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IFS Food Standard Version 7

Jun 13, 2021 | IFS

International Featured Standards (IFS) are one of the major recognized food safety management certification schemes with over 26,000 IFS certificates in 90 different countries being issued per year.

First developed in 2003 the IFS Food Standard is a GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) recognized Standard for assessing product and process compliance in relation to food safety and quality. The standard is applicable to food manufacturers and companies that pack loose food products.

The aim of IFS Food Certification is to assess whether the processing activities of a manufacturer are able to produce products that are safe, legal and in compliance with customer specifications. IFS Food Certification is specific to site and all products and processes of the relevant are included in the scope of the IFS Food Assessment.

Certification to the IFS Food Standard requires an on-site evaluation, of which at least 50% of the audit duration is within the site production areas.

The evaluation includes inspection of external areas, goods receipt, production processes*, storage areas and dispatch areas.

There are checks to ensure Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including maintenance, hygiene, pest control and cleaning and disinfection activities are in place and that staff facilities are adequate and hygienic.

*Inspection of Operations: there is observation of running production lines and the control and monitoring of key process parameters including critical control points (CCPs).

During the evaluation, the auditor observes and interviews employees.

Following on-site evaluation there is a documentation and record review to verify the auditors finding during the inspection and assess if the documentation and record keeping also comply with the requirements of the IFS Food Standard.

The requirements of the IFS Food Standard are now documented in Version 7 which is effective for audits from 1st July 2021

Version 7 is in alignment with GFSI Benchmarking Requirements Version 2020. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Benchmarking Requirements are a widely-accepted benchmark for food safety certification programs. GFSI-recognized Certification Program Owners are required to address each key element outlined in GFSI Benchmarking Requirements Version 2020, the main change being the requirement for a food safety culture. Part III of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements defines the key elements required in a Certification Program in relation to:

– Hazard and Risk Management Systems (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) or HACCP based systems)

– Food Safety Management Systems;

– Good Industry Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Agricultural Practices.

The requirement of the IFS Food Standard are laid out in 6 sections of the standard:

Governance and Commitment
Food Safety and Quality Management System
Resource Management
Operational Processes
Measurements, Analyses, Improvements
Food Defence Plan

Governance and Commitment

Section 1 Governance and Commitment has requirements for a Corporate Policy which should be declaring company commitment to its’ customers, food safety, product quality and to develop a food safety culture.

New CODEX GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE 2020 2

Senior Management need to ensure sufficient Resources are provided and that systems are in place to ensure the site is kept up-to-date with relevant information including legislation, code of practice, developments and food safety/quality/defence/fraud risks

There needs to be a defined Corporate Structure including an organisational chart, employees need to aware of their responsibilities and these needs to be documented.

The site needs to retain Customer Focus, identify fundamental needs and expectations of customers and this information used for continuous improvement.

The senior management need to conduct Management Reviews of the food safety and quality management system at least annually, or when significant changes occur.

Food Safety and Quality Management System

The Food Safety and Quality Management System needs be documented and implemented

Documents need to be legible, unambiguous and comprehensive and controlled

Records and documented information need to be legible, genuine and securely retained for appropriate periods.

The food safety management system must be supported by HACCP Plan(s), based on Codex Alimentarius HACCP principles and any legal requirements

Resource Management

Sufficient Human Resources need to be provided. All personnel performing work that affects product safety, quality and legality must be competence and have documented responsibilities and job descriptions.

Documented requirements relating to Personal Hygiene need to be in place and applied. The requirements should be appropriate to the products/processes.

There needs to be documented Training and/or Instruction programs that apply to all personnel.

Adequate hygienic Staff Facilities need to be provided in sufficient quantity for the number of personnel.

Operational Processes

Requirements related to food safety and product quality, agreed with customers must be defined in a Contract Agreement.

There must be Specifications for raw materials, rework and finished products.

Formulas/Recipes agreed with customers must be complied with.

Procedures need to be in place to control Product Development/Product Modification/Modification of Production Processes including a hazard analysis and assessment of associated risks.

