FAQs

Having the skills to manage complex food supply chains and safety concerns related to these is not ‘common sense’. Safety compliance is a legal requirement (HACCP) and passing a food standard e.g. BRCGS needs input from an expert advisor. If you want legal advice, you go to a solicitor. Therefore, to ensure safety compliance seek expert guidance because protecting your brand, product and staff is vital to commercial success.

Creating a HACCP plan (risks and controls) is a legal requirement for all food related businesses. This helps to prevent and detect violations of rules, protecting against fines and lawsuits.
Complying to a safety standard, like BRCGS, is essential when trying to gain new business with retailers, foodservice chains etc because they want you to prove to them your product is safe and legal as a gateway to a business deal with them. They may also conduct a supplier audit on your site to prove further that you do actually comply to the rules.

Put simply, passing a safety standard your food business can prove to the marketplace that, at least on paper, you are following the highest safety standards. Having this stamp of approval can help maintain and attract customers, act as self-protection if something goes wrong i.e. a product recall or to consumers your commitment to produce safe food.

In order to prevent costly mistakes in food production and supply, regular staff training is key. Staff need to know how to do things in a certain way but also why they are done. Staff training records are vital in preparing for and passing a safety compliance standard. Online training is a cost effective way of keeping staff up-to-date with their training. Our online compliance training courses can help in this process. ( LINK TO FOOD SAFETY TRAINING PAGE)

All safety compliance standards, including BRCGS and SALSA, demand evidence of a food safety culture is being created and implemented in a business during their annual audit. Simply, a food safety culture is a behaviour based management system where attitudes, values and practices are taught to all employees. This is an on-going or continuous process. It also proves commitment in an organisation towards all areas of safety compliance.