How to ensure the safety of food and workers in the food industry?

The agri-food industry, faced with many challenges - increased flexibility of production tools, changes in consumption patterns and customer expectations, preservation of the environment - must also meet unprecedented requirements in terms of food safety, employees and consumers throughout the food production chain.

What are the objectives?

Ensuring food and health safety

The rules of hygiene and safety in the food industry are defined by

  • National and international regulations
  • A series of best practices: They dictate the guidelines for the production, control and storage of products. Among them, Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) prevent the risk of food contamination throughout the food chain.

Risk management to ensure safety

The ISO 22000 standard defines the requirements for a food safety management system: what means should be implemented to prove its ability to control risks to food safety.

Since 2006, the ISO 22000 standard has required all food processors to use the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) method: this food safety management method includes 7 steps for identifying, evaluating and describing hazard control measures, as well as critical points for their control.

It allows

  • Identification and assessment of the risks of biological, chemical and physical contamination.
  • The implementation of preventive measures to minimise the risk of contamination.
  • Planning and implementing product recall procedures in the event of contamination.
  • Rigorous application of hygiene and cleaning procedures for facilities and equipment.

Good Hygiene Practices (GHP)

GHPs are essential for ensuring the safety of food and personnel.

They concern;

Staff hygiene

LPN employees must ensure that

  • Wash your hands frequently

Valuable recommendations in this regard can be found in the Codex Alimentarius, a compendium of international standards and codes of food practice prepared by an intergovernmental body established by FAO and WHO.

  • Wear clean and suitable work clothes: Protective masks, single-use gloves, head protection, coveralls, etc. these PPE are included in the HACCP (Hasard Analysis Critical Control Point) protocol. They are essential to preserve the health safety of consumers but also that of employees throughout the food manufacturing process.

In the event of illness, the employee concerned may be excluded. An exclusion that will be decided according to the type of illness, the work carried out and the specific policies of the company.

In general, an LPN employee may be excluded from the company in the event of a

  • contagious disease, such as gastroenteritis or influenza.
  • disease that can affect food safety, such as a skin infection or an open wound.
  • a condition that threatens hygiene, such as excessive coughing or sneezing.

In some cases, the employee may be quarantined at home. In any case, he will only be able to return to work with a medical certificate attesting that he is fit to do so.

Hygiene of premises and equipment

  • Premises and equipment must be cleaned and disinfected regularly

We prefer an airy, dry, bright environment and accessible storage areas. Smooth surfaces that are easy to clean are preferred; Adequate ventilation and controlled temperature and humidity are ensured.

  • The machines must be easy to clean and always be in optimal working order.

Food hygiene

  • Raw materials and foodstuffs must be stored in appropriate places: dry places, with suitable temperature and ventilation, protected against pests (rats, mice, insects, etc.)
  • Use-by dates must be respected.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Ensuring the traceability of products and processes

  • Establish a traceability system to identify the origin and destination of food products.
  • Comply with food safety standards and regulations.

Perform quality checks

  • Controls that must be carried out at different points in the production chain: analysis of raw materials, products in process and finished products.

Organise staff training

  • They must be made aware of hygiene and food safety rules.
  • They must be able to apply the procedures and instructions in force.

Conducting internal audits and acknowledging non-compliance with food safety standards helps assess eligibility for third-party certification.

These internal audits help you determine if your food safety processes comply with existing industry standards: HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000

FSSC 22000 is an international certification standard for food safety management systems. Based on the ISO 22000 standard, it incorporates additional requirements specific to the food industry.

Ensuring worker safety

In the food industry, the risk of occupational accidents is high, with a frequency index 50% higher than the average for professional activities.

These risks are mainly related to:

  • handling and movement (falls on slippery floors and stairs)
  • handling tools, such as knives
  • machine risk.

The sector is also characterised by a high risk of the onset of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

This risk is mainly related to:

  • at the charging port
  • to bad postures
  • the repetitiveness of the gestures

Assess the risks

The aim is to identify and assess occupational risks related to machinery, chemicals, manual handling and work environments.

These risks must be recorded in the DUERP (Single Document for the Assessment of Occupational Risks). A document that employers are obliged to put in place as part of a risk prevention approach.

Preventing workplace accidents

  • Implement collective protection measures
  • Train staff on occupational hazards and safety procedures
  • Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) adapted to the risks involved and common hygiene products (latex gloves, caps, hydroalcoholic gel, etc.).

The employees of the IAA often work in a refrigerated thermal environment. Risks of hypothermia, frostbite, MSDs, reduced vigilance which can lead to clumsiness and accidents... It is essential to wear the right PPE.

Ensuring the ergonomics of workstations and working conditions

  • Adapting workstations to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
  • Raising staff awareness of good postures
  • Establish a corporate culture that is concerned with safety and prevention.

The safety of food and workers is a responsibility shared by all players in the food industry. It's an investment, not an expense. By investing in food and worker safety, the food industry can improve its overall performance but also strengthen its attractiveness, which is at half-mast.

Although the agri-food industry is the leading industrial employer in France, some professions – production, maintenance and logistics – suffer from an image deficit, leading to a labour shortage: in 2023, 30,000 positions remained vacant.

Arduous work has a cost, both a human and financial cost: 97% of the occupational diseases recognised in the agri-food sector are linked to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), i.e. an annual cost for companies in the sector amounting to more than 77 million euros, and more than 930,000 working days lost due to work stoppages.

There is financial aid available to support the prevention of specific occupational risks for companies with fewer than 50 employees. In order to meet the local needs of companies in the agri-food industry, VSEs and SMEs can be supported within the framework of specific regional subsidies. These schemes thus complete the national offer of aid offered throughout the country.

Best practices for ensuring food safety

To ensure food safety in the food and beverage industry, it is essential to implement best practices throughout the production chain. Here are some key recommendations:

Continuous training of staff

Regular training of employees in health and safety standards is crucial. It ensures that all actors in the production chain are aware of the latest regulations and procedures to be followed to prevent the risk of food contamination.

Implementation of a health safety management system

The implementation of a food safety management system, based on the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), makes it possible to identify, evaluate and control significant food safety hazards.

Traceability and rigorous controls

The implementation of an effective traceability system, coupled with regular checks at all stages of production, makes it possible to quickly detect any problems and remedy them before the products are put on the market.

The role of the authorities in food security

Authorities play a crucial role in ensuring food safety:

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

EFSA provides independent scientific advice on food-related risks. It sets the objectives to be achieved by professionals in the sector and contributes to the development of European food law.

Official controls

Member States are responsible for carrying out regular, unannounced, risk-based official controls carried out at an appropriate frequency. These checks aim to verify compliance with food law by operators in the sector.

The importance of software in food safety management

The use of specialized software can greatly improve food safety management in the food and beverage industry. These tools make it possible to:

  • Centralise and efficiently manage all food safety-related data
  • Automate control and monitoring processes
  • Facilitate compliance with current regulations
  • Improve product traceability
  • Generate detailed reports for internal and external audits

By integrating these technologies, food and beverage companies can optimize their food safety processes and ensure consumer safety more effectively.