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Although researchers have investigated the relationship between inter-organisational collaboration and firm performance, there is scattered evidence on the relationship between environmental collaboration and environmental performance in agri-food supply chains. This study assesses the effects of environmental collaboration on five dimensions of environmental performance (greenhouse gas emissions management, energy management, food waste management, food safety management, and water footprint management) in agri-food supply chains, particularly when mediated and moderated by customer and regulatory pressures. This study used a survey of Chilean agri-food companies. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. We found that environmental collaboration positively influences all five dimensions of environmental performance and that customer and regulatory pressures mediate this relationship. The dimension most affected by environmental collaboration was water footprint management. Finally, we provide recommendations for improving the environmental performance of companies in agri-food supply chains through collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food safety practices in the catering industry and fast-food chains in Adana, Turkey. Surveys were conducted with 103 participants representing various food-related businesses, ranging from restaurants to food production companies. The study examined company characteristics, including size, type of business, number of employees, and the status of food safety management systems (FSMS). Additionally, discussions with participants were held regarding food safety measures associated with COVID-19. The obtained results indicate that most businesses have implemented Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems for food safety management. Most businesses recognized pandemics as potential emergencies within their FSMS; however, there were differences in personnel training and resource provision. Participants prioritized equipment/raw material hygiene and staff awareness. Overall, the study highlights the importance of proactive measures and continuous adaptation to ensure food safety resilience during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive training and adequate resources to maintain high standards of food safety and hygiene. Enhanced focus on hygiene practices, regular updates to safety protocols, and increased awareness among staff are essential components for mitigating risks and maintaining consumer trust in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation aimed to assess the effects of washing fresh galangal rhizomes on their quality and safety using natural based non-ionic biosurfactant (BSF, 50-200 mg L-1 ) produced from waste sour cherries fermentation. Chlorine-free water and 8 mg L-1 chlorine dioxide were used as control sanitizer treatments. The efficiency of removing S. rolfsii mycelium, dimethoate, and lead (Pb) was tested. The results revealed that 200 mg L-1 BSF reduced the membrane fluidity, and damaged vegetative hypha of S. rolfsii. Due to removing pesticide and heavy metals, 200 mg L-1 BSF was found to be the most effective in controlling dimethoate and Pb levels during storage at 4 °C for 7 days, which met the standard of maximum residue level (MRL). It might be concluded that BSF could remove all hazards from contaminated fresh galangals. The washing procedure prototype in this study could be practically used as a sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) in food safety management in fresh-cut industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy, a key initiative of the European Commission under the European Green Deal, strives to make the European Union's (EU) economy sustainable. Focused on the food system, the F2F Strategy prioritizes sustainability in agriculture, eco-friendly practices, biodiversity preservation, and climate change mitigation. It targets high food safety (FS) and environmental management (EM) standards across the Agri-food Supply Chain (ASC). Addressing sustainability challenges in the wine industry, this study delves into the Wine Value Chain (WVC). Emphasizing the intricate sustainability interplay within the WVC, this study concentrates on FS and EM to ensure the long-term viability of wine production. The primary goal is to create a comprehensive sustainability evaluation method for wineries, incorporating performance indicators from FS and EM components. The methodology involves assessing Food Safety Management Systems (FSMSs), evaluating Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), investigating contamination risks, and synthesizing results into a sustainability matrix. Findings highlight commendable FS practices, such as widespread Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) adoption and underscore the need for increased EM focus. Notable figures include a 76.2% adoption of the HACCP system and 68.8% of wineries implementing an EMS. Performance indicators become critical for sustainability assessment, forming the cornerstone to gauge the industry's effective sustainability management aligned with the F2F Strategy. This study stresses the holistic integration of FS and EM practices, providing insights into