food safety feature 2024
Health and food safety compliance is critical in today's retail and wholesale environment due to heightened consumer expectations, stricter regulations, and a greater focus on public health. Compliance makes sure that consumer well-being is protected and stores are safeguarded against reputational and financial risks.
Together, these regulations and standards are essential for maintaining consumer confidence, which has become more significant post-pandemic as customers are more vigilant about hygiene and food safety.
They cover overall workplace safety and impact hygiene and safety standards within retail and wholesale environments beyond food handling – including elements such as storage safety, equipment maintenance and ensuring that employees operate in a safe, clean environment.
Legislation explained:
In South Africa, theFoodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act governs the hygiene requirements for food-related operations, including on-site handling, transport and other aspects. This regulation ensures that all consumable products reach customers safely and without contamination risks.
Similarly, the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points(HACCP) standard is a proactive approach specifically designed to enhance food safety across the entire supply chain. HACCP is crucial in the modern retail and wholesale setting because it prevents food safety issues by focusing on critical control points (CCPs), where contamination risks are highest. By monitoring and controlling each step in production, from sourcing to storage and in-store preparation, HACCP ensures that retailers and wholesalers can identify and mitigate risks before products reach consumers.
In addition to food-specific guidelines, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards also apply.
Together, these regulations and standards are essential for maintaining consumer confidence, which has become more significant post-pandemic as customers are more vigilant about hygiene and food safety.
Health, hygiene and safety in a post-Covid world
In a post-Covid retail environment, prioritising a robust OHS policy is critical for retailers and wholesalers to adapt to evolving health standards and protect both employees and customers.
She adds, “In a post-Covid environment, what works for one retailer may not work for another. Hygiene and sanitation protocols differ depending on the type of retail activity and even between different areas in stores. This means that the way this is done and the products we use also differ from area to area.”
Health, hygiene and safety in a post-Covid world
In a post-Covid retail environment, prioritising a robust OHS policy is critical for retailers and wholesalers to adapt to evolving health standards and protect both employees and customers.
Hygiene and sanitation protocols
Annette Devenish from hygiene solutions experts and infection protection products manufacturer Sanitouch says, “Covid absolutely highlighted the need for hygiene and sanitation, and went a long way to alerting the retail world to the dangers of cross-infection and cross-contamination and, in some ways, homogenising the necessary response protocols.”
“Covid absolutely highlighted the need for hygiene and sanitation, and went a long way to alerting the retail world to the dangers of cross-infection and cross-contamination and, in some ways, homogenising the necessary response protocols.”
Maintaining the cold chain
Torsten Harms, Head of Marketing at global market leader and producer/distributor of measuring instruments and measuring systems Testo, says that maintaining the cold chain is one of the most important rules to adhere to by retail stores selling perishable food products. “It’s important for retailers to ensure that their cold chain has been upheld with the help of spot-check instruments, such as thermometers, as well as temperature data monitoring solutions for transport and logistics, warehousing and storing, food preparation and catering, and in-store displays,” he says. “This equipment gives the retailer certainty that the data related to the fulfilment of all quality procedures is stored in a central database, with alarm systems and dashboards available for management to action anytime, anywhere.”
Marina Sander, Head of Operations: Food Safety Inspections and Certifications, at AssureCloud, says the company provides a suite of testing services across all food types to verify sanitation and hygiene practices. “This includes swabbing for pathogens such as Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli in food processing environments, delis, and retail spaces. The results are delivered quickly to enable prompt corrective actions, and then combined with staff hygiene and handwashing audits to ensure compliance with post-Covid protocols. For suppliers, these services ensure that they meet strict hygiene standards before delivering products to retailers.”
Risk assessments and workplace hazards Start by conducting comprehensive risk assessments, which will identify specific workplace hazards, including those linked to infectious diseases and areas where bacteria can take hold. These assessments are central to creating tailored safety measures, such as enhanced cleaning protocols, social distancing, and ventilation improvements to limit the spread of airborne pathogens.
