Food Safety Management under Scrutiny from the ‘Food Safety Squad’.
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Food and Beverage, Hotel Management, Hotel News, Hotel Strategy, Olympic Games 2012
Hotels, restaurants and other food outlets will be under increased scrutiny in 2012 as the Foods Standards Agency launches ‘The Food Safety Squad’.
Businesses providing food to the public in towns and cities hosting Olympic or Paralympic events will be visited by a specialised team of environmental health officers to ensure that all food sold is stored, prepared and heated responsibly to minimise risks to public health.
The squad is part of the ‘Play it Safe’ campaign raising awareness among businesses and visitors of the importance of good food safety management. The squad will ensure that our food represents high standards of quality demonstrated across all aspects of the visitors’ experience of our country.
Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement and local authority delivery at the FSA said:
“London 2012 is about celebrating everything that the UK has to offer and food is an important part of this. We have so much fantastic food to showcase to Games visitors, and we want food business owners to ensure that everything they sell is the best it can be. It will be an exceptionally busy time for a lot of these businesses, and the FSA is providing extra support and advice to make sure they are well prepared to meet the challenge.”
The FSA will be providing a food safety coaching programme for small businesses in Olympic areas in need of improvement as well as funding and training for local authorities and extra equipment and resources for enforcement officers working in Olympic areas.
Food businesses who do not do well in inspections will be given one to one training in order that they are aware of and follow food hygiene regulations. Tough action will follow where public health is put at risk. Link to our article on Food Safety Management Standards: What can go wrong? In order to find out what can happen if standards are breached.
Ben Milligan, an environmental health officer from LB Tower Hamlets said, “the Games are seen as a real opportunity in terms of business and profits. At the same time, having to serve more people than normal can create situations that don’t arise under normal circumstances, such as the need to produce and store lots of food in advance.”
Review of Food Safety Management for 2012.
Ensure that all equipment, storage facilities and premises are cleaned thoroughly and maintained effectively.
- Provide staff training so they are equipped to deal with issues as they arise.
- Extra storage and preparation facilities provided for increased supply.
- Ensure clear procedures are put in place for waste and pest control.
- Risk assessments should be made to identify and minimize potential risks and hazards. Improvements made appropriately and regular reviews of these assessments should be undertaken.
The ‘Food Safety Squad’ are there to provide support and to help businesses demonstrate the high standards of safety and hygiene we have in this country. 2012 offers hoteliers and other hospitality and catering industries the opportunity to show the world the quality of our food and celebrate our culinary abilities.
