SAFETY MATTERS
Y 10fe1ty SAFEriT MEAstT sa eps to ensu ng meat Seven
I
t’s that time of year again when you are planning your stokvel shopping spree.
Given that food safety has been in the media so much this year, with the listeriosis outbreak, food fraud and increased health inspections, now is also the right time to make sure you are on top of your own food safety issues. Food safety is key to your business success. You want happy customers who enjoy their time with you and keep coming back for more! You can do this by making sure the food they eat is safe and does not make them sick. You would never do this intentionally but accidents can happen. Meat and meat products are often the source of illnesses associated with food. With meat such an important part of your menu, you should take note of these important safety tips from start to finish when handling meat to make sure you don’t accidently cause harm to the customer.
1. Meat safety starts with your supplier Although you might be tempted to go with the cheapest supplier thinking you will get more for every hard-earned rand, this is usually not the right choice. Food safety problems with meat start on the farm. Sick animals can cause illness in humans as the disease-causing 52
www.spotongmag.co.za
bacteria can be in the blood and meat of the animal. Further problems can occur if the animal is not slaughtered correctly. The hide of the animal can come into contact with the meat, allowing disease-causing bacteria to spread to the meat. If the intestines of the animal are damaged during slaughter, this can result in manure contamination on the meat, which can also spread harm. These risks can be managed, but you are not there to supervise the process to ensure your customer will be safe. That is the function of the law and the reason why you should be obtaining your meat from a registered abattoir. If the abattoir is registered, this means that the Department of Agriculture inspectors visit the abattoir regularly. The law also requires that an independent meat inspector is employed – this person acts as your eyes and ears at the abattoir and ensures unsafe meat is condemned so it cannot become human food. The inspectors also ensure the animals have not had medication for a certain period before they are slaughtered – this helps to ensure that your customers will not be consuming antibiotics that can be harmful to their health, too. Although you may have grown up on a farm where slaughtering of animals was an everyday occurrence, remember that serving food to your customers places a much bigger burden of food safety responsibility on your shoulders. The choices you make about suppliers can literally mean the difference between life and death.