Procedures need to be in place to control Purchasing of raw materials, semi-finished products, packaging materials, outsourced processes and services which have an impact on food safety and product quality.

Key parameters for the Packaging materials based on hazard analysis, assessment of associated risks and intended use must be defined in specifications

There must be checks to verify the suitability and legality of packaging including relevant hazards or risks. Evidence needs to be available to demonstrate that packaging materials are suitable for use.

There are specific requirements for the Factory Exterior and Location, the Plant Layout and Process Flow including a Site Map and Production and Storage Premises (including constructional requirements, walls, floors, ceilings, overheads, windows, doors, lighting, ventilation, water, air and gases)

Based on hazard analysis and assessment of associated risks, documented Cleaning and Disinfection schedules must be implemented and monitored.

A Waste Management controls and procedures need to be in place to avoid cross contamination and comply with legal requirements.

Products must be protected against physical contamination. Foreign Material Risk Mitigation procedures and systems based on hazard analysis and assessment of associated risks must be in place to avoid contamination with foreign materials.

Foreign body detection equipment needs to be managed to ensure accuracy and efficiency, any potentially contaminated products need to be quarantined as non-conforming products pending further investigation.

Glass and Brittle Materials need to be excluded, if the presence of glass and/or brittle materials cannot be avoided, the risks need to be controlled.

Based on the risks, control measures need to be in place for the Handling of Glass Packaging, such measures include inversion, blowing, washing or rinsing.

Site infrastructure and operations must be designed and built to prevent pest infestation and Pest Control measures in compliance with legal requirements should be in place to minimise the risk of pest infestation.

All incoming goods, including packaging materials and labels, need to be subject to documented checks on Receipt.

The Storage of raw materials, semi-finished, finished products and packaging materials needs to be as per product specifications and not have any negative impact on other products. FIFO/FEFO stock rotation policies need to be in place.

Vehicles need to be in good condition, hygienic and subject to documented checks before loading, unloading and during transport. Procedures to prevent contamination should be in place and vehicles need to maintain the product temperatures during transport (if applicable). Product should be secure at all times.

Maintenance plans must be in place including critical equipment and vehicles. Repairs need to be controlled to prevent product contamination.

Equipment must be designed and specified for the intended use and verified during commissioning.

A Traceability System must in place that enables the identification of products and the ability to trace back through all stages of the process to batches of raw materials and primary packaging materials. The system must be tested, at a minimum, annually.

Based on risk assessment preventive control measures must be in place from receipt to dispatch, to ensure that potential cross contamination of products by Allergens is minimised.

A documented food fraud vulnerability assessment needs to be conducted and a subsequent documented Food Fraud Mitigation Plan implemented

Measurements, Analyses, Improvements

An Internal Audit Program with a scope and frequency based on risk must be in place to cover at least all the requirements of the IFS Standard.

Site and Factory Inspections must be carried out with a scope and frequency based on risk

Process and Working Environment Parameters that ensure the food safety and product quality need to be monitored and recorded.

Any measuring and monitoring devices required to ensure compliance with food safety and product quality requirements must be controlled, checked and Calibrated.

Quantity Control measures need to ensure that products to meet legal requirements of the destination country and customer specifications.

Risk based Testing Plans must be in place to ensure that product safety, quality, legal and specific customer requirements are met.

Laboratories with appropriate accredited programs/methods (ISO/IEC 17025) should be conducting analyses which are relevant for food safety, if not the results must be verified on a regular basis by laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or equivalent.

Results of analyses must be evaluated promptly by competent personnel and corrective actions taken when results are unsatisfactory.

Quarantine procedures need to ensure that only raw materials, semi-finished and finished products, and packaging materials conforming to product requirements, are processed and dispatched.

Procedures need to be in place to handle Customer Complaints and notifications from authorities. Complaints and complaint trends should be analysed to prevent a recurrence and instigate actions for improvements

Procedures to deal with Incidents and Potential Emergency Situations with an impact on food safety, quality and legality need to be in place. Effective systems for the withdrawal and/or the recall of all products need to be available.

