Restaurants invited to reap benefits
Wednesday 28 January 2004
Scottish caterers are being offered an invaluable opportunity to tap into the numerous benefits of improved food-management standards.
Two conferences, hosted by the Scottish Food Advisory Committee, will be held at the Newton Hotel, Nairn, on 9 March and Stirling Management Centre on 17 March.
Collectively the March conferences are expected to attract hundreds of representatives from a wide range of organisations – in particular small to medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as trade bodies, local authorities, larger caterers and the tourist board.
SFAC Chair, Michael Gibson, said: 'As someone running a food business I am convinced this particular piece of food hygiene legislation makes sound business sense.
'Many caterers already use at least some of the seven HACCP principles – as such implementation is unlikely to be as time consuming as people may perceive and the business benefits can be significant.'
Each one-day event will cover a number of key topics including the business benefits of adopting a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety management system, such as building customer loyalty, as well as helping caterers identify what training they require.
Both events will conclude with a question and answer session chaired by television presenter Cathy MacDonald.
Speakers include Dr David Cameron, Managing Director, Cameron Food Safety Limited; Billy Hamilton, Chair of the HACCP Working Group; David Close, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Chefs and Cooks Association and Gavin Ellis, Director, Knockomie Hotel, Forres.
HACCP will become a legal requirement in 2006. The aim of these events is to raise awareness of food safety management and help the SFAC formulate the advice it gives to the FSA.
Mr Gibson said: 'At the end of the day we're driving towards when this will be law. If caterers work towards incorporating all the HACCP principles into their existing good working practice then the transition will be much easier.'
Attendance at one conference, which includes a post-event report, is £20. For further information or to attend, RSVP by mail to Holyrood Conferences and Events, 29 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7RN. Or by fax to 0131 272 2116 or by email on nicola.harris@holyrood.com
Notes for editors
1. HACCP is a food safety management system that encourages safe food production. The current legislative requirement includes the first five principles and a change will introduce the last two – documentation and verification.
The seven principles are:
- Identifying potential problems
- Creating controls to eliminate or limit the problems
- Establishing limits for the controls
- Monitoring the controls
- Correcting where limits have been breached
- Verifying the system works
- Documenting the control monitoring
2. The SFAC was set up to give advice to the FSA on food safety and standards issues affecting Scotland. It is committed to acting in an open and transparent way and can publish its advice as well as make it available to the Agency through its Scottish arm in Aberdeen.
Communications Unit,
6th Floor, St. Magnus House,
25 Guild Street,
Aberdeen AB11 6NJ
Tel: 01224 285120 or 285127
Fax: 01224 285167
Email: press.scotland@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk