FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a Food Safety Management System?

A Food Safety Management System (FSMS) encompasses your organisation's policies and workflows aimed at ensuring food safety. It generally begins with the development of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan and functions as a continuous framework of actions and checks for the safe handling, preparation, and storage of food. The Food Standards Agency offers guidance on crafting an effective HACCP. Business operators, owners, or top management are tasked with implementing an Food Safety Management System and ensuring compliance with food industry standards and legal requirements.
Key components of a Food Safety Management System include:

• Food Safety Management Training
• Food Safety Policies
• Identifying potential food safety hazards
• HACCP
• Incident procedures
• Documentation for food safety compliance across the entire process.

Why do I need a Food Safety Management System?

Implementing a Food Safety Management System is necessary for legal compliance and reflects your dedication to the safety of both your team and customers. Even a minor lapse in food handling or preparation could lead to negative reviews or, at worst, serious consequences like foodborne illnesses, legal liabilities, and reputational damage. To minimise these risks, a comprehensive Food Safety Management System is crucial. Clear processes enable your team to maintain superior food standards, and provide evidence of reliable food safety practices to your Environmental Health Officer (EHO), positively influencing your food hygiene rating.

Why should I have a Digital Food Safety Management System?

Traditional paper-based methods can be inefficient, with risks such as misplaced checklists, illegible handwriting, and challenges in monitoring trends across multiple sites.

Utilising a Digital Diary offers:

Improved transparency
Greater efficiency and precision
Effortless scalability
Data-informed decision-making

Will my Environmental Health Officer accept a Digital Food Safety Management System instead of a paper one?

Indeed! The Digital Diary was designed with input from Environmental Health Practitioners to deliver the optimal safety solution for hospitality and foodservice professionals. Your Environmental Health Officer will accept your Food Safety Management System whether it is in paper format or, alternatively, you can impress them by granting personalised access to your Digital Diary.