Food Safety Management Systems

This assignment delves into the critical aspects of food safety, examining risk assessment methodologies, the implementation of effective management systems, and various control strategies employed to ensure food safety throughout the supply chain. Students are expected to analyze provided research articles and online resources to gain a comprehensive understanding of these concepts and their practical applications.

Food safety management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Control required to prevent physical and chemical contamination of food...............................3
1.2 Compare the characteristics of food poisoning and food-borne infections...............................4
1.3 How food-borne illness can be controlled.................................................................................5
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Categorize the food spoilage agents that affects food...............................................................5
2.2 Methods of food preservation....................................................................................................6
2.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of food preservation methods..........................................................7
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................8
3.1 Key steps involved in temperature control system....................................................................8
3.2 Methods for safe storage of food...............................................................................................9
3.3 Importance of personal hygiene in the control of food contamination......................................9
3.4 Evaluate cleaning and disinfection as a process supporting safe food production..................10
3.5 Problems associated with pest control in food premises.........................................................10
3.6 Justify need for hygienic design and construction of food premises.......................................11
3.7 Importance of training as quality assurance mechanism.........................................................11
TASK 4...............................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Food hazard risk assessment ...................................................................................................12
4.2 Food safety control system......................................................................................................13
4.3 Food safety guide for legislation compliance..........................................................................14
CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Food safety management has definite scientific principles which includes handling,
preparation, and storage of food in different ways that prevent food-borne health problems. Various
number of plans designed by food and quality team should be followed to avoid severe possibilities
that causes health hazards. In this way food safety often overlaps with food defence mechanism to
prevent harm to people (Koutsoumanis and Gougouli, 2015). A proper safety track is maintained
between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer who purchases the
food. Food safety considerations include the source of food including the activities related to food
labelling and packaging, food hygiene, food additives and chemical substance residues. It also
manages all the policies formulated by food managing department which is necessary for trade of
goods across different countries, inspection and certification systems for foods.
This report will focus on various factors which are required to avoid physical and chemical
contamination of food which lead to food-borne hazards and illness. It will also study different
spoilage agents and characteristics of food infections which are responsible for food poisoning and
other diseases. The study will also include various methods for safe storage of food and food hazard
risk assessment.
TASK 1
1.1 Control required to prevent physical and chemical contamination of food
Food can be contaminated through various contaminants present in air and natural
surroundings. They can be physical, chemical, enzymatic, microbial and environmental
contaminants (Escanciano and Santos-Vijande, 2014). Different ways to prevent physical and
chemical contamination of food materials have been discussed below.
1. Prevention of physical contamination
 Physical contaminants include various materials such as stones, paper pieces, metal objects,
plastics and pieces of glass.
 These can enter into food particles during packaging and storing of food materials if proper
care is not taken (Kafetzopoulos, Psomas and Kafetzopoulos, 2013). Therefore, it is required
to store and pack foods in a room which is incorporated with HEPA filters that detects
micro contaminant agents.

 These contaminants can be found during the process of sieving or picking different items
from various places. Hence, it is very necessary to clean the surrounding areas thoroughly
before starting the sieving process (Zwietering, Ross and Gorris, 2014).
2. Prevention of chemical contamination
 Food can be contaminated through various chemical contaminants such as pesticides,
insecticides, bleaching agents and other chemicals used for cleaning purpose
(Koutsoumanis, 2012).
 All the chemicals which are used in food processing area should be removed before starting
the procedure of food preparation. This will help in preventing chemical contamination of
food.
1.2 Compare the characteristics of food poisoning and food-borne infections.
Table 1: Characteristics of food poisoning and food-borne infections.
Characteristics of Food poisoning. Characteristics of Food-borne infection.
 Food poisoning is a kind of food-borne
illness or infection which is caused by
the ingesting food materials which
contains preformed toxicants in them
(Lelieveld, Holah and Napper, 2014).
 It can also be caused due to bacterial
toxins that can either directly have direct
or indirect impact on human body
(Kirezieva and et.al, 2013). Some very
most common bacteria includes
Salmonella, E.coli, Enteric gut bacteria,
Staphylococci, Campylobacter, and
Clostridia perfringens.
 The most common symptoms of food
poisoning is dehydration, when the body
expels a large quantity of water and
electrolytes (Johnston and et.al, 2014).
Food poisoning which is caused by the
bacteria lead to develop severe problems
 Food-borne illness is an infection or
physiological state that results from
eating food which is contaminated with
living microorganisms or their toxins
present in food (Kher and et.al, 2013).
 Food-borne infection also includes
hypersensitivity reactions and other
conditions where foods act as a carrier of
the allergen (Le, Bazger, Hill and
Wilcock, 2014).
 Common symptoms of food-borne
illness includes diarrhoea and vomiting,
which generally last for a week. Other
symptoms can be abdominal muscle
pain, sickness, fever, body aches, and
tiredness (Van de Brug, and et.al, 2014).

