Simpler compliance checks to ensure food safety in restaurants

What is HACCP and why is it important?

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It’s a European food safety regulation that also applies to most food services business in the UK.

A hazard is classified as anything that is dangerous, and a food hazard is something that could make food unsafe or unfit to eat. Whilst a fully-fledged HACCP system is not mandatory, you must have solid food safety management procedures in place and they should be based on HACCP principles.

These principles state that you must identify potential risks in your business and make sure they are reduced or removed. You must also ensure the system is being followed and a plan of action in case things go wrong.

The dangers of not having procedures for food safety in restaurants

If you don’t have a reliable food safety procedure in place, you are risking outbreaks of E. Coli, salmonella, and norovirus at your restaurant. And bad news travels fast, meaning your brand could end up in national headlines, or worse, one of guests could become seriously ill.

Incidents like these could result in closure, lost revenue, serious damage to your reputation and potentially ruin your business.

Which technology is best for ensuring HACCP compliance?

A proactive approach to preventing all of this is fundamental. However, paper-based procedures for food safety in restaurants are inefficient and could lead to mistakes, not to mention taking up a huge amount of your team’s time. So, technology is undoubtedly your best asset when it comes to preventing potentially serious consequences for your guests, and your business. Mapal offers a range of tools for guaranteeing food safety in restaurants, each helping you make your system safe, efficient, and updated in real-time.

Compliance — Digitises all our daily operational checks and HACCP procedures into a simple, easy-to-use mobile app. Your teams get a clear view of what they need to do and complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Managers and head office can monitor in real-time, get reports, and create and compare audits. You can even add more in-depth manuals and instructions, should your team need further guidance in an inspection or in the case of an incident.

Flow Learning — All food handlers in your business must comply with the regulations for food safety in restaurants and keep up to date. Flow Learning offer an extensive library of short and engaging, mobile-first compliance modules, as well as a range of other resources for hospitality skills and awareness. You can monitor their progress from a distance and rest assured that your team is always up to date.