Nimisha Suraj, M.Sc., is a freelance food safety and hygiene consultant, trainer, and auditor with more than five years of experience in the catering sector of the food industry. She specializes in implementing Food Safety Management Systems for clients and has conducted audits for corporations, educational institutions, standalone catering facilities, and processing facilities.
A question that often arises is, "Does a food production establishment require both a HACCP plan and a Food Safety Plan?" The answer to this question depends on country- or region-specific legal requirements, among other factors.
With the post-pandemic ramp-up of in-person, global sporting events comes a parallel increase in the number of food safety professionals required to oversee the catering of such events. Event organizers and caterers alike have come to understand the importance of food safety in such large-scale scenarios.
With the broad number of factors involved in conducting a successful and efficient food safety inspection, all food safety inspectors, regardless of experience, should take into consideration some key pointers before conducting an inspection.
Edible insects are still considered a "new" food product in the commercial food industry, and it is important to understand the unique food safety challenges they may pose, which could be biological, chemical, or allergenic in nature.
Food safety and hygiene training is a crucial component in the success of a food establishment. Food handlers are the first line of defense against food safety threats within a facility; consequently, they should be equipped with the right tools and knowledge required to combat food safety and hygiene issues within their control.
This article explores the food safety challenges of the labor-heavy catering sector, including the pervasive lack of food safety culture and management commitment; the need for creative solutions in process monitoring for large facilities; how to build an effective training program for a catering facility; and how to handle customer complaints, including the importance of root cause analysis.
