Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom (15 October 2010) – 3663 Catering Equipment, part of 3663 the UK’s leading foodservice company, have teamed up with The Safer Food System, and are offering their customers a simple solution to proactively help them, in an area that before, they would have struggled to get right and manage ongoing.
The Food Hygiene Regulations Act 2006′ – Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 states that all UK food and drink businesses must put in place a ‘Food Safety Management System incorporating HACCP principles, and keep up-to-date records.
Lots of food businesses think they’ve got one. The reality is they probably have a few forms they fill in everyday, it certainly isn’t a fully functioning Food Safety Management System.
The truth is they haven’t got what they really need!
But they can now get it all from 3663 Catering Equipment, fast, easy and really simple to implement.
The very first thing an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will ask to see when they walk in a food business is your Food Safety Management System.
EHO’s are now rigidly enforcing this law across the UK and caterers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to implement a Food Safety Management System, especially as the public become more aware of Scores on the Doors (We will talk about this a little later on)
3663 Catering Equipment only recently ran the first in a series of Webinars on “How to be prepared for when the Environmental Health Officer knocks on your door!”
This webinar, which runs for an hour live, means caterers can log in from their premises and watch highly informative guests and experts giving massive FREE tips, tricks and insider knowledge to help them.
Subjects that will appear on webinars in the future are:
- Getting the lowdown from a real, very senior Environmental Health Officer
- Talking refrigeration and the important things you need to consider to stop people getting ill
- Why cleaning schedules are key to ensuring you don’t get fined
- Why training your staff is going to massively impact on getting more customers
Within the Marketplace magazine, articles that recently have been featured, include:
Why even a Michelin star chef needs a cleaning schedule!
(You may remember a certain chef recently had an EHO visit. He received 1 star, very poor, no food safety management system, no cleaning schedule, no fridge/freezer forms)
This young man definitely needed 3663 Catering Equipment’s help with his Food Safety Management System.
Another recent article in Marketplace featured the national Scores on the Doors scheme.
Anything you may have heard recently to suggest it is being replaced is nonsense.
This scheme continues to grow and grow; now having 122 councils signed up to it.
All the London boroughs have come on and this will help get food safety standards a lot higher for the 2012 Olympics
www.ScoresOnTheDoors.org.uk website gets 12 million hits a year.
What it means is you and I, before we go out to eat tonight, can check how good the food hygiene rating is of our favourite place, or somewhere new we may want to try.
All businesses are star rated 1 to 5 stars (1 =poor, 5 =Very good)
A business cannot get 5 stars without having a working, documented Food Safety Management System. It won’t keep its 5 stars if it doesn’t manage it ongoing.
One of the most recent features in Marketplace magazine can help give caterers a clue as to when their next visit from the Environmental Health Officer may be.
An EHO can turn up at any reasonable time without being invited.
Our article featured a number of things to be aware of that will give you a clue as to when that might be.
If you do the right things and do them well, you probably will get a visit every 9 months. If there are things at fault they could be camped out on your doorstep every other week!
Some of the other articles that will feature in Marketplace over the next few months include,
- So you think you know How to Cook! (Temperature control)
- Prevention is better than Cure
- Great Customer Service for the Price of a FREE Drink!
- Record Food Poisoning Fines
- Temperature probes
Something else 3663 Catering Equipment and The Safer Food System are going to be doing is:
Giving customers great value e-books and newsletters.
Following on from the successful webinar, all attendees were sent a FREE e-book entitled,
“How to be prepared for your Environmental Health Officers next visit in 29 minutes”
Feedback has been superb, with caterers raving about the content included and… it being free!
The message to all 3663 Catering Equipment customers is to provide great added value benefits that are going to enhance and make their business easier to run.
We are very much working in partnership to cocoon the customer.
Here is a little more information on Food Safety Management Systems and HACCP principles
HACCP stands for ‘Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point’.
Basically, it’s the process of identifying possible threats to food safety and setting acceptable limits for each. Then putting procedures in place to ensure food production stays within these safe limits.
However, HACCP is just a part of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS), and it is this complete system that an Environmental Health Officer will be looking for evidence of.
This all sounds complicated!
Actually, it’s not! Once you have set up your system, it takes a minimal amount of time to monitor, check and verify. Most businesses will be able to complete all the daily checks in less than 10 minutes. It may sound and look a daunting prospect, but once implemented, it is quick and easy to monitor and more importantly helps you identify potential hazards in your business. It will also provide you with a strong due diligence defence in case something goes wrong.
The Safer Food System is designed to ultimately help you provide “safe food to the public”.
How can I get a Food Safety Management System?
1. Ask your local Environmental Health Officer (EHO)
You can ask your local EHO to help implement your system. Average time needed will be 8 hours, so basically you will need to allow an EHO total access to your business for at least 8 hours Time is a problem for most caterers and you will also need to allow for follow up calls to check implementation.
2. Attend a 4 day, face-to-face training course
This will provide you with all the information you need, however, it is an expensive option and you will have to spend at least 4 days away from your business, stuck in a classroom. You will be provided with all the information, but you will still have to set up a working system. There will probably be no follow-up help or support, unless you pay.
3. Use an on-line downloadable system and training product exclusively from 3663 Catering Equipment
Utilising the benefits of a face to face course; (guidance and knowledge from real food experts, who understand what an EHO is looking for). A fully downloadable system provides all the forms, process flow charts, HACCP plans, frequently asked questions and help guides you need to implement a Food Safety Management System. Combine this with the time freedom of an on-line course. You work at your own speed, when you want to. It is your choice to determine when and where you work, you do not have to spend days out of your business.
What should I do?
Go to 3663 Catering Equipment and purchase either the Essentials or Pro-Edition of “The Safer Food System”
This option is “The Fastest and Easiest way to implement a Food Safety Management System including HACCP principles.”
It’s that Simple.
To find out more information go to www.TheSaferFoodSystem.com
For more information about 3663 Catering Equipment’s range of products please visit www.3663cateringequipment.co.uk
3663 Catering Equipment is part of 3663.
About 3663
With over 1.84 million square feet of high quality storage in 31 depots across the country, 3663 deliver to over 50,000 clients including pubs, cafes, restaurants, clubs, schools, hospitals and government departments. With current active involvement with business excellence organisations Quality Scotland and the British Quality Foundation, and a certified Environment Management System in the Transport, Storage and Communication areas across the whole company, 3663 are the UK’s leading foodservice equipment company.
Contact:
3663 Catering Equipment
Unit 6, Whitby Road,
Brislington,
Bristol ,
BS4 3QF
Tel: 0370 3663 960
