In 2011, 66 food businesses from all sectors of the food and hospitality industry were closed by the authorities. For approximately 10 percent, this official closure was final - until this day, they haven't re-opened. Avoiding closure is easy. All it takes is to maintain good food hygiene and to keep up-to-date with food safety management and HACCP. To ensure ongoing compliance, it is helpful to employ a third party assessor: a professional who approaches the business with a pair of fresh eyes and completely un-biased.
Being issued with a closure order is a desaster for every food business. Once the order is issued by an Environmental Health Officer it has to be complied with immediately: Patrons or customers have to be sent home, the business has to lock its doors and must remain closed until the authorities give the all-clear. The order is published on the Internet, including details like the business address and the name of the proprietor. Local and national newspapers usually publish the list of offenders as soon as the Food Safety Authority has published its monthly press release. Especially in small communities, word travels like wildfire, adding rumor and false information along its way.
All it takes to avoid closure is to have all hygiene and food safety affairs in order and up-to date records and documentation readily available when an inspector arrives at your premises.
An increasing number of food business owners realise that it takes more than goodwill and a head square on the shoulders to be successful in the fight against complacency and selective blindness. They occasionally employ a food safety professional to assess their business, its operations and paperwork for compliance with all legal requirements. This helps them to get an outsider's view (just like the Inspector's) without the nasty consequences. A food safety professional will issue a detailed audit report, which makes it easy to rectify anything that might have been missed or that has slipped the attention of staff and management - before the Inspector arrives.
MKRMS Food Safety can help your business remain compliant by independently examining your food business, its operations and all required documentation. Before the assessment, we will take the time to establish what to assess, when to assess and how to carry out the assessment to maximise the benefit for your restaurant, pub, takeaway, deli or supermarket. After the assessment, we will make our audit report accessible to you together with a detailed to-do-list that makes it easy to address all shortfalls with minimum effort and cost.
Contact us for more information: 086-835 55 46 or info@mkrms.com.
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