Managing common hazards
- In retail, managing common hazards effectively is essential to protecting both employees and customers. According to ClearRisk, slips, trips, and falls are among the most frequent issues and can be reduced by maintaining clear walkways, using slip-resistant mats, and ensuring good lighting.
- Wet floors near entrances or refrigerated sections should have warning signs and water-absorbent mats. Implementing regular inspections and immediate clean-ups can further prevent these incidents. Additionally, slip-resistant shoes and well-maintained floor surfaces add another layer of protection, especially in high-risk zones.
- “Till areas should be kept free of product spills, so retailers need to ensure their till cloths allow for maximum absorbency and dirt pick up with the minimal amount of chemicals,” says Sanitouch’s Devenish. “Till cloths should be replaced after every shift, so multi-use shift cloths are ideal for this purpose.”
- Education and training are also crucial. Employees should understand proper lifting techniques, safe handling of equipment, and procedures for dealing with spills or hazardous substances. Ongoing awareness and skills training decreases injury rates and improves employees' responses to emergency situations such as fire, flooding or accidental exposures to harmful chemicals. Documenting incident reports is essential and allows for the identification of problem areas and ensures that corrective actions can be implemented. • Technology, such as automated monitoring systems, can significantly enhance safety practices. For instance, temperature monitoring for perishable goods ensures food safety and prevents accidents in freezer areas where slips are common. Surveillance systems provide additional security, helping store managers monitor for theft and violence while also serving as a tool for managing evacuation in case of fire or other emergencies. AssureCloud performs Hazardous Biological Agents (HBA) risk assessments to identify potential health risks to workers handling food products, such as exposure to allergens, microbiological agents, and other hazardous materials. “These risk assessments are vital for suppliers working in food processing or in environments where biological agents are present,” says AssureCloud’s Sander. “We also support ergonomic assessments and chemical safety audits to ensure staff health risks are minimised in compliance with OHS regulations.” Harms from Testo notes, “Partnering with experts in OHS frameworks for retail makes it easier to manage common health and safety hazards. For instance, the Testo Saveris Food Stores system digitises the entire quality manual, automatically monitors temperatures for refrigerated items, and ensures consistent quality checks throughout the store.” The Testo system is not only restricted to food safety checks - tasks such as hygiene and pest control can also be incorporated.
Improving food safety
Food safety in supermarkets and wholesale stores is fundamentally about protecting consumers from potential hazards while ensuring that food products are of high quality and handled safely. One of the key tenets of food safety is proper temperature control. Says Harms, “The temperature of food has a decisive influence on the formation and multiplication of germs and thus on product quality and consumer health. To ensure food safety, it’s therefore mandatory to control food temperatures.” Retailers must store perishable items such as meats, dairy, and fresh produce at the correct temperatures to prevent bacterial growth. Regular checks of refrigeration units, often through automated systems, help maintain these conditions and allow immediate action if temperatures fluctuate outside safe ranges. “We provide the relevant thermometers, data loggers and cooking oil testers, which can all be integrated into our QMS*,” says Harms. “This ensures safer food as well as compliance, fresher products, less food waste and higher customer satisfaction. Moreover, our advanced data loggers and monitoring systems allow for continuous tracking of critical parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air quality, which ensures that any deviations from safety standards are detected immediately and swift corrective actions can be taken.” *Quality Management System Maintaining proper hygiene in areas that include food prep stations, display counters and storage rooms is essential. Staff must follow rigorous handwashing practices, and surfaces should be sanitised frequently to avoid contamination. It also goes without saying that equipment and items used for cleaning need to be hygienic. Sloshing dirty water around on a floor using an old mop or cleaning with dirty cloths does not constitute best practice. “We offer a range of cleaning solutions fit for purpose,” says Devenish. “Some stores require a four-hourly shift cloth, some a daily cloth, some a weekly solution, while others need cleaning cloths to last hundreds of washes. “It all depends on whether stores need wipe ups, wipe downs, or both,” she adds. “Wipe up is when cleaning is required to clean and absorb a dirty surface, usually with a good quality absorbent cloth with a soapy detergent solution, which may or may not contain a disinfectant for a one-step process. Wipe down is when a fluid needs to be dumped onto a surface for maximum contact time to ensure thorough disinfection or sanitising to prevent cross contamination.
