Food Safety Consulting
FOOD SAFETY CONSULTING & FOOD SAFETY PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Food and Health standards (2006) is one of the countries industry and market leaders in the fields of Food Safety Consultancy and Food Safety Programme Development. The Company was one of the first organisations in New Zealand to launch the food Safety Programme concept, which has over the years, allowed the Directors to ideally position Food and Health Standards in the main driving seat for both the current market demands and those of the intended legislative changes that are due in the near future.
Through this multi discipline approach, Food & Health Standards has adapted its Food Safety / Environmental Health role to become a significant national leader in the field of food safety, hazard analysis and the implementation of food control plans.
For any national food safety programme to be effective, it must incorporate all food related items, products and ingredients used in connection with the food industry, domestic markets and horticultural activities, including the wine industry, fruit and produce growing sectors.
The NZFSA, through its 4-year domestic food review, have specified that the future of New Zealand’s domestic food market, for customer consumption, must focus on the primary risks associated with the foods, and ultimate protection of the end consumer. This future based mechanism is aimed at benchmarking and standardising the industry, from production, to manufacturing and retail.
Having a dedicated, approved and auditable food safety programme in place will provide the necessary systems, quality management assurances, consistency, and transparency across all sites and locations, demonstrating the Companies ongoing commitment to maintaining food safety. This is a significant step forward in protecting not only the Company, but also the food industry and the future of New Zealand’s domestic food sectors – something that registration with District Councils across the country, simply cannot provide.
KEY BENEFITS OF AN APPROVED FOOD SAFETY PROGRAMME
- Consistent systematic approach to ensuring food safety standards within the organisation, administered by a central documented system that benchmarks the key standards, hazards and implements controls for ensuring food safety nationally.
- Moves away from an inspection to an assessment / audit. The documented systems are robust enough that they can withstand changes to procedures, practices, legislative improvements, and ongoing internal development. A food safety programme is a living manual.
- Once approved a food safety programme exempts the premises from local authority registration. Given the disparity between local authority registration systems, costs and requirements, a food safety programme creates a level playing field of consistency, uniformity, benchmarking and transparency.
- An approved safety programme is well recognised for its commitment to standards, safety and stability within the food industries locally, nationally and internationally.
- Builds in consistencies in food quality and safety assurances. It is like an insurance cover to protect the consumer and while doing so it automatically protects the business.
- Protects the NZ industry in both the Domestic and Export marketplaces.
- Aids in product, process development and control over food safety.
- Develops and improves personnel skills and qualifications NZFSA, DHBs and TAs have a comfort zone when a business has an officially approved FSP/FCP.
- Acts as a marketing and sales tool for products. Opens the door for market opportunities for products sold in NZ and overseas, eg., Woolworths Australia, Foodstuffs NZ and Progressive Enterprises.
- It provides for an acceptable documented quality system that has proven integrity such as the incorporation of HACCP, which is the Global method of assessing food safety hazards and risks.
- Provides for good traceability in business performance and food safety and can identify good and bad trends.
- Confidence that you have identified all food safety issues and are managing them.
- Reduced risk of food-borne illness.
- Reduction of customer complaints.
- Increased market opportunities as your customers may require you to have a FSP.
- Reduction in production cost (reduced recall / wastage) and improved product consistency.