workforce engagement, regulatory compliance, and sustainable objectives. This research offers a tool for evaluating and advancing sustainability in the wine industry culminating in a sustainability matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety has emerged as a paramount concern for both Vietnamese consumers and the government. However, limited data are available on food safety management systems in Viet Nam. This study identified significant gaps in good agricultural and hygienic practices along the fresh produce chain (farmers and traditional wholesalers/market sellers) in the region of Da Nang, Viet Nam. This was achieved through a survey on good agricultural and hygienic practices for farmers (n = 100) and sellers (n = 100), which researchers further supplemented by microbiological analysis for E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes on leafy greens, water in contact with produce and contact surfaces (hands). The results indicated that 86.0 % of farmers and 54.0 % of sellers received food safety training in the last 3 years; and women dominated both vegetable cultivation but also trading. Farm-level deficiencies included inadequate handwashing practices, lack of documentation for manure application schedules, improper washing and drying of harvest tools, failure to keep containers elevated off the ground, improper storage of vegetables, and inadequate covering of containers, with respectively 34.0 %, 30.3 %, 12.1 %, 41.7 % and 7.9 % of farmers executing the practice as prescribed by the WHO/FAO ‘5 keys of growing safer fruits and vegetables’. As for sellers, the most dominant gaps (

This review provides an overview of recent advances in the use of digital technologies in agri-food processing. With the increasing demand for food, the agri-food industry must produce more food with fewer resources while also addressing sustainability concerns. Digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and robotics, are transforming the way food is produced, processed, and distributed. These technologies offer several benefits, including increased efficiency, improved product quality and safety, reduced waste, and environmental sustainability. Digital technologies enable real-time monitoring of critical parameters, such as temperature, pH, and moisture, which can help prevent spoilage, reduce food waste, and ensure that safe and high-quality food reaches consumers. The review covers the challenges and opportunities for the wider adoption of digital technologies in the sector, as well as potential future developments. The industry has the potential to undergo a revolutionary transformation and tackle significant challenges by embracing digital technologies.

The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy, a key initiative of the European Commission under the European Green Deal, strives to make the European Union’s (EU) economy sustainable. Focused on the food system, the F2F Strategy prioritizes sustainability in agriculture, eco-friendly practices, biodiversity preservation, and climate change mitigation. It targets high food safety (FS) and environmental management (EM) standards across the Agri-food Supply Chain (ASC). Addressing sustainability challenges in the wine industry, this study delves into the Wine Value Chain (WVC). Emphasizing the intricate sustainability interplay within the WVC, this study concentrates on FS and EM to ensure the long-term viability of wine production. The primary goal is to create a comprehensive sustainability evaluation method for wineries, incorporating performance indicators from FS and EM components. The methodology involves assessing Food Safety Management Systems (FSMSs), evaluating Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), investigating contamination risks, and synthesizing results into a sustainability matrix. Findings highlight commendable FS practices, such as widespread Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) adoption and underscore the need for increased EM focus. Notable figures include a 76.2% adoption of the HACCP system and 68.8% of wineries implementing an EMS. Performance indicators become critical for sustainability assessment, forming the cornerstone to gauge the industry’s effective sustainability management aligned with the F2F Strategy. This study stresses the holistic integration of FS and EM practices, providing insights into workforce engagement, regulatory compliance, and sustainable objectives. This research offers a tool for evaluating and advancing sustainability in the wine industry culminating in a sustainability matrix.

Based on the background of building a food safety assurance system for sustainable supply chain， combined with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point （HACCP） and the current status of the development and application of HACCP certification， the role of HACCP in the construction of a sustainable food supply chain was preliminarily analyzed. In order to provide a theoretical basis for certification bodies and management departments to effectively implement HACCP certification， and make HACCP certification an important tool for the market to regulate the allocation of food safety management resources， recommendations for the development of HACCP certification was put forward.

