Active managerial control(PDF, 88KB) means the purposeful incorporation of specific actions or procedures by industry management into the operation of their business to attain control over foodborne illness risk factors. It embodies a preventative rather than reactive approach to food safety through a continuous system of monitoring and verification.
There are many tools that can be used by industry to provide active managerial control of risk factors. Elements of an effective food safety management system may include the following:
- Certified food protection managers who have shown a proficiency of required information by passing a test that is part of an accredited program.
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for performing critical operational steps in a food preparation process such as cooling.
- Recipe cards that contain the specific steps for preparing a food item and the food safety critical limits such as final cooking temperatures that need to be monitored and verified.
- Purchase specifications
- Equipment and facility design and maintenance
- Monitoring procedures
- Record keeping
- Employee health policy for restricting or excluding ill employees
- Manager and employee training
- Ongoing quality control and assurance
- Specific goal-oriented plans, like Risk Control Plans (RCPs), that outline procedures for controlling specific foodborne illness risk factors.