A new method of HACCP for hospitality: from concept to product

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to chart the development of new method of applying HACCP for the hospitality industry developed by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) in conjunction with the University of Salford. It is the fourth article in the second Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management presenting a new method of HACCP for the hospitality industry and proof of its utility. Design/methodology/approach The project utilised an action research methodology that involved an iterative process of development, piloting, evaluation and review conducted over a three‐year period. In total over 300 practitioners, researchers and stakeholders were involved in the process. Findings This was the first attempt, anywhere in the world to empirically develop a food safety management system for food businesses within the hospitality industry and prove that it worked. It remains the only adaptation of “classical” method that has been demonstrated to have utility and also contribute to improvements in food safety management. In particular, the output demonstrates that there are valid alternatives to the “classical” Codex method and that businesses can comply with HACCP principles without ever having to “hear” or “use” the HACCP jargon. Originality/value The new method has been extended and published as Menu‐Safe, a system that can be used for hospitality businesses of all types and sizes. Its shortened version, Safer Food Better Business (SFBB), has been developed. These products will be of value to practitioners, enforcement officers and educators as they attempt to improve the management of food safety across the industry.