Level 3 - What about my Food Control Plan?

The government has announced what Alert Level 3 will mean for the hospitality industry.

The key message is that food delivery, drive-through, online shopping or options such as click-and-collect can begin. However, you cannot engage in face-to-face transactions.

So is your business able to open? What are the implications for your Food Control plan?

We asked the team at Food and Health Standards and at Auditing Solutions their opinion. If you are using Simply Safe and Suitable for your current Food Control Plan there will be minimal changes for you if you want to start home deliveries or click-and-collect takeaways. However, it would be advisable to tell your local Council or Verifier that you were intending to open up for click-and-collect takeaway or delivery. If your verification was due or past due they might ask you to have your verification, which would be done remotely.

Deliveries
If you are intending to make deliveries, you should read the "Transporting your Food" section from Simply Safe and Suitable. Make sure all parts of the vehicle that you use to transport food or food equipment is clean (and sanitised if going to be in direct contact with ready-to-eat food). You should also know how you intend to keep food hot or cold while it is being transported - chilly bins, insulated boxes etc.

Allergens
If your menu is online you will have lost the ability for a customer to ask about allergens. If taking orders over the phone, ensure staff ask if anyone has allergies or make sure the information is available on your website or in some other form.

If you are planning to deliver items you have made and then chilled then there is no need to label your food. But you should have a way of getting information about the ingredients and allergens to the consumer if this is requested.

Some other tips for you to develop a contactless delivery plan key points:

Online or phone contactless ordering and payment
Restricted menus and minimal staff in kitchens to prepare orders
Description of a safe spot to leaving delivered orders
Delivery drivers to be wearing gloves and face masks
Delivery driver to knock on the door and send a text message when food has arrived and ensure that the food is taken inside the property while watching from a safe 2m distance.

The team at Safe Food Pro have developed checklists and Covid-19 resources to help you get back in business smoothly and quickly. These checklist are part of our Digital Food Safety App.

More Information

For more information about Food Safety at Alert Level 3 follow this link to the MPI website: MPI Food Safety at Alert Level 3