Food Safety Standards: Is Your Supplier Up to Snuff?
Food Safety Standards: Is Your Supplier Up to Snuff?
In the food business, there is nothing more important than food safety. If there’s even a slight chance that your food products pose a health risk to your consumers, you might as well pack up your shop and consider another venture. It may only take one incident of food poisoning to destroy any prospect of success for your business, which is why you’ll want to work with food suppliers who meet the highest standards of food safety in the industry. Food safety standards may vary between different regulatory agencies and countries, but you’ll generally want to work with suppliers who are certified by the following agencies:
- Global Food Safety Initiative
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is an international trade organization that oversees food safety standards around the world. The GFSI provides a benchmarking process for food suppliers, which include health and safety standards for food packaging, distribution, storage, farming, and manufacturing. Although the GFSI doesn’t accredit or certify food retailers, their benchmarking process serves as the foundation for other agencies to implement food safety protocol, and retailers can receive a GFSI certification through various third-party agencies.
- British Retail Consortium
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is a UK-based trade association that represents most retail stores in the United Kingdom. In addition to their role in retail management, the BRC is one of the leading authorities on global food safety standards. Companies that supply supermarkets and other food retailers are legally bound to comply with standards put forward by the BRC, which including proper food labeling, distribution, supply chain management, and storage.
- NSF International
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) was first established in 1944 in to address the need for standardized sanitation and food safety requirements. Since then, the NSF’s role in public safety has extended to other parts of the globe. Businesses that receive NSF certification, and those that deal with food products in particular, have demonstrated that their products are in compliance with some of the highest international safety standards.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
If your business sells food products in the U.S., you’ll have to work with food suppliers that adhere to standards established by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is maintained and controlled by an executive appointed by the President of the United States. The FDA functions as a regulatory agency that oversees the manufacture, sale, and distribution of food and pharmaceutical products, including dietary supplements, farmed foods, and cosmetics. The FDA Food Code serves as a model for food safety regulations across state and local agencies.
Ask Your Supplier
Whether you own a restaurant or a yogurt shop, you’ll want to make sure that your suppliers are able to meet all the required food safety practices in the food business. Food borne illnesses are some of the most common illnesses in the world, and you’ll definitely want to ask your supplier about how they can ensure that consumers won’t become sick from their products.
At Dure Foods Ltd. We take Food Safety Standards very seriously and we do not take lightly that you use our products and you do have a choice. To learn more or discuss your needs, contact us here.