TY - JOUR
T1 - Development and piloting of a support package to enable small and medium sized food and drink manufacturers to obtain third party food safety certification
AU - Evans, Ellen W.
AU - Lacey, Jessica
AU - Taylor, Helen R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/4/13
Y1 - 2021/4/13
N2 - Multiple benefits exist for food and drink manufacturing businesses from obtaining third-party food safety certification. However, barriers to obtaining certification have been identified as ‘knowledge and skills’, ‘time, cost and resources’, and ‘communication and information’. Such barriers may prevent small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) food manufacturers meeting scheme requirements and obtaining certification. Research has identified the need for a support package incorporating online, off-site, on-site and financial support to assist and enable food manufacturing businesses to obtain food safety certification. This study created and piloted a support package for SME manufacturing businesses to obtain certification against the Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) scheme. The support package consisted of six mechanisms: (i) self-assessment tool, (ii) internal systems review, (iii) ‘audit-ready’ workshop, (iv) pre-audit factory inspection, (v) post-audit support and (vi) audit-fee contribution. Eligible manufacturers (n = 11) joined the study. Five manufacturers completed the support package; all of which underwent the official SALSA audit and obtained certification within 12 months. The study has successfully created and piloted a support package that resulted in food manufacturing businesses obtaining SALSA certification. Launch of the support package may assist the growth of SME food and drink manufacturing businesses and help to ensure business longevity.
AB - Multiple benefits exist for food and drink manufacturing businesses from obtaining third-party food safety certification. However, barriers to obtaining certification have been identified as ‘knowledge and skills’, ‘time, cost and resources’, and ‘communication and information’. Such barriers may prevent small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) food manufacturers meeting scheme requirements and obtaining certification. Research has identified the need for a support package incorporating online, off-site, on-site and financial support to assist and enable food manufacturing businesses to obtain food safety certification. This study created and piloted a support package for SME manufacturing businesses to obtain certification against the Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) scheme. The support package consisted of six mechanisms: (i) self-assessment tool, (ii) internal systems review, (iii) ‘audit-ready’ workshop, (iv) pre-audit factory inspection, (v) post-audit support and (vi) audit-fee contribution. Eligible manufacturers (n = 11) joined the study. Five manufacturers completed the support package; all of which underwent the official SALSA audit and obtained certification within 12 months. The study has successfully created and piloted a support package that resulted in food manufacturing businesses obtaining SALSA certification. Launch of the support package may assist the growth of SME food and drink manufacturing businesses and help to ensure business longevity.
KW - Food manufacturing
KW - Food safety certification
KW - Food safety management systems
KW - Overcoming barriers
KW - Small and medium-sized enterprise
KW - Support mechanisms
KW - Third-party certification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104089832&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108129
DO - 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108129
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85104089832
SN - 0956-7135
VL - 127
JO - Food Control
JF - Food Control
M1 - 108129
ER -