The major responsibility of bakeries is to make excellent bread. This can only be achieved by maintaining strict batch control over all materials used in production. Nihans data categorization method was used for statistical data treatment, data grouping, and data analysis. Datamining, a mix of methods that creates information from huge data sets, might be used to this data to extract relevant information on physical, chemical, biological, or allergic substances linked with a food product from harvest to the consumer's hand. The primary objective of this study is to review the current research on quality management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background: Aerofood ACS Surabaya as an international inflight catering service is required to have good food safety standards to ensure the quality of the products. The food safety system implemented by Aerofood ACS Surabaya on all its product is Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), including the banana cake. HACCP needs to be applied to prevent the possibility of physical, chemical, and biological contamination on food product that can cause foodborne disease. Objectives: The purpose of this research is to identify the application of HACCP system to banana cake in Aerofood ACS Surabaya. Methode: The method of this research is a qualitative descriptive method including field observation, interviews, and analyzes HACCP documents of aerofood ACS Surabaya. Result: There are 18 steps to produce banana cake until it can distributed to airlines and can be consumed by consumers: receiving of eggs, receiving of banana, receiving of dry goods (flour, sugar, baking soda, and oil), eggs storage, banana storage, dry goods storage, egg cracking, flour sifting, weighing, mixing, baking, chilling, shaping, packaging, storage of banana cake, setting in the tray, holding room, and delivery to plane. From 18 steps to produce banana cake, there are six critical control points: receiving of eggs, eggs storage, baking, cooling, storage of banana cake, and holding room. Conclusions: Physical, chemical, and biological contamination on banana cake can be prevented by paying attention to each steps, especially the critical control point. Aerofood ACS Surabaya has implemented the HACCP system properly and accordance with the established HACCP plan. Keywords: HACCP, food safety, airlines catering service, foodborne disease ABSTRAK Latar Belakang: Aerofood ACS Surabaya sebagai perusahaan jasa boga penerbangan bertaraf internasional diharuskan memiliki standar keamanan pangan yang baik untuk menjamin mutu produk yang dihasilkan. Sistem keamanan pangan yang diterapkan oleh Aerofood ACS Surabaya pada semua produknya adalah Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), termasuk pada banana cake. HACCP perlu diterapkan untuk mencegah kemungkinan kontaminasi fisik, kimia, dan biologi pada produk pangan yang dapat menyebabkan foodborne disease. Tujuan: Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi penerapan sistem HACCP pada produk banana cake di Aerofood ACS Surabaya. Metode: Metode dari penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif yang meliputi observasi lapangan, wawancara, dan menganalisis dokumen HACCP Aerofood ACS Surabaya. Hasil: Terdapat 18 tahap produksi banana cake hingga produk dapat didistribusikan ke peswat dan dapat dinikmati oleh konsumen, yaitu penerimaan telur, penerimaan buah pisang, penerimaan bahan baku kering (tepung, gula, baking soda, dan minyak), penyimpanan telur, penyimpanan buah pisang, penyimpanan bahan baku kering, pemecahan telur, pengayakan tepung, penimbangan, mixing, baking, pendinginan, pembentukan, pengemasan, penyimpanan banana cake, penataan pada tray, penyimpanan pada holding room, dan delivery ke pesawat. Dari 18 tahap produksi banana cake, terdapat enam titik kritis yaitu penerimaan telur, penyimpanan telur, baking, pendinginan, penyimpanan banana cake, dan penyimpanan pada holding room. Kesimpulan: Kontaminasi fisik, kimia, dan biologi pada produk banana cake dapat dicegah dengan memerhatikan setiap langkah terutama titik kritis. Aerofood ACS Surabaya telah melaksanakan sistem HACCP dengan baik dan sesuai dengan HACCP plan yang telah ditetapkan. Kata Kunci: HACCP, keamanan pangan, jasa boga penerbangan, foodborne disease

Ensuring the integrity, efficacy, efficiency, and reliability of the food safety management system (FSMS) has become imperative for every food business operator (FBO) as part of the interconnected food supply chains and essential to overcoming global food challenges. The 4th industrial revolution process creates new opportunities for FBOs, prompting a re-evaluation of the design, operation, and maintenance of FSMS. This article presents the findings of a Delphi study aimed to generate insights into the enablers, and technological and managerial constraints of introducing digitalisation in prerequisite programs (PRPs) and HACCP activities, the cornerstones of FSMS. The panel comprised experts from academia, industry, and consultancy to obtain a broad perspective. The experts suggested and agreed on how digitalisation can enable the design, operation, and maintenance of PRPs and HACCP-related activities. Regarding the managerial and technical/technological constraints, we observed a greater dispersion of agreement amongst the experts than the enablers. Typical managerial/organisational-related challenges encompass financial impact, lack of motivation/resistance to change, need for specific digital competencies/training, and absence of a clear regulatory framework. Technical/technological constraints included aspects such as lack of system adaptability/flexibility and user-friendliness, data entry