for unborn babies.
 E.coli can cause problems related to
urinary tract infection and nephrology.
Other complications may include
inflammatory disease and excessive
bleeding problems (Santos Silva and
et.al, 2014). Non-infectious food
poisoning can sometimes lead to long
lasting nervous system problems which
further results in death.
1.3 How food-borne illness can be controlled
Food-borne illness can have severe consequences and effects on human body, hence it is
very necessary to control and avoid agents that cause food borne illness. Seven major ways of
controlling food-borne infection have been discussed below.
 Check for cleanliness: Ensuring proper cleaning and safety measures before buying fruit,
vegetables and other food materials from a shop retailer or vendor is very necessary.
Unhygienic food can cause food-borne illness very easily (Paterson and Lima, 2015). Keeping certain foods separated: Different vegetables, raw food, fruits, snacks and poultry
items should be packed in separate plastic or paper bags. It helps in storing food for a longer
time without contamination (Rasool Hassan, 2012). Inspection of cans and jars: It should be ensured that food and drinks that are packed in jars
and cans should not be dented or leaked from any corner of the bottle (Saffari and et.al,
2014). If the cans are dented it can cause physical and chemical deterioration of food
materials through outside environment.
 Inspection of frozen food packaging: The chances of food-borne illness caused due to
frozen food is much higher than the illness caused by raw and fresh food. It is very
necessary to thoroughly check the packing and storage condition of frozen food before
purchasing it from super markets (Walker, 2014).

TASK 2
2.1 Categorize the food spoilage agents that affects food.
Generally food spoilage can be caused by by two agents. They are bacterial and fungal
agents . The affects of both the spoiling agents have been discussed below.
1.Spoilage caused by Bacteria
 Mainly food spoilage is caused by bacterial agents through various process. It spoils the
food by breaking down food particles by producing toxins and acids during the digestion
process (Arikan, Dibeklioglu, Arik and Gulcan, 2014).
 Bacterial agents or microbes can also lead to decomposition of harvested crops in fields.
Further the crops are spoiled due to microbial attack.
 Signs of food decay may include an appearances with different bacterial colonies present on
surface of vegetables fruits and other food materials (Seo and Jeon, 2015).
 Spoilage of food is also indicated by change in texture, colour and odour and undesirable
taste of food.
2.Spoilage caused by Fungus
 Fungal agents are not only responsible for contaminating air. They are also responsible in
spoiling food materials by breaking down different enzymes (Romanazzi, Lichter, Gabler
and Smilanick, 2012).
 Food spoilage by fungus is caused due to release of mycotoxins which are the part of fungal
filaments.
 Several toxins released by fungus are Aflatoxins and Ochratoxins which causes cancer and
other kidney disorders (Villers, 2015).
 Decay of food due to fungus leads to discolouration, rotting and unpleasant taste of food.
2.2 Methods of food preservation.
Food preservation involves methods which are use for preventing or killing the growth of
bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms (Liu and et.al, 2015). Various food preservation methods
have been discussed below. Salting: Salting preserves food by removing the moisture and creating an environment
unsuitable for microbial growth (Barriuso, Astiasarán and Ansorena, 2013). Very few
bacteria grow in high salt solutions, so simply adding a very high amount of salt can can be

