Alimenti Blog
Welcome to the blog and updates from Louise . I hope that you enjoy reading it.
There will also be a series of articles and posts on the website which I will be reviewing regularly. The blog archive is here. If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn, my profile is here. Let’s start a conversation.
November 2020
The UK is in various types of restrictions, with some nations banning all forms of gathering at various times. We look forward to Christmas, whatever form that will bring and news of a vaccine against COVID- 19 is coming through with the anticipated roll out starting in December 2020. Don’t forget about the information in the coronavirus hub on this site. The link is here.
July 2020
The UK is starting to come out of lockdown and businesses are reopening. The rationale behind some of the decisions made do not always appear logical, but the Government are relying on people to be sensible. The wearing of masks in shops becomes mandatory on 24th July. These will reduce the infection from a COVID 19 sufferer to a non infected person, and the rate of infection decreases again if both wear masks. The research is showing that the virus remains active in the air for longer than previously thought. This is still a new virus to humans, so we learn all the time about how it behaves.
May 2020
May saw the launch of the Coronavirus resource hub, the hub is intended to act as a central repository for the information that is published by Alimenti and other reputable sources, such as the UK Government.
March 2020
March is indeed marching forward. I am writing this as the UK Government has told the country to stay at home unless you are travelling for one of 4 reasons. Work which you cannot do at home, essential shopping such as food and medicines, to exercise once per day or to attend to medical needs or as a carer. I have written a blog about how long the virus stays active in the environment, here.
January 2020
We have a new Government in the UK and Brexit is due at the end of the month. We are awaiting the technical guidance on the Pre Packed Food for Direct Sale definition from UK Food Standards Agency, at the time of writing this blog. The UK legislation will come into force in October 2021, so watch this space for more information.
Shelf life of food part one
The words used for the shelf life of food after production are either ‘Use By’ or ‘Best Before’ in the UK. A very few products may not have a shelf life, such as salt and sugar.. Use By The product must be consumed by the ‘Use By’ the date applied to the pack. It...
Traceability
What is traceability and why is it important in food and drink? Traceability is important for several reasons. The first is because it is a legal requirement under current UK and EU legislation. The second is because if there is a problem with a component or the...
Food safety – my journey
My hands were clammy. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights and I was just not sure what I should do or what I should say. What's that got to do with food safety? Read on! I had been working part time for a friend’s...
Complaints
There is a story behind the photo above and it involves complaints. The story goes like this. A customer opened a can of sweetcorn and found hairs in amongst the sweetcorn. Naturally the customer wasn't happy, so returned the can to the shop where they had purchased...
Food Crime Risk Assessment
Food Crime Risk Assessment The Food Standards Agency in the UK have published a Strategic Assessment of the risk to the food industry of food crime.The first point to note is the recognition that the way the law is set up and the way that people buy food and drink has...
Customer Food safety requirements
Looking to grow your food business and not sure what to do? This article is about the importance of customer food safety requirements when growing your business this way.Do you want to start working with the major retailers or food service providers? Do you have the...
Food specification
What to include in a food and drink specification? If you have never written a specification , it is a daunting question. Essentially, you are aiming to record the paramethers that are representative of your product. For example, are you producing a cake which has...
Pest control in food premises
Do you have pest control in your food premises? How do you manage the four things that pests need to thrive? These are shelter, food, water and time to grow and multiply. Pests can carry a number of disease-causing organisms. These include bacteria, viruses and...
Has food microbiology changed?
Yes, food microbiology has changed. For information about food microbiology hazards click here. Micro organisms Over the last 20 years, the types of micro-organism that are significant has been added to (for example) – Listeria, Shiga toxin producing E.coli - under...
Reopening, restarting, repurposing your business
Reopening, Restarting, Repurposing Before you think about reopening your business. There are a number of considerations to be made. At the time of writing, (May 2020) there is no evidence that COVID 19 is transmitted by food. The virus cannot move by itself. It has to...