Systems need to be in place to Control Non-Conformities and Non-Conforming Products.

Documented Corrective Actions need to be undertaken to avoid the further occurrence of non-conformities.

Food Defence Plan

A Food Defence Plan needs to be developed and implemented based on a risk assessment of potential threats. The effectiveness of the plan needs to be monitored by internal audit and inspection

Procedures for managing External Inspections and Regulatory Visits should be in place.

How to Develop a Food Safety Culture

Mar 15, 2021 | BRC, HACCP, IFS, ISO 9001, ISO/FSSC 22000, SQF Code

Food Safety Culture

A successful food safety culture is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of the food safety management system. Senior management should plan for the development and continuing improvement of a food safety culture.

Senior management should be implementing a “It is how we do things here” food safety culture. This can be achieved by:

Leadership – starting from the top
Demonstrating visible commitment
Effective communication of company philosophy and policy
Ensuring there is accountability from the top of the organization to the bottom
Developing employee confidence and mutual trust
Developing reward schemes including ‘Employee of the Month’ award
Ensuring all employees are accountable, engaged and understand the value of integrity and proactivity
Developing an action plan for the development and continuing improvement of food safety culture

To ensure success Senior Management should be directly responsible for food safety by ensuring adequate; organization and support, equipment and facilities, training and education of all employees, reviewing and auditing performance, and driving continuous improvement.

All employees should be empowered and individually responsible for the quality of their work, resulting in a continual improvement culture and working environment for all. Employees should be encouraged and required to notify management about actual or potential food safety issues and are empowered to act to resolve food safety issues within their scope of work.

The philosophy of Food Safety should be promoted throughout the organization and in particular the Food Safety Policy.

Communication processes for promoting food safety include:

Team briefings
Staff reviews
Daily Management meetings
Feedback mechanisms
Newsletters
Notice boards

Senior management should monitor and measure through reports and trend analysis the degree of development of the food safety culture by analyzing information including KPIs from:

Hygiene & Housekeeping Audits
Internal Audits
External Audits
Non-conforming products
Environmental monitoring
Review of implementation plan and numbers trained
Employee reviews
Staff surveys on values and culture
Customer Complaints
Staff Turnover
Staff Exit Interviews

All employees should undergo individual food safety culture development which can include:

Food Safety Policy
Food Safety Objectives
Food Safety Management System Overview
Job Descriptions
Job Training
Employee Briefing
Individual Objectives
CCP Controls – Training Procedures & Record Completion
PRP Controls – Training Procedures & Record Completion
Employee Review

A training matrix can be used for Food Safety Culture Planning:

Records of all training should be maintained, including those of induction, on-the-job, refresher and external training. Training schedules and records should be managed by Department Managers and where applicable include the following records:

Training register
Operator training review
Training matrix
Department training matrix
Individual Training records including:
- Description of training
- Skills description
- Name of trainee
- Confirmation of training
- Date and duration of training
- Trainer details
- Verification that the trainer has assessed the trainee and found them to be competent
Identifying the competencies needed for specific roles
Reviewing and auditing the implementation and effectiveness of the training and the competency of the trainer with a view to taking action to improve the training.

Pest Management in the Food Operations

Mar 8, 2021 | BRC, HACCP, IFS, ISO 9001, ISO/FSSC 22000, SQF Code

All food operations should have a proactive system for the prevention of contamination of products by pests that ensures there are effective controls and processes in place to minimise pest activity and ensure any pest infestation does not present a risk of contamination to products, raw materials or packaging.

Most organizations use Pest Control Association registered pest control contractor to implement a Pest Management programme and maintain the site free from pest contamination unless the organization employs a Pest Management Specialist.