an effective method of preservation Pasteurization: It is one of the method which involves heating of food till a temperature
where all the microbial organisms are destroyed. Usually food is heated to over 60 °C but
the temperature is not exceeded beyond 100 °C (Smith, 2013). Freezing: Freezing is one of the most prominent and effective way of preserving food for
longer period of time. Food and vegetables are frozen at different temperatures of -30 to -40
°C and other poultry food items are stored at -20 °C to -40 °C. Pickling and fermenting: Pickling is a natural method of food preservation. It is usually
based on the formation of lactic acid due top lactic fermentation. The pickling method is
mostly used for preserving vegetables. Pickling is adopted mainly because it do not destroy
the dietary value of fruits and vegetables (Wang and Shi, 2012).
 Drying: Drying process is involves the removal of water from food. It is the most effective
method of preserving food from micro organisms.
2.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of food preservation methods
Food preservation methods Advantages Disadvantages.
Salting It is beneficial as it prevents
and kills the microbial growth
by preserving food fort a longer
time (Mensah and Julien, 2011).
Increased intake of salt can lead
to serious health problems such
as fluctuation in blood pressure
level.
Pasteurization Pasteurization is one of the
most effective method of
preserving food.
Excessive heating beyond the
temperature limit can destroy
all the nutrients and dietary
values of food (Early, 2012).
Freezing Freezing helps in removing
water content from food which
makes it lighter and easy for
transportation from one place to
another.
The main demerit of freezing is
that they are very costly
because freezing needs special
equipment for preserving food
(Vladimirov, 2011).
Pickling and fermenting Pickling helps in keeping food
fresh for more time.
It also reduces cost of
preserving food (Lèfstedt,
If pickling is not done using
proper techniques and skills it
can lead to deterioration of food

2011). by making it unfit for eating.
Drying It makes water unavailable
which is very necessary for
microbial growth.
It can lead to loss of various
vitamins and nutrients such as
vitamin C and vitamin B1.
TASK 3
3.1 Key steps involved in temperature control system.
Temperature Different activities
-18° C This temperature is most suitable for storing frozen food
items. At this temperature the bacterial growth is inhibited
and they stop to multiply (Koutsoumanis and Gougouli,
2015).
1° C - 5°C Chilled food is generally stored at this temperature. As this
temperature is high as compared to -18° C it promotes slow
growth of micro organism (Escanciano and Santos-Vijande,
2014).
Below 8° C or above 60°C This temperature is very critical for storing food and is also
regarded as danger zone. It helps the bacteria to multiply at
a very speedy rate (Kafetzopoulos, Psomas and
Kafetzopoulos, 2013). If food is kept at this temperature it
gradually starts to deteriorate due to release of various
toxins and chemicals.
Above 62° C Bacteria and fungi at this temperature fail to survive
hence . They start to die at this temperature hence, hot food
can be stored at this temperature for sometime.
75° C Raw food now changes to cooked food at this temperature.
Below this temperature the food remains to be uncooked
therefore, it is necessary to reach the particular temperature
for changing raw food into cooked food (Zwietering, Ross
and Gorris, 2014).

82° C After cooking, re-heating of food takes place at this level.
It is essential to re-heat food so that left over microbes are
killed.
100° C At this temperature all the bacteria and fungus are killed.
Water starts boiling at this temperature (Koutsoumanis,
2012).
3.2 Methods for safe storage of food.
Different ways have been adopted for safe storage of food. They are given below.
 Fridge storage: It is very necessary to keep the fridge conditions at 5° C or below it because
at this temperature the microbial growth is very slow which helps in storing food safely. Use-by' date: It can be very dangerous to consume food which has been packed very earlier
because many chemical and physical change takes place in food which is kept for long
time(Lelieveld, Holah and Napper, 2014). Eating and purchasing fresh fruits helps in
preventing food poisoning and infection. Freezing and defrosting: The best way to preserve poultry food item is by freezing and
defrosting method. It is essential to defrost and freeze these items as lots of water is
removed out. It helps in inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth. Re-freezing: Re freezing and re-heating of defrost food is very important. Food which has
been defrosted and removed from freezer should be re-heated and consumed immediately. Re-using bags: It is very beneficial to use reusable bags because it helps in keeping food
fresh for longer time period (Kher and et.al, 2013).
 Canning: It is the method of storage in which food is stored in air tight jars and cans . With
the help of using pressure induces cans food can be stored for many days.
3.3 Importance of personal hygiene in the control of food contamination.
 It is very important for all the individuals and members working in food industry to
maintain personal hygiene. It helps in preventing various hazardous infections and
diseases caused bacterial and microbial contamination (Le, Bazger, Hill and Wilcock,
2014).
 Several rules and regulations are designed by all the food industries which includes ways
to maintain cleanliness in all the sectors of industry. All the workers are strictly guided

