Food Safety in the Hospitality Industry

Citation

Ingram, H. (2003), "Food Safety in the Hospitality Industry", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 248-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm.2003.15.4.248.2

Keeping up to date with food safety legislation is a challenging but essential requirement for caterers and hoteliers today. The problem is compounded by regular changes in both domestic and European Union regulations. Passive ignorance of the law is even less of a defence than it was, with the need for due diligence to protect hospitality operators against the potential threat of food safety enforcement. Tim Knowles wisely argues in this book that caterers have a responsibility not only to their customers, but also to themselves in order to avoid the reactive spiral of forced improvements, deteriorating standards and legal action. Sensible operators arm themselves with the latest information on changes to food safety regulations and ensure compliance through staff training and attention to hygiene. This book is a useful tool with which to understand the basics and plan a due diligence strategy.

The first part comprises three chapters on food legislation from European foodstuffs law to food legislation in EU member states, culminating with a chapter on trends and developments in European food law. Part two considers some practical applications to food safety beginning with an introduction to food microbiology and the supply and storage of food. Subsequent chapters address food preparation, premises and food safety matters relating to personnel. Part three offers the most application for the operator because it looks at food hazard analysis and due diligence. Knowles points out that the variations of food hazard analysis (such as HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) should be regarded as guidance on applying established principles to control food safety problems. The aim is always to prevent food safety problems by careful planning. There are useful tips here on potential hazards, chemical, physical and microbiological, with specific examples of possible problems. Of course, food hazard analysis began in the USA in the 1970s, but the principles of equipment sanitation, personal hygiene, proper food storage and cooking, still hold good three decades later. The final chapter explores due diligence, as a legitimate legal defence that all reasonable precautions have been taken to avoid commission of the offence. The main principle in law is that, only in extreme circumstances can doing nothing be adequate, and Knowles goes into some legal detail about exactly what adequate precautions should mean, emphasizing that due diligence defence is likely to become even more important as EU food safety laws become more comprehensive.

Many successful operators and industrious students will be aware of confusing and dynamic changes and widening responsibilities in this area, and will welcome this new text. There is a satisfying level of detail, good examples and suggested action points which make this book a useful reference for students, academics and practitioners alike.