Are compliance requirements changing the way we build food factories?

The answer would appear to be…sort of?

When the Food Safety Act was enacted in 1991, a large amount of responsibility was put on to the shoulders of food manufacturers and retailers and specifically their boards of directors. This led to a flurry of compliance standards being set by retailers for their supply chains, all with slightly different approaches, causing a massive headache for factories that had to somehow adapt their methodologies according to the requirements of their retail clients.

In order to create a level playing field, the British Retail Consortium introduced their Global Standards (BRCGS) with a single agreed set of standards for food safety, legality, quality and authenticity. Food manufacturers are now often required by their retailer clients to be accredited and certified to this standard or equivalent and regularly audited against it.

But what if you sell your products in the USA or the EU or any other territory with differing legislation? What is you have specific requirements such as vegan or allergen controls? What if complying with the BRC standards makes your process hugely inefficient and expensive? This is where a specialist consultant can be invaluable in delivering efficient compliance.

The temptation for manufacturers is to monitor every single temperature and weight that can be measured, regardless of whether that data has value. Applying HACCP (Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points) methodology enables you to build a lean, fit-for-purpose quality management system that monitors exactly what is needed and avoid unnecessary use of resources. Building in expert analysis of the process flows and control points can also make the design efficient and economically viable such as by doing away with unnecessary doors, walls and fittings that are not needed.

Independent Technical Consultant Jerry Hunter says “it is possible to design a facility that is productive and efficient while also having robust compliance. The trick is understanding how processes interact with each other and where the critical risk points are in order to avoid problems of product safety, legality, quality and authenticity.

So what does drive change in how we build food facilities? One factor is the drive towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) coming from retailers, with suppliers having to demonstrate ethical trading practices and environmental responsibility throughout their supply chain.

Another factor is the rise in fuel costs which is driving manufacturers to build in energy-efficient systems such as heat recovery from industrial refrigeration units for space and water heating, particularly where local enterprise partnership grants are available to assist with costs.

Sooner or later governments will undoubtedly be placing greater requirements on food manufacturers to demonstrate their environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) credentials, however given the industry’s previous form – they may well already have got there ahead of the game.