A food safety management system (FSMS) is a structured way for companies to monitor and ensure the safety and quality of food products. FSMSs are put in place to manage food safety hazards by outlining specific procedures, policies, and controls.
The importance of these systems in the food industry can’t be overstated. FSMSs play an essential role in both consumer health and trust and help businesses mitigate risks related to foodborne illnesses as well as compliance with regulatory standards.
In this post, we’ll look at food safety management systems in more detail, including key concepts, standards to adhere to, and how tools like aiOla speech AI can help improve food safety monitoring.
Food Safety Management Systems Key Concepts
A FSMS is a broad concept, so to better understand how to implement one in your organization, it’s key to break down the different key concepts involved in establishing such a system. The concepts below are fundamental elements that form the backbone of successful food safety management, allowing organizations to comply with standards and stay a step ahead of potential hazards.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
HACCP is an approach that helps food companies identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards throughout production. This approach focuses on critical control points (CCPs) where preventative measures can be put in place.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
GMPs are a set of guidelines that outline essential manufacturing process principles so that food is produced according to quality standards. GMPs can cover factors like equipment maintenance, employee training, and hygiene.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
SOPs are detailed instructions designed for consistency and accuracy in operations. They offer a framework for tasks and processes with the purpose of minimizing errors, risk, and ensuring compliance.
Traceability
Traceability refers to a company’s ability to track the movement of food items such as raw ingredients or finished products through a supply chain. It monitors food products from production to distribution to identify the source of issues and implement recalls if necessary.
Food Safety Culture
Food safety culture encompasses an organization’s values, practices, and beliefs that have an impact on food safety behavior. A strong food safety culture in a company helps promote a proactive approach to addressing food safety risks and fosters an environment of accountability.
It’s important not to confuse specific standards like HACCP or GMPs with food safety management systems. For example, HACCP is a specific approach focused on controlling critical points in the food production process, while a food safety management system is a broader framework that might include HACCP and other standards like GMPs or SOPs.
Common Terms and Definitions in FSMS
When talking about food safety management systems, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the common terms associated with them. Here’s a brief list of terms to get acquainted with:
- Critical Control Point (CCP): A step in the food production process where controls can be used to prevent or reduce food safety hazards
- Foodborne illness: A disease caused by consuming contaminated food products, typically from bacteria, viruses, parasites, or expired ingredients
- Shelf life: The period of time during which a food product is safe for consumption and retains its intended physical and chemical properties
- Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPA): CAPA is an approach to identifying and preventing recurring safety issues to ensure continuously improved safety practices
Food Safety Regulations and Standards and Agencies
Foodborne illnesses cause 55,000 hospitalizations and more than 1,300 deaths a year in the U.S. alone. To prevent these illnesses, food companies need to align their practices with global and local regulations and standards. To do this, consider the regulations that govern food safety in your particular field and work towards integrating best practices related to these standards in your FSMS. Some standards and regulatory bodies to consider include:
- International Standards Organization (ISO) 22000: ISO 22000 is a global standard for FSMSs that integrates HACCP principles to ensure comprehensive control over food safety hazards
- Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): FSMA is a U.S. law aimed at preventing foodborne illnesses, requiring food companies to implement and document preventative controls
- Codex Alimentarius: This is a collection of globally recognized standards, guidelines, and best practices that ensure food safety and fair trade across the industry
- Regulatory Agencies: Agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are responsible for enforcing food safety laws, establishing standards, and conducting inspections to ensure compliance
Food Safety Management System Implementation
Managing and implementing a FSMS involves different steps:
- Conduct a hazard analysis and risk assessment
- Establish CCPs and control measures
- Develop SOPs
- Implement GMPs
- Provide employees with training
- Monitor and verify control measures
- Conduct internal audits and reviews
Throughout these steps, management and leadership need to demonstrate commitment to establishing this new system by allocating resources for training and building a culture of food safety. It’s also essential they offer sufficient training and education to ensure all employees understand food safety principles and their roles in maintaining a FSMS. Additionally, ongoing monitoring, verification, and validation are necessary to ensure control measures are working effectively and the FSMS meets regulatory standards.
Tools for a More Reliable FSMS
While the purpose of a food safety management system is to accurately and reliably track food safety in production, you still need to complement your FSMS with advanced tools, technologies, software, and monitoring systems. This will help you ensure vital data is collected and can automate manual monitoring and testing procedures. Here are a few types of tools to consider for a reliable FSMS:
- Food safety management software allows you to automate and streamline FSMS such as document control, compliance management, and reporting
- Temperature monitoring systems help you track and record temperature data throughout food production and storage to prevent spoilage or contamination
- Automated HACCP systems aid in monitoring CCPs, documenting compliance, and generating alerts when deviations occur
- Blockchain, RFID tags, and barcode scanning tools enable traceability throughout the supply chain, enhancing transparency and recall efficiency
- ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and other testing devices monitor the cleanliness of surfaces and equipment to ensure hygiene standards are maintained
- Predictive analytics tools use data to forecast potential food safety risks and trends, allowing for proactive management and prevention
- Online training and eLearning platforms provide accessible, standardized food safety education for employees
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies analyze large datasets to identify patterns, predict potential food safety risks, improve decision-making, and enable more effective preventive measures
Leveraging Speech AI for Strong Food Safety Management Systems
Speech AI, such as aiOla, can help improve multiple processes related to FSMSs. From real-time reporting to data collected through speech during inspections for stronger compliance, aiOla can help companies stay on top of all the procedures related to food safety management systems.
aiOla is trained to understand over 100 different languages, including various accents, dialects, and speech in any acoustic environment. This results in a speech AI technology that’s highly accurate and reliable, which is essential when collecting and monitoring food production data for safety.
With aiOla, companies can better ensure employees are complying with food safety standards as they can automate workflows, trigger tasks, and collect data entirely hands-free, enabling them to focus on the food products instead of on recording data. This makes work processes safer and product testing and inspections more precise.
Building a Strong FSMS With the Right Tools
While the first step of building a winning FSMS is documenting the procedures you’ll apply to your food production, it’s just as important to implement the right tools to get the job done. With so many different standards to comply with, removing the burden of manually completing operations and data collection and instead replacing it with aiOla’s automated speech AI will ensure your team is focused on building a culture of food safety.
Book a demo with one of our experts to see how aiOla can fit into your food safety management system.