workload, and ensuring system reliability. The research contributes to a better understanding of how digitalisation could enable the design, operation and maintenance of PRP and HACCP-based FSMS , and offers insights into the potential practical and policy implications of FSMS digitalisation. Future research could conduct case studies to evaluate FSMS digitalisation at the firm level, systematically assessing the tangible benefits and the barriers encountered by FBOs. • We observed a lack of insight into the digitalisation of FSMS. • Through a Delphi study we explored enablers and constraints of FSMS digitalisation. • Experts agreed on multiple opportunities for enabling PRPs and HACCP management. • Managerial constraints include financial impact, adversity to change, and training. • Technological constraints include system adaptability/fragmentation, and data entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) leaves wide-ranging and catastrophic effects at normal ways of living, has disturbed the global food supply chain, and have a damaging impact on food security as well. Food industry and the government should come together to ensure that the food sector should remain open for consistent and unhindered production of food, so consumers have continued access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food during this pandemic. As the countries combat coronavirus pandemic,the food sector must keep gears of food processing and manufacturing moving on to avoid food shortage in the market. To continue the production and supply of safe food at the sites, the food processing and manufacturing facilities have the same level of health challenges which may pose hurdles to consistently of food production. To prevent such issues and critical situation, the food industry needs to take on specific precautions for site and employees to keep them safe and healthy. By appropriately maintaining the food safety systems and with special consideration to combat coronavirus transmission at premises and among employees can help food facilities to not disrupt the flow of manufactured food products and ingredients including food packaging material. Food facilities should strictly monitor staff health, personnel hygiene, and appropriate use of personnel protective equipment at the site entrance and during working and should adopt restrictive visitor policies including suppliers and contractors. Cleaning and disinfection of frequent and high touch points with approved chemicals and sanitizers with defined frequencies and practicing social distances and employee optimization during shifts can be helpful to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The management should limit their visits to the site and monitor the activities by CCTV cameras and food safety audits can be conducted with the use of remote auditing tools. Finally, the facilities should be vigilant to monitor the temperature of staff, employees and visitors, supplier, or contractor to identify if there may any sick person to avoid further spread of coronavirus and shall report to concerned health authorities if anyone symptoms matching with COVID-19.

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Korea's overall food safety management policies reflect the Codex guidelines in terms of risk analysis and standards. Korea's food safety management plan, which is established every 3 years, includes the pre-emptive management of risk factors and provides food safety information on the basis of scientific evidence. Since officially joining Codex as a member country in 1971, Korea has led the establishment of six Codex standards, including those for Kimchi and Gochujang. Moreover, Korea's food standards are harmonized with Codex's risk assessment system. This review aims to examine the current status and trends of Codex and to summarize and compare the food safety management systems and food standards between Korea and Codex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the absence of legal maximum limits, the competent authority may act if high contamination levels that endanger public health are identified. A pragmatic approach to identify whether a value is potentially too high, is to set action levels which, if exceeded, call for action involving a notification, withdrawal of the food from the market, legal measures or an investigation. As control policy's action levels should be considered as part of risk management, which is not always based on scientific risk assessment alone, the concept of an 'estimated acceptable concentration' (EAC) is introduced. The EAC is defined as a risk-based level of a substance in a food below which the exposure to the substance via the food does not pose a concern or a risk for public health. This EAC concept is substantiated by a quick scoping review of scientific literature and reports. Case-dependent, whether a threshold effect level can be defined or not, the EAC is calculated based on the health-based guidance value or the margin of exposure (MOE) approach. It can serve as a basis for a food safety management action level, allowing food inspectors to take uniform actions and providing clarity to food business operators. Application of the EAC should be viewed in the appropriate framework, including consideration of the tolerable risk level and uncertainties. Although the presented concept addresses exposure to an individual substance from a single source, the combined exposure to multiple chemicals and exposome can be included. • Adoption of pragmatic action levels allowing uniform policy measures and clarity for operators in absence of legal limits. • Action levels based on an 'estimated acceptable concentration' (EAC). • Derivation