Food Safety and HACCP

HACCP is the acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, is a Food Safety System that identifies, evaluates and controls hazards in the food environment. RoyalMnandi, has five units which have been awarded with HACCP certification based on the SANS 10330:2007.

It is a food safety system developed by the food industry that examines every step in a food operation, identifies specific hazards, and implements effective control measures and monitoring procedures.
It is a management tool used to protect manufactured food against biological, chemical, physical, and other quality hazards.

Benefits of using a HACCP System:

1. It reduces the occurrence of food borne illnesses like typhoid fever caused by the organism Salmonella Typhi.
2. It can be applied throughout the food chain from the primary producer to the final consumer.
3. When properly designed and implemented will significantly reduce the chance of microbiological, chemical, and physical contaminants from reaching the customer.
4. Reduces the need for finished product testing by identifying the hazards associated with the inputs into the process and the product, and devising control measures which can be monitored in order to minimise or eliminate the hazards.
5. Principles can be applied to other aspects of food quality and regulatory requirements.
6. Since HACCP increases one's ability to detect poor quality product during production, such products can be quarantined before any further value is added. Resources are saved, and faulty products are not produced. Productivity and profitability is thus improved.
7. Capable of accommodating changes such as advances in raw materials, equipment, and premise designs, procedures and technological developments.
8. Communication with suppliers improves as HACCP encourages businesses to work more closely with a select group of suppliers helping them to better understand your needs and wants.
9. Communication between the different segments of the food chain improves as HACCP provides a common language and a common focus on quality.

Currently RoyalMnandi kitchens are the only staffrestaurants to be certified by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

The intensive programme includes development and implement ation of GMP’s (good manufacturing practices), PRP’s (prerequisite programmes) and compliance to the SANS 10330:2007 standard for all kitchens. Furthermore, staff are constantly being trained against the principles of HACCP.

For an effective Food Safety System, HACCP requires that a documented process be in place, following the product literally from ‘farm to fork’. In order for HACCP to be practiced on the floor, we need to change staff mind-sets and RoyalMnandi have invested a fair amount of time training everyone from Exco to middle management, including the chefs and cleaners. Teamwork is crucial for a successful HACCP plan.

In addition to the procedural changes that need to be implemented before HACCP certification can be obtained, many of the restaurants have to also undergo structural changes.

HACCP is a way of life – a programme that requires monitoring on a daily basis.