Food safety never takes a holiday. In fact, the holidays are an especially important time to ensure food manufacturers and retailers are taking necessary precautions to ensure their products are not only delicious, but safe for consumption.
Whether a confectionery supplier or candy maker, your company should be prepared for an inspection from your perspective regulations agency at anytime of the year. In a past article published in Kettle Talk magazine, Patrick Huffman, former president of The Warrell Corporation, shared the following tips that could mean the difference from your candy business making it on the inspector’s naughty or nice list.
OVER, UNDER AND BEHIND
Areas over, under and behind equipment can be missed and will always attract the inspector’s attention. Simple installations that can be easily cleaned are always better than equipment with lots of hoses and wires that can get built up with chocolate.
TUNNEL VISION
The inside of a cooling tunnel is another area you can expect an inspector to look, in addition to air filters and any area with tape on it. These areas can collect dirt, insects (and their offspring) and cause problems if not checked and cleaned regularly.
SPOT CHECK
Regarding your retail stores, nothing sells better than a well-lit and spotlessly clean display. Fingerprints can be a normal problem every time a customer points to a product in a glass case. Keeping floors, air vents, and the entire store neat may be the best way to convince customers that they are in the right place. Cleaning behind fixtures is just as important as cleaning the front of fixtures.
Keep your business on the nice list this holiday season, by checking your list twice to ensure you don’t forget that spot!
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