“For everything else, a pre-saturated cloth such as Caterwipe, a pre-wet, food-safe cleaning cloth supplied in a convenient bucket, can be used for deli and service areas for a quick and effective clean.”
Regardless of how rigorous the procedures, regular laboratory testing is a good habit for retailers and wholesalers to develop if they’re committed to maintaining the highest health, hygiene and safety standards. AssureCloud conducts extensive testing across all food types, including microbiological testing, chemical analysis, and nutritional labelling verification to ensure that products are safe for consumption. Sander says, “We offer SANS 241 water testing, particularly for suppliers and retailers where water quality is critical in processing, cleaning, or manufacturing, ensuring that the water used meets South African standards. Regular environmental monitoring for food safety, storage condition audits, and testing of service and food swabs are part of a holistic approach to maintain compliance throughout the food supply chain.”
Proactive pest control
Effective pest control requires a comprehensive approach to managing the constant risks posed by high foot traffic, open-door policies, and large storage areas.
One leading method commonly used by local retailers and wholesalers is Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which provides a mix of strategies that include rigorous hygiene practices, structural modifications, and eco-friendly pest treatments. IPM is particularly suitable for the FMCG retail and wholesale environment because it minimises the use of chemicals and supports regular monitoring, a practice crucial for stores that maintain compliance with local health and safety regulations. Additionally, proactive solutions such as digital monitoring have been gaining popularity. Rentokil’s myRentokil system, for instance, provides real-time monitoring and data on pest activity, enabling swift responses to potential issues before they escalate. This digital approach ensures that store management can track, manage, and prevent pest problems more effectively, all while maintaining audit-ready records. For physical interventions, retail and wholesale pest control providers use pest-specific strategies. For instance, bird-proofing measures control nuisance birds in shopping areas, which often flock to food courts or areas with open trash. Products such as spikes, nets, or electric tracks deter birds safely without harming them.
Meanwhile, for crawling pests such as cockroaches and rodents, frequent baiting and targeted treatments are essential. Routine inspections and hygiene practices that include maintaining clean and well-sealed trash areas are equally important to avoid attracting these pests. Retailers are encouraged to partner with certified pest control services to maintain a pest-free environment that complies with South African regulations and meets customer expectations for cleanliness and safety. Providers such as Bidvest Steiner and The Specialists follow SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) guidelines to ensure safe, environmentally-friendly pest control methods, using only government-approved treatments to safeguard both staff and customers. Likewise, AssureCloud’s environmental monitoring services include pest control risk assessments that enable retailers and suppliers to develop pest management plans that are effective yet environmentally sustainable. Routine pest control checks and procedures can also be integrated and documented in Testo’s digital QMS. For pest control, an emphasis on compliance and eco-friendly practices supports sustainability and bolsters a retail store’s credibility in the eyes of increasingly eco-conscious consumers.
Insights and observations
As we wrap up this deep dive into supermarket retail and wholesale hygiene and safety, the key takeaway is that prioritising OHS isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about building a stronger, more resilient business that’s prepared for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s surprises. By focusing on rigorous hygiene practices, temperature monitoring, safe food handling, and proactive pest management, retailers and wholesalers can confidently maintain a safe environment that meets the expectations of both employees and customers. OHS compliance opens the door to greater customer trust and loyalty – a vital asset in a fiercely competitive market where shoppers are more conscious than ever about health standards. And let’s face it, navigating these health, hygiene and safety requirements might feel like a maze, but it’s manageable with the right tools and partners. It’s also essential to get it right. Your customers’ health and safety, employee wellbeing, legal compliance, brand reputation, and customer experience depends on it. Fortunately stores have access to an arsenal of resources tailored to fit their specific needs. By investing in these modern solutions, retailers and wholesalers can stay on top of compliance and avoid unexpected setbacks while focusing on what they do best: serving their customers.
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