Food is big business so why do so many companies keep falling short of when it comes to food hygiene?

This week we have a blog from our resident microbiologist Llinos Thomas, who has over 20 years’ experience working in food microbiology laboratories. All too often we are seeing breaches of food hygiene and food safety regulations and standards in the media. If it’s not local takeaways and restaurants getting a zero hygiene rating it’s food manufacturing companies being exposed for their poor hygiene standards. Food manufacturing companies are constantly audited, so why do these stories keep coming to the surface? With ATP hygiene monitoring systems such as the 3M LM1 Hygiene Monitoring System available, is there any excuse for such huge lapses in food hygiene? The 3M system gives instant verification of hygiene standards and using it with the hygiene management software, you can trend and monitor your data, always be aware of where your problem areas are. So what is going wrong and are food companies squeezed on resources? The Technical/Quality Department is there to ensure food safety and quality of the product, meeting minimum legal and customer requirements but are they over-ruled by those that only see the profit line? Yet, damage to your brand with a hygiene or food safety compromise and you’ll never fully recover. With the advancement in technology and monitoring systems, surely we are in a day and age where professionals in the food industry take their responsibility to demonstrate due diligence seriously? What are your thoughts and experiences? Do you use ATP to verify and monitor hygiene standards?