Frequently Asked Questions
Have you got a question to ask us, here is a few:
Q. What does my food business need to put in place to have adequate allergen management?
A. Each food business must know the allergens in the food that they sell. This ensures that customers are able to identify the allergens present in the food, and they can be put in an informed position to decide which food they can safely eat.
Many businesses look to put in place a systematised way to support their food production, covering their responsibility to deliver safe food and minimise their risks in poor identification.
According to the researchers in Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Australia has one of the highest rates of documented food allergy and hospital anaphylaxis admissions in the developed world. The Australia Bureau of Statistics, recorded 324 deaths from anaphylaxis between 1997 and 2013 with men more likely to die than women, of these approximately 10% were due to food allergens.
To assist this alarming trend in the food industry, Food Safety Systems has developed a food compliance system that includes an allergen management component. For more details and free trial.
Q. Our business has been severely impacted due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19, how can you assist us to become a COVID safe business?
A. It is expected that COVID will be with us for some time, and many governments including the Australian government are requesting businesses to have a COVID Safe plan to reopen.
When we break down the areas that Food Safety Systems can support you and your business in minimising the risks around COVID-19, we can offer advice around: ·
Proper storage, cooking and service of food;·
Staff training around food preparation, hygiene and the importance of cross-contamination;·
Cleaning of equipment and food preparation services
We can also provide you an easy to use compliance tool that can assist you to ensure these processes are not only executed but monitored, giving you oversight on the different parts of your food operations. For more details and free trial.
Q. What geographical areas do you cover?
A. Food Safety Systems currently holds certification from the NSW Food Authority, Queensland Health and Health Victoria to conduct regulatory food audits. We also can provide consulting and kitchen reviews within Australia, and is the founder and creator of FRANK ™ system that supports businesses in their food safety compliance and allergen management on a global scale.
Q. Is my business ready for HACCP certification?
A. To ascertain your readiness to achieve HACCP would require us to understand your business, and what you have in place. Some of the areas you need to consider are:
·Do you have a Food Safety program that covers all aspects of your operation;
·Documented evidence that you are following your food safety program;
·Certification from your food suppliers;
·Evidence of regular, and appropriate training of your staff;
·Hygiene and cleaning standards documented, and evidenced that they are executed throughout your food preparation/service areas.
Once we have conducted a high-level overview of the above, we can decide on next steps. Food Safety Systems can assist you to fill in all the gaps, and support you to achieve your HACCP accreditation.
Q. What services do you provide?
A. Food Safety Systems has been in the food industry for several decades across Aged Care, Retail and Food Production businesses and can support you in all areas of food operations, service and compliance.
We specialise in:
·Regulatory audits within NSW, QLD and Victoria
·Internal food safety audits
·Onsite food safety training
·HACCP accreditation
·Food Safety programs
·Consulting and kitchen design
·Legal food safety compliance
·Offering remote food safety compliance assistance
You can find out more details, here
Q. What is a high-risk food?
A. A high-risk food is generally a food that has high protein content (such as meat, diary) and requires control measures to ensure its safety i.e. temperature control, cross contamination, shelf-life and packaging.
Q. How do I ensure food suppliers are safe for my business?
A. You should look for food suppliers that have certification, such as a food licence or a HACCP certificate.
Always check food once it is delivered, ensuring temperature, packaging and expiry dates are acceptable.
"Use by" dates and "best before" dates, whats the difference?
A "use by" date is a date by which food must be used, it is against the law to sell food that is past it's "use by" date.
A "best before" date is a date food should be used by to ensure it is consumed at the peak of it's quality, however the food can be used after this date.
Q. Is it safe to use the food from dented cans?
A. It's best not to use food from dented cans as the damage to the can may have allowed air to enter the can which will promote the growth of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Q. Why is it so important to wash your hands before preparing food?
A. Washing your hands properly before preparing food is one of the best things you can do to prevent food poisoning as it will remove potentially harmful bacteria from being transferred from your hands to the food you are preparing.
Q. Do microwaves heat food properly?
A. No they don't, when reheating food in the microwave it's a good idea to stir it mid way through so that all the food is heated evenly.
Q. Can Food Safety Systems help my food business to operate within the food laws?
A. Yes, we have many years experience in the food industry including aged care, restaurants, hotels, function catering, running production kitchens, as well as auditing food businesses throughout Australia and Asia to ensure they are operating within the food laws.
Q. What is HACCP?
A. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, it is a system for ensuring food is received into the business, stored, prepared, and served in a safe manner.