Retail Food Protection
Krab Kingz (2021) is a seafood retail outlet in El Paso, Texas, and its operations are regulated by the federal, state and local authorities. The Texas state and local authorities are primarily responsible of regulating retail food and food industries within Texas.
As a food retail outlet, Kran Kingz will comply with the national, Texas state and health departments in El Paso since it is their responsibility to monitor all retail stores at the state and local level and the level at which food-handling activities are carried out within the premises adhere to the outlined jurisdictions (Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2021)
Texas states and local areas may have separate departments of health and of agriculture responsible for Krab Kingz opertaions. The agencies should inspect and oversee thousands of food establishments, such as restaurants, cafeterias, grocery stores. The US departments for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) promotes the application of scientific food safety policies in retail to reduce incidences of foodborne illnesses, especially in pandemics, like COVID-19 (FDA, 2021). FDA provides regulatory agencies with a Food Code model, scientific guidance, program evaluation, and technical assistance.
Retail Food Safety Standards
The primary goal of National Food Safety program is reducing and preventing foodborne illnesses by setting standards to be followed by retail food outlets. Standardization provides a uniform system of retail food inspection guided by the FDA’s Food Code (FDA, 2021). FDA provides leadership for state regulation of retail and institutional food service through the development of a model Food Code, which it recommends be adopted by states and localities
The process and criteria for demonstrating proficiency in the required performance areas are described in the FDA Procedures for Standardization of Retail Food Safety Inspection Officers (FDA, 2021). FDA exercises authority over all local and trade in food products in the US, provided that they are advertised between states, trade, including seafood and fish products.
FDA seeks to ensure that all foods traded within its jurisdiction are harmless, hygienic, nutritious, healthy, and reliably and satisfactorily labeled, an exercise lead the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) (FDA, 2021). FDA Food Code is often updated to reflect current provisions and provide a highly refined focus on foodborne risk factors. Food safety personnel need to be standardized to ensure food is safe, unadulterated, and honestly represented. Certificate of standardization is provided by FDA to all successful candidates.
Food Safety and COVID-19
Through the FDA’s Food Code, states and local agencies can offer scientific standards and guidelines that states and localities may assume for food safety in restaurants and institutional food settings. The Food Code comprises of temperature standards that retail outlets must observe to cook, cool, refrigerate reheat, or hold food and related products. The Food Code also endorses inspectors visitation of the affiliated restaurants and eateries at least once after every six months. Every state within the US or Texas locality might choose to adopt any or all of the Food Code in its laws or regulations to improve safety of its constituents.
FDA provides a food safety re-opening checklist for previously closed retail establishments and those operating under limited COVID-19 guidelines. Signs should be posed on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 and encourage daily protective measures (FDA, 2021). All areas of food establishment should be properly cleaned, stocked, sanitized, or disinfected. The facility should be free of pest infestation and all pest control measures functioning appropriately. There should be plenty of air circulation in the food establishment.
Food Retail Measures
Krab Kingz has an outline for its operations, and pick-up and delivery services during COVID-19 to protect workers and consumers.
The US FDA gave out its last instruction on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) that should be followed by food-handlers dealing with seafood, which compels all seafood processors to perform a hazard examination. Such a process is useful for determining if food safety hazards are practically probable to occur.
However, if no hazards are identified through the FDA, no HACCP planning is desired. Although reassessments are essential to determine if the procedures involved had significant changes (FDA, 2021)
Employees with COVID-19 symptoms are advised to stay at home, consult with local health department, and follow CDC guidelines.
Implementation of workplace controls to prevent COVID transmission.
Emphasize effective hand hygiene before preparing or eating food.
Always wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, or with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Frequently disinfect surfaces touched by employees or customers, like door knobs, equipment handles, counters.
Food Practices
For Krab Kings to abide by the HACCP measures, it must ensure that the food producers, processors, distributors, and consumers in its supply chain are compliant. Such avoid any possible cause of malpractice in the food industry, or any reason to destroy the reputation of the food outlet. Organization and accessibility is key to dry food storage since it allows for easy location and visual inspection (FDA, 2021). Chilled storage are essential in retaining freshness and nutrients in foods, such as fish, while also ensuring no cross-contamination. Frozen storage offers solutions to food items that cannot be utilized immediately. Proper labelling, wrapping, and dating is required to enhance quality. Krab Kingz should also work with vendors to purchase and store food properly since it ensures extended shelf-life and reduced wastage.
Company Motto
To consistently serve our customers with the best seafood dishes.
References
- Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Food protection. Web.
- Krab Kingz. (2021). About. Web.