A typical Pest Management contract agreement defines:

Company and contractor key contact personnel
Description of contracted services and how they will be completed
Term of the contract
Equipment and material storage specifications
A complete inventory of pesticides (must be approved by the regulatory authority for use in a food facility) detailing the safe use and application of baits and other materials such as insecticide sprays or fumigants
Emergency call out procedures
Records to be maintained
Requirement to notify facility of any changes in service or materials used
Service personnel including evidence of competency by exam from a recognized organization

The contracted Pest Management service should provide:

Site visits and inspections (including the periphery and internal and external buildings) based on a documented risk assessment including service records describing current levels of pest activity and recommendations for taking corrective actions.
The provision of a plan/diagram of the site showing the location of all pest control monitoring and prevention measures
Flying insect controls including fly killing units
Emergency 24-hour call-out service
Quarterly biologist inspection reports, visit and trend reports with recommendations
A current copy of the certificate of insurance that specifies the liability coverage
Spill control materials and procedures
Material safety data sheet information to ensure proper usage of pesticide chemicals.

A nominated manager or responsible employee should have overall responsibility for Pest Management on site so that Pest Management is manged within site control rather than relying on contractors. Before agreeing to a contract the Pest Management Contractor should be subject to Supplier Approval to ensure that the contractor is qualified and the pest management programmes will comply with applicable legislation. Copies of the Contract, Service Agreement, Pest Control Reports and Pest Management Contractor training records and qualifications should be held in Pest Control File on site. At the start of the contract a detailed survey of the entire facility should be completed by a qualified Field Biologist and the results documented and used to determine placement of Pest Control devices.

Exterior Bait Stations

Exterior rodent bait stations should be set up to deter rodents from entering the facility. Based on the detailed facility survey, exterior bait stations should be placed along the foundation walls on the exterior of the facility and along the site boundaries. Exterior bait stations containing rodenticides should be tamper resistant, anchored in place, locked, and labelled.

Interior Monitoring

Based on the detailed Field Biologist survey, interior monitoring devices should be placed in strategic sensitive areas specific to the rodent species, and other areas of possible pest activity. Interior rodent monitoring devices identify and capture rodents that gain access to the facility. Interior monitoring devices should be placed in areas where pest ingress is first likely to be identified and secured in position.

Elimination of Pest Habitat

The Field Biologist should identify any possible pest habitat around the site in the quarterly inspections. The nominated manager or responsible employee should take actions to remove or eliminate favourable conditions for pests including eliminating any rodent burrows, rodent runs and areas that provide harbourage or may attract rodents or other pests to the site or outside grounds.

Pest Management Reporting

Records of all Monitoring devices should be maintained, including services performed, to ensure that devices are properly placed and inspected to allow trend analysis of activity. Pest Management Contractor reports include:

Signs of pest activity
Proofing requirements
Actions required by site
Type of Pest
Pesticide or material applied
Pesticide registration number
Rate of application or percent of concentration
Specific location of application
Method of application
Amount of pesticide used at the application site
Next action/follow up date
Date and time
Review and investigation of any missing baits
Signature of pest controller

Temporary placement of any pest monitoring devices for short-term monitoring should be documented in pest management action reports. All personnel should be trained to identify potential issues caused by pests at induction. A pest reporting procedure should be in place such that any incident or sign of pest activity is immediately reported to the nominated manager or responsible employee and any potential product affected quarantined. The nominated manager or responsible employee maintains a log of pest sightings and the action taken by the pest controller. The Pest Control Contractor should provide reports for all visits and advise on any trends and corrective actions.

Site Standards

Pests pose a major threat to the safety of food. Pest infestations can occur where there are breeding sites and a supply of food. Good hygiene practices should be employed to avoid creating an environment conducive to pests. Sanitation, inspection of incoming materials and monitoring can minimise the likelihood of infestation. Buildings should be kept in good repair and condition to prevent pest access and to eliminate potential breeding sites. Holes, drains and other places where pests are likely to gain access should be protected or sealed. Screens for windows, doors and vents should be used to reduce the risk of pest entry. The availability of food and water encourages pest harbourage and infestation. Potential food sources should be protected and stored above the ground and away from walls. Areas both inside and outside food premises should be kept clean. Waste should be stored in covered, pest-proof containers whenever possible. Pest infestations should be dealt with immediately and without adversely affecting food safety or suitability. Treatment with chemical, physical or biological agents should be carried out without posing a threat to the safety of food. Pesticides should not be used in food areas.

