If you’re running a farm business that sells food to the public, it’s important to make sure you are meeting all food safety standards. These standards are in place for a reason-to protect the public from harmful bacteria and contaminants. There are a few key things you should do to ensure your farm business is compliant with food safety regulations. In this blog post, we will discuss those things and help you get your farm business on the right track!
Implement Strict Cleaning Processes
One of the most important things you can do to ensure food safety is to implement strict cleaning processes. This means regular cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces, equipment, and utensils that come into contact with food. It’s also important to have separate areas for clean and dirty items, and to make sure only clean items are used in the food preparation process.
You also need to ensure that other areas like office spaces, for example, are clean too. Additionally, measures must be put in place to avoid contamination while the food products are being transported. Hiring a professional agricultural cleaning service is one of the best ways to ensure that you meet official standards at every step of the way. They can clean and test all areas to make sure that your cleanliness is up to scratch and you don’t let things slip.
If you can’t do this, you are failing at the bare minimum and you may be on the receiving end of some big fines.
Train Employees on Food Safety Procedures
Another key to ensuring food safety is to train all employees on proper food safety procedures. This includes things like handwashing, storage requirements, and careful handling. All employees should be aware of these procedures and follow them strictly.
It’s not enough to just teach people basic safety procedures when they first start and then forget about it. Standards naturally slip over time and people become complacent so they start cutting corners. Having regular refresher training is important if you want to maintain safety when crops are handled and transported to the end customer.
Manage Diseases For Livestock
If you farm livestock, disease management is one of the biggest things you must consider when starting a farming business. This includes things like ensuring that your animals are healthy, vaccinated, and free from parasites.
You also need to have a plan in place for dealing with sick animals. This might include isolating them from the rest of the herd and seeking professional help. Diseases can spread quickly through livestock, so it’s important to take action as soon as possible.
Consider the Pesticides You Use
The pesticides you use on your crops can also pose a risk to food safety. This is because they may contain harmful chemicals that can contaminate the food.
You need to be careful about the pesticides you use and make sure they are approved for use on food crops. You should also follow all instructions carefully to avoid any contamination. You may want to consider organic farming so you can avoid these issues.
As you can see, there are a few things to consider when running a farm business that sells food to the public. But as long as you follow these key steps, you should avoid any issues.