of the EAC using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach. • Toxic potency and exposure assessment uncertainties should be born in mind. • Mainly individual substances are addressed, but mixtures and exposome can be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety has emerged as a paramount concern for both Vietnamese consumers and the government. However, limited data are available on food safety management systems in Viet Nam. This study identified significant gaps in good agricultural and hygienic practices along the fresh produce chain (farmers and traditional wholesalers/market sellers) in the region of Da Nang, Viet Nam. This was achieved through a survey on good agricultural and hygienic practices for farmers (n = 100) and sellers (n = 100), which researchers further supplemented by microbiological analysis for E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes on leafy greens, water in contact with produce and contact surfaces (hands). The results indicated that 86.0 % of farmers and 54.0 % of sellers received food safety training in the last 3 years; and women dominated both vegetable cultivation but also trading. Farm-level deficiencies included inadequate handwashing practices, lack of documentation for manure application schedules, improper washing and drying of harvest tools, failure to keep containers elevated off the ground, improper storage of vegetables, and inadequate covering of containers, with respectively 34.0 %, 30.3 %, 12.1 %, 41.7 % and 7.9 % of farmers executing the practice as prescribed by the WHO/FAO '5 keys of growing safer fruits and vegetables'. As for sellers, the most dominant gaps (<50.0 % compliance) were the way of handwashing and the practice of keeping containers elevated off the ground before, during, and after harvesting. The microbiological analysis confirmed that, in a total of 36 fresh produce samples including mustard greens, cucumber, lettuce, and crown daisy, the number of samples positive for E. coli , Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes were 12, 2, and 10 respectively. Samples of hands and the irrigation water showed high contamination with E. coli . Based on identified gaps, risk communication tools were developed and distributed amongst farmers, sellers, and Da Nang food safety management authority (governmental organisation performing inspections in the traditional food markets). As intervention, two farmers and two sellers were trained in safe agricultural practices for the cultivation of fresh vegetables (managerial intervention) and instructed to use tap water as irrigation water instead of uncontrolled surface water (technological intervention). A post-assessment was conducted, including redoing the survey on good practices and microbiological analysis. The outcome of these interventions showed positive results in terms of good agricultural and hygienic practices resulting in improved hygiene levels and safety of the fresh produce. The findings from this research have the potential to provide a model for the development of a science-based risk management strategy in alternative food chains or geographic areas in emerging countries., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Minh Nhat Dang reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/501100022083VLIR-UOS. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The aim of this study was to establish a complementary direction of the franchise food hygiene guideline to control microbial risks. We evaluated current measures of preventing microbial spoilage and ensuring microbiological safety of food in the food franchise industry. Manufacturing practices were assessed using microbiological analyses, third‐party food safety audits, and existing hygiene guidelines. Microbial load indicators of food, manufacturing processes, work environment, and workers were also analyzed to track microbial proliferation. We audited manufacturing practices and processes and analyzed the cleaning and sanitation clauses. We found high contamination of heterotrophic bacteria and detected coliforms in some products. There was no direct contamination by food handlers, and the sterility of raw materials was satisfactory. The main issues were structural complexities of equipment, which hindered cleaning and disinfection, and disinfection practices of franchise brands. Store‐level microbial control may be compromised due to the industrial nature of small stores operating collectively. We thus issued complementary guidelines. Improved collective microbiological safety may be ensured through implementation of the revised cleaning and sterilization regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making in food safety is a complex process that involves several criteria of different nature like the expected reduction in the number of illnesses, the potential economic or health‐related cost, or even the environmental impact of a given policy or intervention. Several multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) algorithms are currently used, mostly individually, in food safety to rank different options in a multifactorial environment. However, the selection of the MCDA algorithm is a decision problem on its own because different methods calculate different rankings. