EFTCO updates food assessment system
EFTCO has developed its food assessment system to meet the recent demands of the food industry and tank cleaning stations.
Under the changes, the food industry will be now able to evaluate the results of the EFTCO Food Assessment Report. In the past EFTCO set out KO-criteria in the assessment, but as different food sectors have their own criteria which may or may not mirror the KO criteria previously set by EFTCO, the decision as to the suitability of a tank cleaning station will now be left to the food industry.
After the EFTCO Food Assessment report has been completed by the assessor and has been confirmed by the tank cleaning company, EFTCO will approve the assessment and publish it on the EFTCO website. Members of the EFTCO Food user group (e.g. food manufacturers) will be able to request an assessment report of a tank cleaning company and evaluate it according to their own criteria. It is possible to save templates on the website to facilitate the checking of compliance of different reports.
The EFTCO Food Questionnaire has also been revised. Some questions have been changed and new questions have also been included to meet the recent demands of the food industry.
The term 'HACCP Management System' has been replaced by the more generic term 'Food Safety Management System', because the HACCP system is not the only hazard identification system used by EFTCO members. And new questions refer to the control of the effectiveness of the food safety management system, the effectiveness of disinfection, the removal of allergens, client-specific requirements and also outline the importance of food defence.
The EFTCO Food assessed logo is proof the company has been assessed according to the EFTCO Food Questionnaire but, due the removal of KO criteria, it is no longer a symbol that minimum criteria has been met. The design of the logo has also been changed, therefore. It now consists of the EFTCO Logo in addition to the words 'Food Assessed'.
The text of the new Questionnaire (in English and German) and the Terms for the use of the EFTCO Food Assessed logo (in English) can be downloaded from the EFTCO website.
