A food safety manager is in charge of ensuring that the food prepared under his or her supervision is safe to eat humans and animals. To avoid outbreaks of foodborne diseases, food safety is critical. Food safety issues can jeopardize public health, put consumers at risk, and cost businesses a lot of money.
Food is prepared and processed in various stages in the food industry. A vegetable, for example, is grown, then picked and sent to market, purchased and stored, chopped and cooked, and then served to a customer. In any of these stages, the food can now be contaminated.
Food contamination can occur for a variety of reasons. It can be caused the use of hazardous chemicals, a lack of hygiene, inadequate storage facilities, or pest infestation. A manager must be aware of various potential food hazards and take appropriate precautions to mitigate them.
The food safety professional must be familiar with the cleanliness standards that must be followed as well as the temperatures that must be maintained for optimal storage. He or she must be aware of the precautions that must be taken to avoid food spoilage caused bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It’s critical to take precautions to keep pests like rats out of food preparation areas.
The food safety manager must first study all of the details involved due to the complexity of the food production chain. He or she must figure out all of the safety precautions for food handling. It is critical to put in place a functional food safety management system.
It is the responsibility of the food safety manager to communicate the food safety policies to the various people and organizations involved in the food production process. The manager must then keep a constant eye on the day-to-day operations to ensure that the policies are being followed. To keep it running smoothly, the food safety management system must be overhauled on a regular basis.
A food safety professional might have studied food technology in school. He or she may have worked as a chef, cook, kitchen manager, or restaurant manager in the past. Food safety training is required to become a qualified food safety manager. Candidates must complete a food safety certification course and pass a written exam to become a Certified Food Safety Manager.
The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals develops and maintains the food safety course in the United States. The Certified Food Safety Manager examination is accredited the American National Standards Institute. This institute’s food safety certification is recognized worldwide.