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of different uncertainty sources on the rankings of MCDA problems in the context of food safety. For that purpose, a previously published data set on emerging zoonoses in the Netherlands was used to compare different MCDA algorithms: MMOORA, TOPSIS, VIKOR, WASPAS, and ELECTRE III. The rankings were calculated with and without considering uncertainty (using fuzzy sets), to assess the importance of this factor. The rankings obtained differed between algorithms, emphasizing that the selection of the MCDA method had a relevant impact in the rankings. Furthermore, considering uncertainty in the ranking had a high influence on the results. Both factors were more relevant than the weights associated with each criterion in this case study. A hierarchical clustering method was suggested to aggregate results obtained by the different algorithms. This complementary step seems to be a promising way to decrease extreme difference among algorithms and could provide a strong added value in the decision‐making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns have been raised by regulatory authorities about the low levels of certification for international standards in the Zimbabwean manufacturing sector. The purpose of this study was to determine trends in Quality Management Systems certification and the constraints encountered in achieving certification in the Zimbabwean food processing industry. Information on company status regarding quality, food safety and environmental management certification and associated costs was gathered from fifteen large, eight media, five small and ten micro scale food manufacturing enterprises through questionnaire surveys and oral interviews. Participants were based in the Southern city of Bulawayo and the Midlands cities of Gweru and Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. Only the large-scale manufacturing enterprises were certified for Quality and Food Safety Management Systems, with a certification rate of 60% amongst large concerns for at least one standard, 40% for ISO 9001, 27% for ISO 22000, 27% for the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System, 20% for ISO 14001, and 20% for the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) Quality Mark. None of the micro or small scale enterprises had any intention for certification due to perceived high cost, lack of staff with adequate quality management system implementation skills and failure of premises to meet statutory requirements for food production facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat production is an essential component in food security and the economy in Uganda. However, food safety concerns pose a challenge to public health in Uganda and impede access to regional and global markets. Here, food safety management (FSM) practices in the Ugandan beef supply chain were evaluated. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in major slaughterhouses (n = 3), butcher shops (n = 184), and supermarkets (n = 25) in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The three slaughterhouses had low scores in core control and assurance activities of FSM. Packaging interventions were weak in all the slaughterhouses, while only one slaughterhouse had a functional cooling facility. Supermarkets implemented better hygienic and preventative practices in comparison to butcher shops. However, both sourced from slaughterhouses that had low-to-poor hygiene practices, which weakened the efforts implemented in the supermarkets. Furthermore, most butcher shops did not offer training to meat handlers on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)-based practices. The low food safety performance in the supply chain was primarily attributed to poor sanitation, hygiene, and handling practices. Therefore, HACCP-based training and robust preventive, intervention, and monitoring systems are needed in the Ugandan beef supply chain to benefit public health and increase competitiveness.

In recent years, with the frequent occurrence of food safety problems, people have begun to pay attention to food safety, especially the food safety of hotels. This paper proposed a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) management system to analyze food safety issues of hotels in order to improve the food quality and safety in hotel management. Through the practical application of the HACCP management system in the hotel catering industry, it was found that the amount of bacteria greatly reduced and the pass rate of tableware disinfection increased significantly in the hotel's food processing links, while customer satisfaction greatly improved. Therefore, the HACCP management system had great applicability in improving the food quality and safety of hotels.

Our climate is projected to change gradually over time. Mycotoxin occurrence in cereal grains is both directly and indirectly related to local weather and to climate changes. Direct routes are via the effects of precipitation, relative humidity, and temperatures on both fungal infection of the grain and mycotoxin formation. Indirect routes are via the effects of the wind dispersal of spores, insect attacks, and shifts in cereal grain phenology. This review aimed to investigate available modeling studies for climate change impacts on mycotoxins in cereal grains, and to identify how they can be used to safeguard food safety with future climate change. Using a systematic review approach, in total, 53 relevant papers from the period of 2005–2020 were retrieved. Only six of them focused on quantitative modeling of climate change impacts on mycotoxins, all in pre-harvest cereal grains. Although regional differences exist, the model results generally show an increase in mycotoxins in a changing climate. The models do not give an indication on how to adapt to climate change impacts. If available models were linked with land use and crop models, scenario analyses could be used for analyzing adaptation strategies to avoid high mycotoxin presence in cereal grains and to safeguard the safety of our feed and food.

