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Running a food business involves far more than producing quality products. Manufacturers must also maintain strict food safety standards, comply with UK regulations, and meet the certification requirements expected by retailers and suppliers. For many businesses, navigating these requirements can be overwhelming. This is where a food safety consultant becomes an essential partner. From implementing food safety systems to preparing for major certification audits, consultants h

Every food business must take responsibility for identifying and managing potential food safety hazards. This is where HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plays a vital role and our Food Safety Consultants are at hand! HACCP is an internationally recognised system designed to prevent food safety risks before they occur. Implementing it correctly is essential for regulatory compliance and certification schemes such as SALSA accreditation and BRCGS. Because of t

For food manufacturers supplying major retailers or international markets, BRCGS certification is one of the most important food safety standards in the industry. BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards) provides assurance that food products are produced safely, legally, and consistently. However, preparing for a BRCGS audit can be a complex process. Many businesses choose to work with experienced BRCGS consultants like our Food Safety Consultants to ensur

Maintaining excellent hygiene standards is essential for every food business. Whether producing packaged goods, ready meals, or baked products, strict hygiene controls are necessary to prevent contamination and protect consumers. However, managing hygiene systems in a food production environment can be complex. Regulations are detailed, audits are demanding, and operational pressures can make compliance difficult to maintain consistently. This is why many food manufacturers w

SALSA accreditation is one of the most recognised food safety certifications for small and medium food businesses in the UK. If you produce food for retailers, wholesalers, or the hospitality sector, achieving this certification can open the door to new opportunities and customers. However, the process can seem complex without the right guidance. This is why many businesses work with a food safety consultant to help them prepare for and achieve SALSA certification. What is SA

For food producers and manufacturers in the UK, compliance with food safety regulations is essential. Whether you're supplying retailers, selling locally, or expanding into wholesale markets, maintaining strict food safety standards protects consumers and your business reputation. This is where a food safety consultant becomes an invaluable partner. Working with an experienced consultant helps businesses navigate complex regulations, implement robust safety systems, and achie

This month, Senior Technical Compliance Consultant, Rachel Bentley, explores essential steps to prevent food maliciousness in your bakery, maintaining your reputation and the trust of your loyal customers. Running a bakery involves more than just creating delicious treats; it also requires a commitment to food safety and preventing food maliciousness. Ensuring that your bakery is a trusted source of delectable goods means not only satisfying your customers' cravings but also

This month Beacon Compliance have teamed up with Graham Turner, National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) technical support, biologist and trainer (www.linkedin.com/in/grahame-turner) to bring you some juicy insights as to what could be crawling behind your bakery equipment panels. Bakeries, due to the nature of the raw materials and finished food products, as well as the complex machinery with lots of awkward-to-clean cavities, are attractive habitats for numerous species

In the world of baked goods, where golden brown perfection meets irresistible flavours, there's an unexpected guest at the pastry party: acrylamide. Yes, you heard that right – acrylamide, the uninvited troublemaker that adds a dash of complexity to our beloved treats. But fear not, fellow dessert enthusiasts, for today we embark on a hilarious yet enlightening journey through the crunchy world of acrylamide in the bakery industry. Picture this: a gathering of cookies, pastri

Calibration of equipment plays an important role in food safety, legality and quality. Proactive and routine calibration of key measuring devices and equipment ensures that food is processed accurately and consistently in addition to controlling physical, chemical or microbiological hazards in food production and manufacturing. When on site with their bakery clients, the team at Beacon Compliance often see the following types of equipment that require calibration; ovens , sca

As we know, the current climate is not just “pinching” but “squeezing” every penny out of businesses whether its raw materials, packaging, gas and electric and fuel along with the increased expectations on wages. Here we have identified the top four areas we commonly see as consultants where savings can be made without compromising on food safety compliance; Laboratory testing – we are often amazed to see how much technical teams are spending on material, product and environm

For this article Beacon Compliance have teamed up with industry experts www.Klipspringer.com to bring to you three top tips to producing food that is “Free From” with confidence. “Free From”, it’s a sign of the times, it’s the “in thing”, it’s a “trend”, but in fact for some, it’s quite simply a dietary requirement to function normally day to day. One of the biggest problems for food producers and manufacturers is that allergens can creep their way into any products due to cr

‘You’re only as good as your internal auditing’ is our motto here at Beacon Compliance. Many people don’t dig deep enough and rest on their laurels when it comes to internal auditing, saying ‘we passed our audit last year, so we will this year’.

Lets hope that you never receive that phone call…you know…the one that means whatever you were about to do, forget it – we’ve got a product recall on our hands! In this article, Beacon Compliance food safety experts are taking the position that as the reader, you know all about product recall, that it should be tested frequently, and that yes, it is different to a traceability. Have you thought or event considered these factors when it comes to product recall? Let’s hope that

Beacon Compliance give some tips to ensure your HACCP plan is always audit ready! HACCP. Many people shudder just thinking about it. We all know that a HACCP plan is required by law, and that it’s a hefty requirement of every type of food safety accreditation, but often, the HACCP plan is left to gather dust on the shelf until the next audit. To have peace of mind that your HACCP plan is always audit ready, review these key areas! Prerequisites: Prerequisites are the backbone

Louise from Beacon Compliance, the Food Safety Experts, gives us the low down on different levels of food safety accreditation. You’ve created the best product you’ve ever tasted. You’ve designed the packaging so it jumps off the shelf, and you’ve just received interest from your first buyer, woohoo! But what you may not know, is that one of the first questions they’ll ask is, “Have you got any food safety accreditation?”. Alarm bells start ringing while you reply, “Sorry, we

Picture it, your local Environmental Health Officer walks in, white coat, clipboard, tools at the ready, they run their fingers across the surfaces of the premises , they review the temperature of the food in the chiller , they flick through the pages of your food safety paperwork , they complete their paperwork and congratulate you with being awarded your 5 hygiene rating…celebrations can begin…its feels great doesn’t it!…well…this is not always the outcome…read on to find o

Unicorn Cakes, Rainbow Cakes, Wild Wacky Bright and Fun, visually attractive cakes are what this year’s trends are when it comes to requests for celebration cakes. The phrase ‘you’ve been eating too much sugar’ comes to mind thirty minutes after a child has had a slice of birthday cake when they begin to start ‘climbing the walls’ – but perhaps it’s not the sugar – but the colourings in the cake! Today, food colours are probably the most strictly regulated food ingredients al

Wouldn’t we all love more storage! Picture this…a beautiful array of storage containers, colour coded, size and alphabetically ordered, separate temperature-controlled storage solutions for raw materials, work in progress and finished products, raw foods, ready to eat foods etc.…do your food storage areas look like this? If not, perhaps this is how you should be thinking! The way we store food at the various steps of baking can significantly affect the safety and quality of

You wake up in the morning, pop the kettle on and turn up the radio to hear ‘…breaking news this morning, a school child dies after suffering an allergic reaction by simply enjoying a piece of birthday cake at a child’s party on the weekend…’ Thoughts run through your mind…Was it a cake you made? Who was that lady that picked up that cake on Friday? I’m sure I thoroughly cleaned the mixing bowl before making that cake? Imagine the panic and dread that would overwhelm you…