The performance of food safety management systems in the raspberries chain

Abstract

The Food Safety Management System - Diagnostic Instrument (FSMS-DI) was used to determine context factors, core control and assurance activities, as well as food safety outputs for three Global G.A.P. certified and six Non Global G.A.P. certified orchard raspberries farms, and eight cold stores (all of them having certified FSMS systems, often in combination with BRC, IFS and/or FSSC 22000 standards). Examined orchard farms operate at moderate to high-risk context. High risk is mainly related to the microbiological and pesticides contamination of raspberries and open cultivation system, which can provoke additional contaminations (e.g. bird droppings). However they differed in chain and organizational characteristics. Non Global G.A.P. certified orchard farms were mainly characterised by low to basic performance of the FSMS combined with low food safety outputs, while in Global G.A.P. orchard farms moderate performance of FSMS resulted in moderate to advanced food safety outputs. Cold store companies represent the subsequent link in the raspberries chain, with the raw material food safety risks directly connected with the orchard farms final product. This is related to the production process of frozen raspberries without any physical or chemical intervention step which might reduce the level of potentially present microorganisms or chemicals in raspberries. The core control and assurance activities in the FSMS present in the cold stores are mainly at medium to high level, resulting in medium to advance food safety outputs.