Pointers

As well as carrying bacteria, rodents can gnaw their way into materials and can cause substantial damage to buildings.

It is important to prevent access to pests, all access doors should be adequately proofed and/or screened.

Adequate measures in place to prevent birds from entering buildings or roosting.

Establishments and surrounding areas should be regularly examined by a competent person for evidence of infestation.

How to Reduce Your Complaint levels

Mar 1, 2021 | BRC, HACCP, IFS, ISO 9001, ISO/FSSC 22000, SQF Code

Food Complaint Levels

I have been involved in many projects to improve product quality and reduce food complaint levels. One of the best tools for indicating where action for improvement needs to be applied is by analyzing your complaint data appropriately.

Whilst you can identify faults in your factory your customers are your 100% inspection service so respect their feedback. Whilst all of your customers will not complain when they find a problem so you will not capture all of your product faults you will however identify trends.

The first step is to collate all of your complaint data. Your data should then be categorized by product type, complaint type and size. Analyzing complaints by numbers alone will not give you a real picture of your performance. What you need to know is the proportion of complaints you are getting for each product. By far the most practical way of doing this is by using the sales volumes to calculate the proportion of complaints you get for each product. Some people use weight or volume such as complaints per ton or 1000 Liters. My preference is to use complaints per million units.

So, you analyze your complaint data product type, complaint type and size per million units. From this data, you can easily spot the worst performing product lines.

You should then analyze the results for the worst performing products:

Are they all the same size?

Are they produced on the same filling machine/production line?

Is it the same type of complaint?

The answers to these questions will generate your corrective action plans. If products with the highest complaint levels are all the same size it could be a particular problem with that size of packaging. If it is all the same type of complaint then why are some product lines worse than others? If product from one particular production line is generating the highest number of complaints per million units then there must be a reason for this, it needs investigating.

You should compare product performance and if there are significant differences you should ask the question why? At this point complaint trends are useful. For example, when I worked with fresh pasteurized milk sour complaints were higher in larger sized containers. The reason for this was not related to the quality of the product but the fact they took longer to consume and spent more time in and out of the fridge. Such products would be targeted for improvement projects as opposed to corrective action to remedy a problem area.

A few words of caution though, your analysis needs to take into consideration the comparative value of the products and the market. People are more likely to complain about higher value products. Also, some retail customers are much better at reporting complaints from customers to the extent that I used to get 10 times the complaint levels from one particular retailer compared to another for exactly the same product.

My last tip the more data you analyze the better. In the past I have analyzed 3 year’s worth of data. Why? It gives a year on year performance so you can see if things have been improving or deteriorating and also it shows any effects of seasonality. For example, it is not reasonable to compare summer levels of “off” complaints on a fresh product with winter levels. This is why in the Northern Hemisphere I would compare August complaint performance with the complaint levels for August in the previous year.

The complaint analyzer that I have developed based on over 30 years’ experience in the food industry is included in our Food Safety Management System Implementation Packages.

How to Develop a Food Safety Management System

Feb 15, 2021 | BRC, HACCP, IFS, ISO 9001, ISO/FSSC 22000, SQF Code

A Food Safety Management System should be planned, established, documented and implemented in order to ensure compliance with company, customer, regulatory and statutory requirements. Senior management need to confirm the scope of the Food Safety Management System including product categories, processes and activities conducted on by the organization.

