It is not simply a question of preparing food for the enjoyment of the consumer. It is also ensuring that the food is safe, says Paulino Schembri

The food service industry is one of the most complex, if not the most complex, in food safety management.

This is due to the enormous number of ingredients and compound ingredients used to prepare menus that are various in ethnicities, level of intricacy, preparation and service method.

Food à la carte is not prepared in the same way as buffets or banquets. Each food service business has its own standards and methods which are relative to the type of operation and therefore require different safety management practices. For example, foods for buffets are prepared in large volumes and, typically, this requires time in readiness for clients to enjoy.

This food is cooked and chilled in a short time to control any growth of harmful bacteria and then reheated to the correct temperature and time to ensure that full control of safety parameters are achieved. In the à la carte business, some similar preparation is done ahead, yet most of the meal components are prepared while one waits.

The complexity of food safety emerges when more than one chef is cooking and furthermore when food is prepared ahead of time and other chefs regenerate (reheat) the food in preparation for service.

Research has shown that food handlers and chefs alike are not well trained in managing food allergens as part of their development

If a robust food management safety system is not in place the latter chefs will not be able to confirm with accuracy the ingredient list which makes up any particular dish, to the detriment of clients who might be allergic, intolerant or simply do not wish to ingest a particular ingredient which might be part of a complex dish.

A food matrix is only as good as the detailed checking of complex ingredients, for example, Worcestershire sauce, which is added to many meat dishes. Worcestershire sauce has fish as part of its complex recipe, thus if the matrix does not include fish as one of the ingredients, sensitive clients might ingest an ingredient they should not eat, causing them ill health.

Research has shown that food handlers and chefs alike are not well trained in managing food allergens as part of their development. This could be a serious issue for consumers who are allergic to any of the 14 allergens which the EU has identified as most common in Europe and has, through Regulation EU1169/2011, obliged food businesses, irrelevant of size, to list them on their menus and food sold.

Food preparation is a serious business which needs serious training, not only from a culinary aspect but also in legal and moral obligations linked to food safety. One has to remember that food is prepared to be consumed and therefore the utmost attention to how it is prepared and handled in storage, transportation and regeneration will determine its safety. Cross-contamination is the most common unintentional culprit causing ill health – either through food poisoning in the case of pathogens or, in the case of allergens, simply through touching a perfectly good food and then touching another food intended for someone who suffers from food allergies.

It is the right of the consumer – even those suffering from food allergies – to expect that the food purchased is safe to consume. When food is prepared with the intention of being consumed by an identified category of people – as is required by law through the application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) – that food should be safe to eat.

Therefore, it is not enough to assume that certain food items are safe. It is a requirement by law to know what ingredients form part of the food being served. This requirement was implemented across the EU in 2014. Therefore, it is important to have structured guidelines in place to help food service businesses to be compliant with the regulation.

Although small food businesses are profit-driven, the law does not excuse them from the obligation to have accurate ingredient information of all the food being served. The issue becomes more complex when not all food is prepared on site, such as when desserts are produced by specialised units and then distributed to food service businesses. The information of that food item has to be accurate and risk of contamination should be notified.

Food service is not simply the business of preparing food for the enjoyment of the consumer. It is also ensuring that the food is safe and will not cause the consumer ill health, irrespective of business size, ambient temperature, type of service, place where it is sold and business standards.

Food safety management is the most important aspect of food preparation. All other elements are subjective; therefore, particular tastes satisfy particular consumers. However, food safety is common to all food service businesses.

Dr Paulino Schembri is Doctor of Food Safety Management Systems.