Sample food safety rules

food safety GAPs GHPs

Food safety is often a matter of institutionalized good sense. As I read up about what we, as a grower, packer, shipper of produce, do for food safety it all makes good common sense. 

I'ts just a huge amount of bureaucratic paperwork to make sure everyone is on and stays on the same 'good sense' page. It's common sense not to like bureaucracy, and it's downright justifiably so to not worry about the food you eat..

The food safety audit checklist is broken into 15 sections.  Here are some examples of the rules on the checklist:

1. Potable water is available to all workers.  Document how workers access fresh water and how you know it's potable.
2. Workers with diarrheal disease or symptoms of other infectious diseases are prohibited from handling fresh produce.  Document how you determine and who determines if someone is sent home.
3. Workers are instructed to seek prompt treatment for clean first aid supplies for cuts, abrasions and other injuries.  Document how you do this.
4. Document where do you locate the field sanitation units - toilets with hand-washing facilities, water and towels.
5. Document the procedure for when a light bulb breaks and possibly contaminates food.