to follow those guidelines so that quality of food produced in a market is not affected
and decreased.
 Different ways have been adopted by all the food organization and industries to create a
sage and clean environment, free from germs and other chemical and physical
contaminants (Kirezieva and et.al, 2013).
 It is very essential to wash hands with cleansing agents and soaps so that all the dirt and
microbes are removed from hands. After washing they should be wiped with clean and
tidy towel.
 It is not advisable to cook food items which have fallen on floor even if the floor looks
clean. The reason behind not cooking is because tiles and floors can contain various
harmful bacteria on it (Johnston and et.al, 2014).
3.4 Evaluate cleaning and disinfection as a process supporting safe food production.
In food industry cleaning and disinfection procedures are formulated to remove dirt and kill
the microorganisms present during packing storing and transportation (Van de Brug, and et.al,
2014). In many cases it is conducted on individual food product because it is contaminated by earth,
microbes, or residues of pesticides. The importance of cleaning and disinfection in the of process
supporting safe food production is discussed below.
 It is often noticed that the quality of the finished product is affected by the tastes of
foreigners due to the development of microbes in food material (Santos Silva and et.al,
2014). These are developed sue to the presence of various residues and chemical toxicants
present on food items. Hence, it is very to maintain proper sanitation and cleanliness
condition to avoid contamination.
 During heating and pasteurization process it is important to consider that the equipments are
washed and cleaned properly (Paterson and Lima, 2015). If they are not cleansed the metal
rust can react with vegetables and poultry items. This can lead to develop dangerous
infections and diseases.
 While storing food in cans and metal jars it is necessary to keep them in open room or
kitchen surface. If the cans and jars filled with drinks and food are kept in refrigerator, the
metal on jars can corrode the cans which results in chemical and physical deterioration of
food (Rasool Hassan, 2012).

3.5 Problems associated with pest control in food premises.
Various problems related to pest is encountered in food premises. It affects food preparation,
production, storing and transporting hence, it is very important to identify the problems related to
pest and eradicate them so that the quality of food produced is not lowered. Some problems
associated with pest controls are given below.
 The presence of insects, flies, domestic animals and rodents should be removed from food
premises. They release harmful substances which mix with air and reacts with food causing
food contamination and spoilage (Saffari and et.al, 2014).
 Germs and microorganism stick to food materials which causes food decay, hence it is very
important to close all the external windows and exit points which promote the entry of
minute particles (Walker, 2014).
 Pesticides and insecticides causes water and food pollution hence it is requires to wash all
the fruits and vegetables before consuming. Eating food without washing can cause food-
borne infections and food poisoning.
3.6 Justify need for hygienic design and construction of food premises.
It is important to have a specific hygienic design and construction of food premises so that
all the work which is being performed in the food industry is done systematically and with accuracy
(Arikan, Dibeklioglu, Arik and Gulcan, 2014). The need for hygienic design and construction of
food premises is discussed below.
 It is necessary to design a perfect hygiene plan and construction to prevent the entry of pest,
dirt and toxic materials which can cause infection and contamination in food premises.
 All the walls doors and windows should be iron protected so that rusting of iron in food
premises do not take place (Seo and Jeon, 2015).
 Hygienic plan is necessary so that the room where food is prepared and stored is equipeed
with various filters that traps micro organisms easily.
 A proper drainage system and water supply is essential in kitchen and different parts of food
industry so that the waste material is disposed effectively. Regular maintenance of drainage
system is also important to check and prevent the collection of germs and dirt.
 All the rooms and halls of food premises and food industry should be equipped with proper
ventilation to enhance the exchange of cooking smell with fresh air so that suffocation is
prevented(Romanazzi, Lichter and Smilanick, 2012) .

3.7 Importance of training as quality assurance mechanism.
It is very important to maintain a certain quality of food which is produced to consumers all
around the world. The demand of food is increasing day by by hence, it is very necessary to meet
the quality criteria to produce contamination free food (Villers, 2015). Various training programs
are organized by different food industries to enhance strategies for preparing good food which is not
harmful to any one. The importance of training as quality assurance mechanism are given below.
 With proper training programs the quality of food can be enhanced which is very important
for any food industry to grow.
 Various strategies and methods can be adopted for effective food preparation, storage, and
transportation from one place to another (Liu and et.al, 2015).
 The chances of error can be minimized by communicating and discussing various problems
which are faced by members working in an food industry.
 Different techniques can be used to avoid the physical and chemical contamination of food
so that dangerous diseases are prevented (Barriuso, Astiasarán and Ansorena, 2013).
 It is necessary to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation conditions in food premises and
packing area. Hence, different ways can be suggested to remove the loop holes in hygiene
and cleanliness area through proper training programs and guidelines.
TASK 4
4.1 Food hazard risk assessment
What are the
hazards
Risk Measures to control over the risk
Biological hazards Microorganisms such as
bacteria, viruses, parasites
etc contain natural toxins that
may contaminate the food
(Vladimirov, 2011).
 By making use of preservation
techniques like drying, canning ad
smoking.
 Appropriately cleaning and washing the
fruits and vegetables before cooking
and serving.

 Cross-contamination must be managed
 entail suitable packaging and
temperature control
Chemical hazards Pesticides, food additives as
well as toxic metals may
cause food contamination
 Making use of approved food additives
and colours (Smith, 2013).
 Providing complete training to
 Can be provided to staff members with
regards to handling of the materials.
Physical hazards Foreign objects may cause
accidental contamination of
food.
 Maintaining Good personal hygiene
 Wearing the long sleeves cloths to avoid
the hazards.
 Giving the training to the staff.
 Frequent hand washing.
 Routine inspections and maintenance of
the equipment
 Sanitising surfaces and equipment that
comes into contact with food (Wang, Li
and Shi, 2012).
4.2 Food safety control system
Food safety control system can involve for making use of Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points that works on 7 main principles.
 Carrying out hazard analysis
 Finding out critical point of control
 Defining critical limit of control points
 monitoring process
 Undertaking corrective action
 Record maintaining

 verification method
Other than that there can further be a use of Safe food better business which is a package
developed by Food Standards Agency to so that small cafes and hotels adhere with food hygiene
(Mensah and Julien, 2011). With the help of all these factors, hotel can easily explain the method of
cooking safely and systematically to its workers. It can also explain them to maintain hygiene with
respect to the food. In addition to this, hotel can also provide appropriate training to their staff
members for enhancing their skills, abilities and knowledge in the field of cooking. Through this
technique, firm can maintain the quality of food which will result to satisfy the customers. It can
give information to the trainees about the pest control, physical and chemical contamination,
personal hygiene, cleaning and disinfection process and many other things so that they can cook
food effectively (Early, 2012).
4.3 Food safety guide for legislation compliance
For maintaining the quality of prepared food it is important to provide agency guidelines to
the employees of hotel. There are various kinds of agency guidelines which will help food staff in
preparing quality food as per the expectations of the customers. Some of the agency guidelines are
explained below.
 Food Standard Agency: It is a non ministerial department of government which is
responsible for the protection of public health with respect to the food. It influences users
about the quality of food and makes them believe that the food they are consuming and
purchasing is safe for their health. Hotel can take help of this agency for preparing the
guidelines so that it can guide employees to cook quality food. The plans and strategies use
by the agency will be related to the food safety and health of consumers. It will also take
care of the consumer rights while creating the guidelines (Lèfstedt, 2011).
 Health Protection Agency: It is a non-departmental public body of UK whose responsibility
is to protect the people from threats, diseases and environmental hazardous. For this, it
provides advice and information to citizens, health care professionals and national or local
government. It provides integrated approach to the general public for protecting their
health. In 2013, this agency was dissolved into another agency but the role played by it and
actions taken by it helped a lot in preventing customers from various diseases or threats
(Vladimirov, 2011).
CONCLUSION
The above report included various methods required to prevent physical and chemical

contamination of food. Different agents that caused food decay and spoilage were also studied
along with ways to control food-borne illness an food poisoning. The study also explored different
food storage and preserving techniques which is important to store food for longer period of time.
The importance of developing a hygienic plan construction and benefits of training in quality
assurance mechanism was also discussed.

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