In this study, 52 journal articles on food safety management were collected from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. A systematic review was conducted on the past forty years of various aspects of food safety management, such as annual publication trends and the distribution of periodicals across disciplines. The results show that since the reform and opening up (1978), food safety management has received increasing attention over time. Academic understanding of food safety management has increased, various disciplines are becoming more integrated, the number of people and institutions providing authoritative research has increased, support from various national and private funds has increased, and food safety management in China has become an influential academic field. In the future, the most urgent task for China's food safety management is to restore the public's trust in food safety, and the main solution is the shaping and publicizing of food safety ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety knowledge, practice and training were examined among 689 food workers in Ireland. Parameters such as role, years worked, level of food safety training acquired, and establishment were all found to have a significant effect (p-values <0.01) on knowledge score. It is notable that 28% of all respondents claimed 'never' to have received food safety training, suggesting insufficient compliance with this legislative requirement. Notably, absence of training only accounted for 1% of all canteen workers surveyed. In addition, individuals working in canteens were found to have the highest knowledge score (81%) and the highest percentage of level 3 training (60%). Respondents were asked a series of questions relating to operational prerequisite hygiene requirements such as working while unwell, critical limits, food allergens and hand hygiene. This study highlights the value of food safety training and elucidates potential areas for improvement. • Role, years worked, training & establishment had a significant effect on knowledge. • Only 16% of respondents could list each of the 14 named allergens. • Nearly 10% food workers do not wash their hands every time they use the facilities. • 28% of all respondents claimed 'never' to have received any food safety training. • High levels of knowledge & training were reported among staff working in canteens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restaurants are a frequent setting for outbreaks and sporadic cases of Salmonella. The relationship among food safety management characteristics, compliance with procedures to reduce Salmonella-associated risk factors (as found during routine inspections), and the likelihood that an establishment has experienced a sporadic Salmonella case was assessed. Individual risk factor violations associated with Salmonella transmission pathways were identified by a literature review. Data from 546 routine inspection reports collected from July 2016 to June 2017, including 25 from restaurants that had experienced a sporadic case of Salmonella, were evaluated. In restaurants with certified food managers, there were fewer observations of Salmonella risk factor reduction procedures that were not in compliance. For establishments that had experienced sporadic cases of Salmonella, the person in charge at the time of an inspection was less likely to have been the establishment's official certified food manager of record (rate ratio=0.4, 95% confidence interval=0.2 to 0.8; P=0.01), and there was increased likelihood of being found out of compliance for prevention of contamination by hands (rate ratio = 3.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.4 to 8.1; P = 0.001). The results of this study warrant future research on the dynamics of food safety management systems, the effect they have on risk factor violations cited on routine inspection results, and the risk for transmission of Salmonella. Analyzing routine inspection data as hazard surveillance may be useful to identify food establishments at a greater risk for transmitting Salmonella infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports incentives, costs, difficulties and benefits of food safety management systems implementation in the Serbian dairy industry. The survey involved 27 food business operators with the national milk and dairy market share of 65 %. Almost two thirds of the assessed dairy producers (70.4 %) claimed that they had a fully operational and certified HACCP system in place, while 29.6 % implemented HACCP, but had no third party certification. ISO 22000 was implemented and certified in 29.6 % of the companies, while only 11.1 % had implemented and certified IFS standard. The most important incentive for implementing food safety management systems for Serbian dairy producers was to increase and improve safety and quality of dairy products. The cost of product investigation/analysis and hiring external consultants were related to the initial set-up of food safety management system with the greatest importance. Serbian dairy industry was not greatly concerned by the financial side of implementing food safety management systems due to the fact that majority of prerequisite programmes were in place and regularly used by almost 100 % of the producers surveyed. The presence of competency gap between the generic knowledge for manufacturing food products and the knowledge necessary to develop and implement food safety management systems was confirmed, despite the fact that 58.8 % of Serbian dairy managers had university level of education. Our study brings about the innovation emphasizing the attitudes and the motivation of the food production staff as the most important barrier for the development and implementation of HACCP. The most important identified benefit was increased safety of dairy products with the mean rank scores of 6.85. The increased customer confidence and working discipline of staff employed in food processing were also found as important benefits of implementing/operating HACCP. The study shows that the level of HACCP implementation was high, either as standalone food safety system or incorporated in the ISO 22000 and its benefits to the dairy industry in Serbia were significant.