Senior management need to be committed to the food safety management system and establishing and implementing, then fully communicating and supporting company policies, procedures and objectives. Senior management plan, establish, document and implement the food safety management system by:

Establishing and implementing a Food Safety Policy.
Communicating and Maintaining the Food Safety Policy.
Establishing and implementing Food Safety Objectives.
Communicating and Maintaining the Food Safety Objectives
Leading and supporting a food safety culture within the site
Conducting regular pro-active management reviews and communicating outputs.
Communicating commitment to satisfying customer requirements including food safety, quality and service
Supporting and planning the development and operation of the Food Safety Management systems.
Ensuring the food safety management system is maintained when changes are planned and implemented.
Establishing documentation required for the effective development, implementation and updating of the food safety management system and communicating pertinent information throughout the organization.
Providing the human and financial resources, and training, to manage the Policies and Objectives effectively.
Providing the infrastructure and work environment to manage the Policies and Objectives effectively.
Promoting an ethic of continuous improvement throughout the company.
Ensuring the strict observation of all food safety system procedures, the use of correct materials and equipment, recording and reporting of both standard and non-standard events and compliance with the company rules.
Providing the resources to audit the Food Safety Management system effectively.
Providing the resources necessary for the food safety team to effectively implement a Food Safety HACCP plan.
Carrying out regular Management Reviews.
Implementing and maintaining Corrective Action, Preventative Action and Continuous Improvement Plans.
Communicating effectively throughout the food chain from primary suppliers to end consumers including any relevant food safety information.
Providing the resource to ensure the company is kept up to date with all industry codes of practice, legislative, scientific and technical information appropriate to the products in the countries of raw material supply, production and product sales.

Due diligence

An effective Food Safety Management System demonstrates due diligence of the company in the effective development and implementation of safe food operations. The Food Safety Management System documents are supported by the completion of specified records for the monitoring of planned activities, maintenance and verification of control measures and by taking effective actions when non-conformity is encountered.

Top 10 Food Safety Tips for Restaurants and Commercial Kitchens

Nov 3, 2018 | BRC, HACCP, IFS, ISO/FSSC 22000, SQF Code

Food Safety Tips

Food safety is one of the most important aspects of running a restaurant. Read on to learn about the top ten food safety tips.

You’re surely aware of salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and norovirus — but did you know that there are over 250 food borne illnesses? Each year, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million people get sick from a food borne illness. Of those, some 128,000 must be hospitalized, and 3,000 die as a result of getting sick from poor food handling practices. If you supervise a restaurant or commercial kitchen, it is absolutely imperative to understand food safety. We’ve compiled a list of food safety tips to get you started.

Hand It to Safety

One of the most important tips to help keep your commercial kitchen safe is good, old fashioned hand washing. “Employees Must Wash Hands” is more than just a mandatory poster on the kitchen, bathroom, or break room wall. Make hand washing an iron-clad rule. Train your employees in proper hand washing procedures.. And administer strict and swift consequences for those who don’t follow this rule.

Make Gloves Mandatory

In addition, your workers should be trained in the proper use of gloves. Whenever someone is preparing food in a commercial kitchen, they should be wearing gloves. Not only that, but they should change gloves frequently. New gloves should be worn each time the cooks switch from raw to cooked food, for example, and vice versa. Far too many food service workers see gloves as magical shields that somehow render germs powerless, no matter what that person does with their hands. If you see staff members wearing gloves while scratching or touching their skin, and then handling food without changing the gloves, stop them. Retrain your staff as necessary.

Clean and Sanitize Equipment Daily

Of course, the equipment in the kitchen must also be cleaned and sanitized not just on the regular, but properly. Your https://www.foodsafetynews.com/restaurant-inspections-in-your-area/ may have specific requirements surrounding food sanitation, so make sure to ask. In general, you won’t go wrong with hot, soapy water and/or commercial bleach. Wash down all dishes, prep containers, pots and pans, utensils, cooking surfaces, cutting boards, and countertops. Sweep and mop not just the kitchen proper, but also the coolers, freezers, and storage areas.

Set a Regular Deep Cleaning Schedule

It’s also a smart idea to set a firm schedule of how often the entire kitchen should be scrubbed down and cleaned out. Asking your employees to take care of heavy-duty cleaning “as needed” or “when they have down time” is asking for a dirty kitchen that will fail a health inspection. During a deep clean, tackle the ovens, grills, fryers, and appliances. Don’t forget grease traps, range hoods, fans and vents, lighting fixtures, and the like.

