We know by now that food safety is everyone’s responsibility. As mentioned in our previous article, once you decide to venture into the world of food manufacturing and service, you need to be aware of all regulatory and legal requirements relevant to the products you are handling. Start-up food manufacturing companies sometimes lack adequate financial resources and guidance to implement safe food practices. The Government and other statutory agencies have played their role in ensuring food safety and quality by creating laws, best practices and regulations to guide the safe production and distribution of food, but this doesn’t mean you should do the bare minimum to meet these requirements. Why not go a step further and invest in the physical and other resources necessary to put additional control measures in place for operational food safety? Consumers have the expectation that the food they purchase and eat is safe, and there are times when the bare minimum just isn’t enough — prevention really is better than cure.

I’m fully aware of the fact that implementing a comprehensive food safety management system can be expensive; from installing non-toxic floors, screening for insect-proofing, installing wash hand sinks, to ensuring that there are adequate operational procedures in place. All this will put a dent in your budget. Notwithstanding, it will be beneficial to build your company on a culture of food safety. Additionally, you will be able to access local and international markets with ease. Have you ever wondered why some products are more expensive than others? And why some labels are fancier, clearer and have more relevant information? That’s because some manufacturers have made the conscious decision to build a culture of food safety and quality and pass some costs of food safety on to their consumers. In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this; remember, you get what you pay for! If you are in the early stages of being a food manufacturer or you are already established and intend on growing beyond the boundaries of Jamaica, here are a few things you should consider:

1. Training and awareness are significantly undervalued in the food manufacturing and service industry; of course, this is a sore point for me as there is no way we can implement food safety practices if we are unaware of them. I’ll repeat this as many times as I need to; having a food handler’s permit does not qualify you as a safe food handler. Each manufacturing process — be it milk, cheese, meat, pastries, etc — has its own food safety risks attached, and each employee will need to know these risks and how to prevent or mitigate them. All employees handling food require additional training on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) along with specific risks attached to the products being handled — even if you don’t have a formal food safety management system in place.

2. While it is recommended, you really do not need a consultant to create standard operating procedures for your company, especially if you are a start-up with a low budget. Once you have taken the steps to train and make yourself and your employees aware of GMPs and food safety risks, you can go ahead and begin drafting simple standard operating procedures to guide your employees. Of course, they will need to be trained on using these procedures. This will ensure that there is a consistent way of carrying out activities and there may be records available for traceability of processes and products.

3. We tend to ignore the magnitude of risk attached to handling allergenic products. Ensure you know the risks associated with the allergens you handle and put strict control measures in place to manage them. The Bureau of Standards label regulations require that you make a declaration of all allergenic ingredients in your products; they also require that you do not manufacture with allergenic ingredients on the same day as your non-allergenic ingredients; however, there is no regulatory requirement for you to state that the products you manufacture are done so in an establishment that handles allergens. However, this can be argued as the BSJ does require that warnings and cautions should be part of the label wherever it is necessary and appropriate to prevent a health hazard that may be associated with the use of the product.

4. On the topic of labels, do ensure your labels are reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Standards to include all the relevant information such as:

i. Product name/brand name

ii. Net contents

iii. Name and identifiable address of the processor, manufacturer, packer, importer or distributor

iv. Country of origin

v. Ingredients that are contained in the product, including additives, stabilisers preservatives, and natural/artificial flavours where relevant

vi. Date mark (Expiration date, Best before, etc)

vii. Storage information

viii. Precautionary statement

ix. Batch code

x. Instructions for use

xi. Nutritional information (optional)

xii. Claims (health, organic, warnings, cautions)

xiii. Allergens

Additionally, if you intend on exporting to Europe, Canada or the United States, you will need to be aware of their labelling requirements (which are different from ours) and comply.

When you are ready to take it a step further, you can connect with a food safety consultant to explore food safety management system options that will fit your operations and budget.