Abstract In 2017, EFSA published a ‘simplified’ food safety management system (FSMS) for certain small retail establishments (butcher, grocer, baker, fish and ice cream shop) based on the application of prerequisite programme (PRP) criteria. The aim of this opinion was to develop similar FSMSs for other small retail enterprises including retail distribution centres, supermarkets, restaurants (including pubs and other catering activities) and food donation. The latter presents several novel food safety challenges because donated food may be nearing the end of its shelf‐life and several actors are involved in the food donation chain, each reliant on each other to assure food safety. In this opinion, the simplified approach to food safety management is presented based on a fundamental understanding of processing stages and the activities contributing to increased occurrence of the hazards (biological, chemical (including allergens) or physical) that may occur. Control is achieved using PRP activities as previously described but with a modified ‘temperature control’ PRP and the addition of PRPs covering shelf‐life control, handling returned foods, shelf‐life evaluation for food donation, allocation of remaining shelf‐life, and freezing food intended for donation. Examples of the simplified approach are presented for retail distribution centres, supermarkets, restaurants and food donation.

Certified Food Manager (CFM) training can help ensure proper food safety practices for decreasing risk factor violations associated with foodborne illness. However, the effectiveness of food safety management also depends on the authority of the person in charge (PIC) and the added value of third-party inspectors auditing food safety policies and practices. To examine the effect of food safety management characteristics on risk factor violations cited on routine inspections, we evaluated results of 546 routine inspections in the cities of Bloomington and Richfield, MN, between 2016 and 2017. Food establishment management was characterized by the presence of a CFM of record for the establishment, whether the PIC was certified, and whether the establishment used a third-party inspector to audit food safety policies and practices. For each of these food safety management characteristics, the establishment had fewer risk factor observations that were out of compliance during routine inspections. The relationship between the establishment’s food safety management characteristics and either the percentage of observations out of compliance or the inspections with observations out of compliance differed by risk factor category. For preventing contamination by hands, the lowest rates were found for inspections in which the CFM of record was the PIC. However, for potentially hazardous food time and temperature violations, establishments that used third-party inspectors had lower percentages of both observations and inspections out of compliance across all categories of management characteristics. The results of our study support the recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding CFMs. However, our findings also suggest greater complexity in the characteristics of food safety management, which include the role of third-party inspectors and whether a CFM is acting in the role of the CFM of record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Under current European hygiene legislation, food businesses are obliged to develop and implement food safety management systems (FSMS) including prerequisite programme (PRP) activities and hazard analysis and critical control point principles. This requirement is especially challenging for small food retail establishments, where a lack of expertise and other resources may limit the development and implementation of effective FSMS. In this opinion, a simplified approach to food safety management is developed and presented based on a fundamental understanding of processing stages (flow diagram) and the activities contributing to increased occurrence of the hazards (biological, chemical (including allergens) or physical) that may occur. The need to understand and apply hazard or risk ranking within the hazard analysis is removed and control is achieved using PRP activities as recently described in the European Commission Notice 2016/C278, but with the addition of a PRP activity covering ‘product information and customer awareness’. Where required, critical limits, monitoring and record keeping are also included. Examples of the simplified approach are presented for five types of retail establishments: butcher, grocery, bakery, fish and ice cream shop.