Avoid Cross Contamination When Storing Food…

Raw meat and poultry should be kept entirely separate from their cooked counterparts. In addition, keep them away from vegetables, prepared sauces, rolls or bread, and any other foodstuff. This practice ought to be a no-brainer. Anyone who’s ever watched even one episode of “Kitchen Nightmares” knows that raw chicken can’t be kept in a bucket with cooked steak. But you’d be surprised how many shortcuts busy kitchen staff will resort to! The same policy of strict separation goes for knives, cutting boards, utensils, mixing and prep bowls, trays, storage containers, and thermometers. You must have separate prep and cooking tools and supplies for raw poultry, raw meat, raw seafood, cooked proteins, vegetables, and other foods.

Make Proper Food Storage a Priority

Do you understand how different types of food — dry vs. wet, hot vs. cold, vegetables vs. meats — must be stored? Do your employees? You can be certain that the health inspector does, so you should too. Several factors must be taken into consideration when storing food. Ventilation is important, as is temperature. Container sizes, how those containers are sealed, and how food is rotated in and out of containers and storage areas are all crucial to safety in commercial kitchens. Never store food directly on the floor, even if it’s in a box or bin. Never store meat on upper refrigerator or walk-in shelves, where it could potentially drip onto other ingredients underneath. Make sure your employees understand and follow all protocols related to storage.

Follow the Rule of First In, First Out

Want to make certain that your ingredients are as safe as possible, while minimizing the amount of food you need to discard? Be strict about following a “FIFO” policy. FIFO stands for “First In, First Out.” It means that the oldest supplies should be used up first. There are two super simple ways to accomplish this. One is to label every box, bag, package or container with the date it arrived in your kitchen. Then, place it behind any existing stock of that same product or supply in the walk-in or on the shelves. That makes it easier for busy chefs to grab the oldest product first. While FIFO might not be quite as exciting as YOLO or even BOGO, it will help your restaurant or commercial kitchen run more safely and efficiently.

Make Sure Storage Temperatures Are Right

According to the Food and Drug Administration, food should be keep at 41°F or below, while hot food needs to reach 135°F or above. This is to ensure that harmful bacteria never gets a chance to grow. Keep a thermometer in the refrigerator as well as in the freezer. The refrigerator should operate at 40°F or below, while the freezer temperature must be 0°F or below.

Cook All Food to Temp, Too

Similarly, cooking food to the proper temperature will also prevent food borne illness (as well as dishes returned to the kitchen for being undercooked!). Chicken must be cooked to 165°F. Ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork should reach 160°F. Train your cooks to use thermometers often, rather than relying on the look or feel of a dish to know if it’s thoroughly cooked.

Food Safety Tips Are Not Enough

We’ll be honest: these food safety tips are fairly elementary. Most home cooks understand them, and most of your workers probably know the basics of keeping things clean and sanitary, too. In order to truly feel confident that your commercial kitchen or restaurant is in compliance with all necessary regulations and guidelines, contact us. We’ll be able to better assess your needs, and help you achieve compliance, by knowing more about your kitchen!

Comparing BRC & IFS

Jun 26, 2018 | BRC, IFS

BRC or IFS?

As food safety certification is becoming a prerequisite for food businesses throughout the world, one of the first decisions is which food safety standard should I choose? In the first place it is recommended to choose as food safety scheme that is widely recognized by selecting a food safety management standard that has been ‘benchmarked’ by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Two such GFSI approved schemes which are recognized worldwide and particularly popular in Europe are IFS Food Standard for auditing quality and food safety of food products and BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. IFS Food is a standard for auditing food safety and quality of processes and products of food manufacturers. BRC Global Standard for Food Safety sets out the requirements for food companies involved in processing of foods and preparation of primary products.

Both the IFS and BRC standards are retailer driven and strangely enough both IFS Food and the BRC Standard current editions are issue or version 6. The BRC Standard for Food Safety was originally published in 1998 the current version was published in July 2011. IFS Food was launched in 2003 and is current version 6 was published in January 2012. The BRC standard has nearly 14,000 certified sites in over 100 countries around the world. IFS Food issued over 11,000 certificates in 90 different countries in 2011.

