Food Safety Teams – Start Here
Hello and Hi to all our avid Food Bites readers!
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some insights about food safety teams; their responsibilities, the challenges they face and some useful tips on how to utilise expertise within the team. We call it the “dream team”.
The ideal food safety team is multi-disciplinary and represents the various functions or departments in an organisation. The number of people who form part of this team can differ based on the size of the company and the complexity of the processes. In smaller businesses, the team could consist of two people who represent all the aspects of the organisation where in corporate setups, there could be ten or more members. The actual number of members is not as important as the knowledge and expertise they bring to the table.
When we look at functions or departments, the best teams include representatives from production/processing, maintenance, procurement, new product development, laboratory, quality, technical and dispatch/distribution. The idea is to bring together a group of product and process experts who understand how food safety can be impacted by what happens (or does not happen) in their departments. Process and product experts are essential in determining what food safety hazards should be considered based on the nature of the product and processing environment.
The skills and expertise of the team is usually demonstrated through the experience they have from working with these products and their understanding of the processes. Their contribution to the team can be enhanced when we invest in specialised food safety training. Food safety team members should have a basic understanding of the following:
- Food safety hazards – what are they? Where do they come from?
- Hazard identification – how do we identify hazards specific to our own products and processes?
- Risk assessment – which are the significant hazards that need to be controlled?
Together with in-depth knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices as well as a clear understanding of the responsibilities of a food safety team member, you will be one step closer to having the perfect food safety team!
We share your passion for food safety and understand the importance of a competent food safety team. That is why you will see that we offer several workshops specifically aimed at equipping food safety team members with the knowledge and skills they need.
- 2-day Food Safety Team Training (Based on FSSC requirements)
- 2-day HACCP Training (Based on Codex HACCP and BRCGS requirements)
- 4-day FSSC Implementation Workshop
- 3-day BRCGS Implementation Workshop
“Bad teams work in the same place, Good teams do it together.” -Together is Better by Simon Sinek
Contact us at info@progress-excellence.co.za or visit our website for more information. Our online webchat consultants are also ready to answer any of your training questions.
Don’t miss out on our Blog next week – every good food safety team needs a good Food Safety Team Leader!
Take care.
From the Food Bites Team.