekers’ smoked salmon products".
"The owner and manager of a takeaway, Kasim Ali Ahmed, pleaded guilty to 12 food hygiene offences committed at Harveys Chicken and Pizza in Kirkham. He was given a six-month custodial sentence on 6 April 2018 at Preston Crown Court".
Risk assessment software
Workflow driven risk analysis tool Set parameters for the risk analysis, type of food, production step name and number the step etc.
Declare and Explain Does a Hazard Exist at this step. If YES then declare what type of hazard exists, How likely it is and if it does appear how serious would it be.
With relevant references highlighted, it is possible to refer to scientific source data immediately
Quick view tables allow a snapshot of what hazards are more likely in what products, giving you a clear view of what you need to test for and how to construct a sampling schedule.
In the case of microbial risk the system will automatically check environmental factors allowing you to ensure that your procedures comply to regulations and where possible eliminate risk.
A section on how you control risk is essential in HACCP plans. Normally there is a choice of option based on the characterisation of the hazard.
In the event that a hazard is encountered it is essential to know how to deal with it. In the "Corrective Action" section there is a clear plan of action. In some cases it is important to remember that time is of the essence.
Based on the information supplied in the step analysis, the system will tell you if it is a Critical Control Point (CCP) or not. If you have declared that this is not a CCP then a simple justification statement should be included to indicate your rationale for your decision.
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