Don’t Become an FSAI Statistic. Overview on Food Safety & HACCP Complaints & Non-Compliance in 2016.

The Food Safety Authority FSAI announced that five closure orders were served on food businesses in January 2017 for breaches of Food Safety. This is a big increase on 2016, with only 1 closure order in January.

There were a whopping 106 enforcement orders served for food safety issues in 2016. This includes 94 food business closures, 3 improvement orders and 9 prohibition orders in counties all over Ireland. Recurring food safety issues included poor cleaning and hygiene, poor personal hygiene and inadequate hand washing facilities, incorrect storage of food, pest control issues, lack of maintenance and insufficient food safety management systems or HACCP plans.

The Food Safety Authority received over 10,000 queries in 2016. Lots of these were for advice from food businesses and employees in the sector.

Food complaints accounted for 3,200 calls to the FSAI advice line last year!

This is over 15% increase on calls received in 2015. The calls were broken down as follows:

1,126 in relation to unfit food:

Some of the reported complaints included glass, a cigarette butt, a finger nail, hair, a live insect in food

864 in relation to poor hygiene standards:

Pests including rats on the premises, dirty customer toilets, dirty furniture, poor staff hygiene, sneezing and lack of hand washing.

• 741 accounted for suspected food poisoning
• 221 calls with regards to incorrect food labelling
• 60 complaints relate to allergen information
• 190 Other calls

The increase in queries and complaints comes with customers being more aware of and concerned food safety and from food business operators in relation to advice on HACCP and queries about changes in legislation.

What can a food business do to reduce Food Safety & HACCP complaints?

Get pro-active! Don’t wait for the EHO to visit to tell you where the non-compliance issues are, potentially leading to enforcement orders resulting in closure or fines. Remember, it is the responsibility of the food business to ensure staff are adequately trained in food safety and HACCP. They have a sufficient HACCP plan in place.

• Provide adequate training to all food workers
• Use the FSAI Website for information, contact them via phone, email or social media.
• Consider using a food safety consultant to audit your premises to the required standard
• Revise and update your HACCP Plan

Choice Training & Consultancy provides accredited Food Safety & HACCP Training and is registered with the Food Safety Professionals Association FSPA, National Hygiene Partnership NHP, and the Environmental Health Association of Ireland EHAI. Choice Training & Consultancy offer the following service and training:

Food Safety & HACCP Training Courses

Online Food Safety Training

Food Safety Audits

HACCP Plans