Both IFS and BRC identify 10 key elements where failure to comply would result in a failed audit and non-certification. BRC refers to these as ‘Fundamental’ requirements whilst IFS has specific requirements which are designated as ‘Knock Out’ requirements (KO). Not surprisingly there are several common Fundamental of Knock Out clauses to both the BRC and IFS standards. These are senior management responsibility/commitment, food safety plan/monitoring CCP’s, internal audits, corrective action and traceability. BRC clause housekeeping and hygiene is a fundamental requirement whilst IFS differs in that personnel hygiene is a knock out clause.

There are a few differences, IFS lists recipe compliance as a knock out whereas, BRC specifies Control of operations as a fundamental requirement which covers recipes but is more demanding in its requirements for specified processing and operation conditions such as time and temperature for cooking. Of the other fundamental BRC requirements there is training, management of allergens, layout flow and segregation. In IFS Food the other knock out requirements are raw material specifications are foreign material management and procedures for withdrawal and recall.

The BRC Standard for Food Safety Issue 7 requirements are split into seven sections, IFS Food requirements are split into six sections.

Section 1 in both the BRC and IFS standard covers requirements of the Senior Management in terms of commitment, responsibility, policies, organisation structure and review. IFS Food places a little more emphasis on policies which as well as the obvious food safety and quality also require Senior Management to adopt environmental, sustainability, ethics and personnel responsibilities.

Both BRC and IFS require implementation of a HACCP system based on Codex Alimentarius principles in section 2. BRC has a requirement for specific prerequisite programmes in this section. IFS Food specifies Quality and Food Safety Management System requirements in section 2 whereas BRC Issue 7 section 3 specifies the minimum requirements for a documented Food Safety and Quality Management System. Section 3 of BRC also includes requirements for internal audits, supplier & material controls, corrective action, control of non-conforming product traceability, complaint handling, management of incidents and recalls. IFS section 3 covers Resource Management including human resources, personnel hygiene, protective clothing, contractors and visitors, procedures for infectious diseases, training and staff facilities.

Section 4 of both BRC and IFS prescribe expected site standards for ‘good manufacturing practices’ such as cleaning, maintenance, waste control, pest control, storage, transport and requirements for satisfactory factory design & construction standards, plant layout and product flow. BRC section 4 is titled Site Standards also includes hygiene & housekeeping requirements which IFS mainly covers in section 3. IFS section 4 is titled Planning and Production Process which as well as the good manufacturing practices mentioned has requirements for contract agreement, specifications, product development, purchasing, traceability and allergen management.

BRC Section 5 Product Control prescribes expected product controls including product development, packaging, inspection product release and management of allergens. Section 5 of IFS Food, Measurements, Analysis, Improvements covers requirements for internal audits, inspections process validation, calibration, quantity checking, product analysis, product quarantine, product release, management of complaints, management of incidents, product recall, management of non-conformities and corrective actions.

Section 6 of IFS covers Food defense and external inspections with requirements for defense assessment, site security, security and external inspections. BRC Section 6 prescribes process control requirements including control of operations, quantity control and calibration of instruments.

Section7 of BRC is titled Personnel has requirements for personal hygiene, protective clothing, medical screening and training.

Overall both BRC and IFS Food Safety standards are well established in the UK and Europe being driven over the years by major retailers and both are extremely creditable given that they are benchmarked by GFSI. There is a difference in the auditing reporting in that an IFS Food Audit result is reported as a total score percentage with greater than 95 % being the top level where as in a BRC audit the top grade is A. In addition to this BRC has an option of unannounced audits which are conducted at a random date as opposed to a pre-arranged audit. This scheme is viewed as giving a better indication of the day to day standards operated by the organisation. Sites successfully certified against the unannounced audit programme can achieve grade A+, the highest grade awarded by BRC.

Ultimately certification to either the IFS Food Standard or the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety will provide credibility and emphasises that an organisation is serious about food safety and quality. As part of the process of choosing which certification would be of most benefit it is a good idea to consult key customers and take their preferences into account.