GeneralWhy Your Business Needs a Food Safety Certificate and What it Means

If you asked what most people thought a food safety certificate was, they would say it’s something you put on your wall in your restaurant to tell people your food is safe. While that’s one version of a food safety certificate, it can be far more intensive than that.

It can relate to not only the food present in the restaurant and how the chef stores, prepares and serves it, but the entire chain to get it to you – from the growing or manufacturing, through to the end delivery. Below, we cover which industries require a food safety certificate and what it even means!

What Does a Food Safety Certificate Mean?

On a basic level, a food safety certificate tells customers and potential buyers that the person in charge has ensured the product is safe. It shows that an expert has deemed a supplier or manufacturer follows all procedures and legal processes and that consumers can enjoy peace of mind that they are buying safe products.

However, a food safety certificate can often be quite a broad term as it relates to so many industries, and on so many levels.

Certification for the Food Supply Chain

If your line of work involves processing meat, dairy, and general food products, then you need to have your finger on the pulse of correct processes. Contamination is a genuine threat and undergoing training and the certification process can offer consumers peace of mind. The goal of a food safety certificate in the food supply chain, too, is to identify risks and control them most appropriately.

Management Systems is one of several food safety certificates that can hold significant weight in the food industry. It shows retailers and manufacturers that you understand food safety management, quality, and environmental management too. There are also several different certifications in this field which you can achieve through accredited certification bodies.

Another food safety certificate that holds weight is in regulation. Regulatory programmes are mandatory for most food manufacturers. They involve auditing food, identifying food control plans, and ensuring that all food procedures in place are consistent.

If you wish to package, store, and distribute food with the intention of selling to branded manufacturers and retailers, then product certification is another food safety certificate that becomes paramount in your business. This certificate means you follow the standards for production, preparation and handling, packaging, storage, and distribution of anything for sale to a consumer.

Finally, your business in the food chain may require a food safety certification to become an approved supplier. This certificate gives customers peace of mind that you meet all safety standards for selling goods to the public. Even McDonald’s must be a part of such strict food safety certification.

Certification for Horticultural Exportation

When it comes to exporting products, food safety certificates become all the more critical – especially when it comes to horticulture. Laboratory testing is a crucial part of the export process and involves microbiological analysis, nutritional chemistry, chemical contaminant testing, MRL standard residue testing, contaminants, toxins, pests, plants, and more.

Essentially, anything that could pose a risk to human life, ecology, or the environment, goes through rigorous testing to ensure it’s safe for export.

Certification for Dairy Farms

Even at a grassroots level, food safety certificates are crucial. Dairy farmers must undertake assurance programmes to ensure their products are safe for consumption. What’s more, farm dairy assessments take place every year, covering:

• Farm approvals
• Milk and water samples and tests
• Milk cooling validation
• Milk grade tracebacks
• Suspect milk testing
• And more

Soil and milk machine testing are also available to ensure farmers comply with all standards relating to consumer confidence.

Certification for Organic Food

The organic food and beverage market is set to hit over $320 billion by 2025, with consumers being more conscious of what they put into their bodies. However, that doesn’t mean organic suppliers don’t go through the same rigorous testing or aren’t held to the same standards as non-organic food suppliers.

To sell organic products, you must get your organic certification, follow international organic standards, and use approved products for growth and management.

Certification for Meat

There are several standards in the meat industry by which suppliers, growers, and manufacturers must abide. These include food safety certificates such as carcass trim standards, tare weight audits, food safety, and more.

In Conclusion

A food safety certificate is something everyone involved in food preparation and production requires at every stage of the process. Whether you’re growing a cow for slaughter or you’re cooking the beef patties they inevitably become, ensuring your product is up to scratch is of the utmost importance.

If you are not sure whether your business complies with all standards, it might be time to consider getting in touch with a food assurance expert sooner rather than later.

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