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Food focus

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS

As NZFSA embarks on a total overhaul of the domestic food regulatory system, leading UK policy expert Stephen Airey tells us how Britain engineered its own change

When Stephen Airey, head of HACCP policy at the UK Food Standards Agency (UKFSA), looked at ways of reinforcing food safety practices among businesses in England he found the larger companies had it all sewn up. As he told delegates at NZFSA’s conference, the challenge facing UKFSA was encouraging smaller businesses to step up to the plate

When many people working in catering believe bacteria don’t really exist and assume all talk of them is just a government ruse to get them to do something they don’t want to do – you know you’re facing some pretty tough food safety challenges.

For Stephen the challenges were multi-faceted, not least in terms of the numbers involved: foodborne illness was estimated to have cost the English and Welsh economies close to £3 billion (around NZ$9 billion) in 2005 alone. There were 760,000 cases, 17,000 hospitalisations and 470 deaths.

“But foodborne illness is preventable – and even small advancements can amount to huge savings in the end. We knew that small food businesses were contributing significantly to our foodborne illness figures so we decided to focus our efforts there,” he explains.

As new European legislation loomed [it was introduced in January 2006] which would place a clear responsibility on food business operators to provide safe food, the agency began work on its own domestic food review.

Staff turnover

It was not going to be easy. Of the 600,000 UK food premises, around 80% have fewer than five staff and in some areas a staff turnover approaching 1000% a year. The turnover of businesses themselves also runs at around 20%. The industry is low-paid and not one of choice for many of those in it.

“We found the larger food businesses to be more technically minded and knowledgeable about HACCP [hazard critical control point analysis] systems. Controls at critical points on a production line are constantly monitored and good hygiene practices are in place.

“However, the smaller businesses face many complex and constantly changing processes: customers are coming and going, staff turnover is high, equipment is not always readily available – it’s a fast moving, dynamic environment run by people who aren’t technically able to create and follow HACCP-based systems.

“Codex has always recognised this and, anticipating the European Commission’s legislative guidance on flexibility around HACCP, we set about establishing a system that would deliver an appropriate, practical tool to support small businesses – and drive behaviour change at the same time.”

Motivating small businesses

Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) was developed by a team of UKFSA experts,environmental health protection officers, caterers, food scientists, education and management specialists, psychologists and caterers.

The final version was eventually launched in September 2005. The structure and simplified language made it easy to follow and cost-effective.

It uses the already established framework of the 4Cs messages that were developed for the agency’s Food Hygiene Campaign during 2001-2003 – clean, cook, chill and cross-contamination – all separately sectioned and branded with their own logos – along with a fifth component: management.

Safe Method factsheets

Record-keeping is achieved with a daily diary with a four-week review that enables operators to look back and identify persistent problems quickly and easily. The businesses record what went wrong and what they did about it, rather than the repetitive recording of things like fridge temperatures.

Safe Method fact sheets (on pest control, personal hygiene, stock control and so on) explain the best way of doing things and, importantly, include a section on how and why such steps should be followed.

The fact sheets also have a section for operators to record ways in which their own systems may differ and the alternative methods they use to ensure the same food safety outcomes.

“Throughout the project we wanted a system that was outcome-based. We knew, given that the majority of small food operators are practically driven and not technically minded, it would be the most effective approach.”

Jargon-free

The SFBB packs (versions are available for caterers and retailers) allow operators to follow a simple tick sheet to show they’ve completed Opening and Closing Checks, and sign it each day to show that Safe Methods have been followed.

“They’re written using easy-to-understand language and phrases that caterers understand. There’s no jargon, no flow charts, lots of pictures showing good and bad practice and though the practices are based on HACCP principles thus ensuring basic standards are met, HACCP itself is not mentioned.”

To date 175,000 packs have been distributed. UKFSA has also developed a toolkit for enforcement officers to build on their training, coaching and mentoring skills, and there’s additional website support. A grants programme supports local authorities to run seminars and coaching sessions for businesses.

So, what experience has Stephen gleaned from the project that he’s able to share with NZFSA as it moves to implement its own Domestic Food Review proposals?

New thinking

“Formal enforcement has to be a last resort: advice and guidance the first. Our environmental health officers had to win over the hearts and minds of the business owners. But first they had to change their own ways of thinking – away from the details and rules and more towards the softer skills of mentoring, coaching, reflecting and understanding the problems that small businesses face every day.

“The EHOs and HPOs that I spoke to in New Zealand are all really keen to make sure your own DFR outcomes are flexible enough to cope with the complexity and multi-tasking of small businesses.

Simple messages

“Looking more broadly at how NZFSA works, I also find it astonishing how much progress has been made within the organization, with a bit of Kiwi can-do attitude. New Zealand is small and compact enough to be able to introduce initiatives, such as the Foodsafe Parternship’s Food Safety for Life campaign, relatively simply and easily – and just get on with them.

“I’m also impressed with the extent to which your 4Cs messages – clean, cook, cover, chill – have been taken on board. If we can get people to recognise key messages it’s so much easier to underline those with practical advice and information. Simple messages are the most effective.”

Safer food, better business comes to NZ

NZFSA ran a three-month trial of Britain’s Safer Food Better Business system at eight ACCOR hotels across New Zealand late last year in partnership with the Restaurant Association of New Zealand and the Hospitality Association of New Zealand.

“We wanted to test some of the concepts used in the SFBB package – especially the diary approach to record keeping,” explains Mike Orchard, NZFSA’s Foodservice Programme Manager.

“We’ve had really interesting and invaluable feedback from participating chefs and their staff.”

Lessons learned will be used to further develop an off-the-peg Food Control Plan (FCP) for the food service sector which is likely to be among the first industry sectors to transfer to the new food system after it’s introduced in July 2008.

Prototype off-the-peg FCPs have been circulated for review by an external group of environmental health practitioners, industry representatives and educators and further trials are being held this year, involving a cross-section of food service businesses across Auckland and Manukau City.

Domestic Food Review