Application of HACCP principles in the independent restaurant sector of the UK catering industry

Taylor, JF

Abstract

This research project investigates the development processes, practices and outcomes of
'Safer Food Better Business' (SFBB) - a project initiated by the UK Food Standards
Agency at Salford University. SFBB is an adaptation of Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point (HACCP) - the existing, internationally accepted food safety
management methodology for food manufacturing - developed to ensure its use, utility
and acceptance by the catering industry whilst achieving the standards of scientifically
based risk management systems set by the UN Codex Alimentarius Committee.
Previous national and international food safety initiatives have failed to ensure catering
industry compliance with minimum standards within this complex and under researched
area of the food industry. This work addresses a key research question - 'Can the
traditional methodology of Codex HACCP be adapted to the complex catering
situations found in small independent restaurants through the utilisation of
multidisciplinary teams interacting with industry representatives'
This research was structured in five stages.
Stage (1) focused on identifying, clarifying and verifying the research problem. This
was undertaken through an in-depth investigation into 25 restaurants utilising structured
interviews in order to identify levels of adherence to key food safety guidance
instructions, restaurant owner-managers understanding of food safety; and the use of
documentation and levels of record keeping.
Stage (2) was a documentary examination of current catering food safety in order to
determine the areas where these systems matched the Codex standards required, and
also where present systems did not achieve appropriate levels of outcome. This work
was under taken through the use of gap analysis techniques.
Stage (3) was an in-depth analysis of the processes and outputs of the multi-disciplinary
team at Salford University that was set the task of constructing SFBB, the new food
safety management system based upon Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) principles.
Stage (4) examined the utility and practicality of SFBB through mentoring 50 randomly
selected restaurants using an action research methodology.
Stage (5) evaluated the system using a range of qualitative and quantitative methods.
The results demonstrate that 'Safer Food Better Business' is a pragmatic solution to the
problems of adapting HACCP for use in catering. Interestingly, traditional catering
practices, such as testing through the use of sensory cues, were validated and
consequently suggest that this system will find resonance in the catering trade. Training
needs were also identified and new National Occupational Standards prepared. The
validity of SFBB was further validated by measurements of cognitive, affective and
behavioural change.

Citation

Taylor, J. Application of HACCP principles in the independent restaurant sector of the UK catering industry. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2005