The 1 Lesson That Will Change How You Approach Food Safety Implementation Forever
- Rayki Goh
- Jan 19
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 28
“Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I would spend the first 4 hours sharpening my axe.” - Abraham Lincoln
Hey Geeks,
Training is not just a tool for immediate performance improvement—it is an investment in the long-term development of a skilled, adaptable, and confident workforce. More importantly, taking the right steps from the beginning can save a significant amount of time and effort by avoiding rework.
Imagine spending months developing protocols and standard operating procedures for the management system you intend to implement. Then, discovering a significant discrepancy in mandatory requirements that does not align with either the standard or legislative frameworks your system was designed to comply with.
Rework represents unnecessary time and effort, often requiring work hours that are already stretched thin. Ultimately, failure to align with mandatory standards will lead to an audit failure.
When that happens, you may find yourself moving forward with implementation, knowing that the initial steps were fundamentally flawed.
This scenario reminds me of my early years as a junior auditor when I was tasked with assessing the documented procedures of a food processing business. My role was to support the audit team, specifically reviewing foundational documents—the framework that guides implementation and extends to higher levels.
During that audit, I noticed that the acceptable criteria for temperature monitoring did not align with regulatory requirements, which resulted in all recorded readings being off by 1°C.
When interviewed, the implementor of the management system mentioned that they had Googled information on safe storage temperatures, but the results likely reflected the requirements of a different country.
This incorrect implementation significantly altered the accuracy of the temperature records. Temperature discrepancies increased from a mere 1% to 50% due to the flawed benchmark.
In addition to the other minor observations, our audit team leader concluded the assessment with two major non-conformities: one for inadequate documentation of the temperature monitoring protocol from invalid source and the other for the food safety risk of storing refrigerated products outside the required temperature range mandated by legislation.
This story emphasises the importance of taking the right first steps. Although it is tempting to rely on readily available information online, such sources may not always be accurate. In compliance auditing, we place great importance on validation.
Validation involves obtaining information from credible authorities, such as government bodies or individuals with academic credentials and relevant field experience.
For instance, holding a PhD in business administration does not validate one’s expertise in food safety management unless paired with a degree in Food Science.
When engaging a food safety management trainer, it is essential to verify their credentials, ensuring their expertise is both robust and relevant to the subject matter. You would not want to rely on a trainer whose primary experience lies outside the very topic you require guidance on.
Similarly, the higher the level of education specific to the subject, the greater the depth and reliability of the information they provide.
What I am trying to say is that early food safety training with validated sources of information is essential to avoiding unnecessary time wasted on rework and flawed implementation. By starting with the correct approach, businesses can save time, reduce costs, and cultivate a culture of accuracy and efficiency. This paves the way for smooth and compliant operations, ultimately protecting both the business and its customers in the long run.
Until next time~
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