Octopus HACCP foodservice software

The HACCP approach, designed to ensure the sanitary safety of food products, is flexible enough to adapt to all configurations, including collective catering. In the latter case, the solution to ensure daily food safety and compliance with good hygiene practices relies on the implementation of collective catering software, an HACCP application compliant with regulations.

HACCP Compliance in Collective Catering

A Complex Environment

Collective catering is defined by the large-scale production and distribution of prepared meals in nurseries, school canteens, company restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, etc.

It serves a community of regular consumers to whom it must provide quality food at moderate prices.

Collective catering includes different types of kitchens:

• Central kitchens or central production units, which produce meals intended to be delivered to satellite kitchens;
• Satellite kitchens that serve the meals to consumers. In some cases, they may also produce part of the meal on-site.

Overall, collective catering is characterized by a decentralized organization, with a production site different from the distribution site, which requires strict logistics for cold and/or hot chain management. Sometimes, on-site kitchens produce meals consumed exclusively on location.

The Scope of the HACCP Method in Collective Catering

Implementing the HACCP method in these organizations is complex, due to the number of stakeholders, products to control, and meals to produce. Any anomaly in procedures can have serious health consequences.

The HACCP approach involves:

• Personnel hygiene management;
• Cleaning and disinfection management;
• Selection of suppliers with sanitary approval.

Regarding food product management, HACCP regulations are based on:

• A set of controls upon product receipt (type, batch number, use-by date, etc.);
• Temperature control in cold and hot storage;
• Control of time/temperature during meal preparation;
• Control of temperatures in cold and hot chains;
• Control of use-by dates and secondary use-by dates;
• Control of microbiological quality, etc.

Constraints on Control and Traceability

HACCP management in collective kitchens involves a number of checks and recordings proportional to the volume of goods handled. Each step (receipt, storage, temperature monitoring, production, delivery, cleaning and disinfection follow-up, anomaly reporting, and corrective actions) must follow strict protocols and traceability upstream, internally, and downstream.

Each operation generates a record which must be archived with related documents (product labels, delivery notes, anomaly reports, etc.). This results in a considerable volume of information on various media that must be stored long-term and be accessible for routine inspections or following a health alert.

Benefits of HACCP Digitalization in Collective Catering

Using the Octopus HACCP collective catering software guarantees hygiene and food safety in collective catering, in compliance with HACCP regulations.

Collective Catering Software, a Tool to Simplify Procedures

The dispersion of sites, the number of stakeholders, quantities of foodstuffs, and volume of operations and documents to record to ensure control, traceability, and audit documentation make manual HACCP management in collective catering laborious and risky.

This is why using an HACCP application is essential. The features of this mobile app for tablets and smartphones, compatible with iOS and Android, were developed according to HACCP regulatory requirements.

Daily Support for Chefs, Sous-Chefs, and Staff

The collective catering software facilitates data entry during various phases and records traceability data directly via intuitive screens:

• Traceability (upstream, internal, and downstream), including sections for Receipt Control, Label Registration, and Use-By Date Printing;
• Temperatures, including Cold Storage and Cooling Monitoring (rapid temperature drop);
• Hygiene and audits, including the Cleaning Plan section.

Each software section then unfolds a scenario compliant with HACCP regulations. This allows quick and secure data entry (type of food, temperature, use-by date, best before date, etc.), monitoring of temperature compliance during meal delivery to satellite kitchens, and ensures no planned task is overlooked, especially in the Cleaning Plan section.

Digitizing Label Management

Label registration is now done via the tablet’s camera where the HACCP app is installed, as well as archiving delivery notes and other paper documents. This integrated function directly associates documents with the current operation and date, for optimal filing and faster searches when you need to produce a day’s history.

Secondary use-by date labels are generated from the Octopus HACCP collective catering software. The app automatically calculates a new use-by date when products are unpacked and incorporated into a preparation, and generates a label to print and affix on the product container.

Facilitated Hygiene and Food Safety Control Operations

Quality engineers and managers responsible for sanitary safety and good hygiene practices in central and satellite kitchens can remotely monitor the entire system and respond quickly in case of non-compliance.

During health inspections, digital archiving of traceability data simplifies access to necessary information. You just select a day to obtain all data related to products and associated documents (delivery notes, labels, batch numbers, temperatures, etc.).

The Document module contains data related to Sanitary Control Plans (SCP) as well as bacteriological analyses performed in laboratories.

FAQ

Who is concerned by the implementation of collective catering HACCP software?

The implementation of collective catering software involves all operational teams: quality engineer, head chef and sous-chef, staff, logistics manager for cold and/or hot chain management.

What are the advantages of collective catering HACCP software?

Digitizing the procedures for food verification and upstream, internal, and downstream traceability simplifies data entry (temperature, labels, cleaning plan, etc.), secures data, and enables quick response in case of non-compliance.

How does the collective catering software accelerate the transition to paperless operations?

The Octopus HACCP collective catering software includes a saving feature linked to your tablet or mobile camera, allowing you to digitize all documents required for HACCP compliance, such as labels (product, batch number, use-by date), delivery notes, etc. All this data is archived by day and type of operation.

Why is collective catering software an asset during audits and health inspections?

All traceability data and events are digitized and immediately available for 5 years. In case of non-compliance, health inspection, or a simple audit, it is easy to retrieve the full history of any given day.