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Posted on Oct 01, 2024

5 Best Food Safety Management Software Solutions

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Read Time: 8 Min

Food safety is a top priority for any business producing or serving food. To maintain customer trust and comply with food safety regulations, your facility's operations must meet strict safety standards.

The most efficient way to simplify audits and inspections is through comprehensive food safety software. But with so many options on the market, how do you choose the right one for your needs?

In this article, we'll explore the best food safety management software solutions for businesses. We'll also teach you which features to consider to achieve a better food safety culture.

Challenges in Food Safety Compliance and Management

Before learning the best food safety system, it's important to understand the challenges in food safety compliance and management. Here are some of them:

Keeping Up with Food Safety Regulations

One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the different food safety regulations in various states and local jurisdictions. They can change frequently, which requires constant updates to your food safety program practices.

If you fall behind on compliance, your food business can face serious consequences. These include hefty fines and even the closure of your establishment.

Managing Multiple Restaurants

If you manage multiple locations, maintaining consistent food safety standards across all sites can be challenging. Each location might have different staff, equipment, and food safety management processes.

This can lead to inconsistencies in how food safety protocols are followed, which increases the risk of violations that will cost you your "A" grade.

Paperwork Involved

Many restaurants and food businesses still use paper forms and checklists when conducting audits and inspections.

However, managing paperwork can be time-consuming and prone to human errors. There's also the risk of documents getting lost or damaged.

Food safety inspectors typically visit your establishment unannounced. If you can't provide documentation proving your compliance with food safety standards, your business may face penalties during audits.

Risk of Foodborne Illnesses

The risk of foodborne illnesses is perhaps the most critical challenge in the food industry. You must ensure that food is stored, prepared, and served safely. 

Even a single incident of food poisoning can harm your company's reputation and lead to legal action.

woman working on food safety

Why Is Food Safety Software Important for Restaurants and Food Businesses?

Implementing food safety software in your business addresses many of the challenges we discussed earlier. Below are the reasons why a food safety app is essential.

Meet Food Safety Compliance

Food safety software helps your business meet all necessary regulations. It keeps track of the latest updates in food safety laws and automatically adjusts your processes to stay compliant.

A food safety app also provides both pre-built and custom forms. Each document can be tailored to specific food safety standards, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and ISO 22000.

By using food safety software, you can maintain accurate records and documentation required for inspections. This gives you peace of mind, knowing that your business is always compliant with food safety standards.

Simplify Internal Food Safety Audits

Food safety compliance software allows you to conduct restaurant audits from a computer or mobile device. It digitizes checklists and forms, so you don't have to rely on error-prone paperwork. 

This makes it easy to maintain consistent standards, especially if you manage multiple locations.

Improve Risk Management

Food safety software helps you identify and manage potential risks before they become serious safety violations.

Monitoring food safety processes in real time alerts you to any deviations from standard procedures.

Thanks to these notifications, you can take immediate corrective actions to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and other safety problems. Faster responses mean you can prevent the recurrence of repeat issues.

Increase Visibility

With food safety software, you gain complete visibility into your food safety operations. You can monitor every aspect of the food supply chain from a centralized dashboard, starting with fresh food production to delivery.

This level of visibility allows you to spot and address any issues quickly. It also helps you make data-driven decisions to improve your food safety and quality management system.

Protect Your Reputation

A single food safety incident can damage your company’s reputation. Fortunately, using a food safety app can demonstrate your commitment to quality and safety.

This software helps you maintain high safety standards and prevent food poisoning or illnesses. Customers are more likely to trust and return to an establishment that consistently meets food safety standards.

Maximize Profit

Investing in food safety software can lead to significant cost savings in the long run. By automating compliance and reducing the risk of fines, your food business can save money on legal issues.

You can also enjoy better profit margins because efficient processes mean less food waste and increased staff productivity.

chef working on a tablet

Key Features to Look for in a Food Safety Management System

If you want to enjoy all the benefits of food safety management software, you should look for specific features. Here's what you need to consider:

Real-time Data Monitoring and Capture

Real-time data monitoring helps you keep track of food safety management processes. This feature provides instant alerts if any parameter falls outside the safe range. It allows you to take immediate action before problems escalate, thus maintaining food safety and preventing contamination.

Data capture is another important feature of a food safety app. It allows your staff to take a picture or video of a potential issue and upload it to the software. 

It can also record important parameters like location, time, and data. These make it easier to monitor whether food safety audits are done correctly and on time.

Customizable Digital Forms

Food safety management software provides customizable digital forms that you can edit to match your specific food audit needs.

For example, you can create a daily hygiene checklist tailored to your kitchen staff. These include handwashing protocols, cleaning schedules for various kitchen areas, and the simple use of gloves or hairnets.

You can also generate another checklist for front-of-the-house restaurant employees, such as waiters and hosts. Common items to include in the form are wiping down menus, clearing out tables, and proper waste management.

With digital forms, you can quickly document health inspections and track food safety compliance. You don't have to deal with manual paperwork, which saves you time and effort.

Comprehensive Reports and Analytics

Detailed reports provide valuable insights into your food safety practices. This feature lets you find and address issues right away.

Meanwhile, analytics help you identify trends and areas for improvement in your current food safety processes. They can also offer visual data, which makes it easier to communicate findings to different stakeholders.

Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility ensures that you can manage food safety on the go. Whether you are at one of your restaurant locations or off-site, mobile access allows you to monitor real-time data, complete inspections, and review reports from your smartphone or tablet.

This feature is important if you need to stay connected to your operations at all times. It improves your ability to maintain food safety standards, regardless of your location.

Document Management

Most food safety audit software solutions store and organize documents in one place. These may include your compliance documents, inspection reports, food safety certificates, and even details of your food manufacturers.

Thanks to efficient document management, you can maintain accurate records of your food safety practices. These make it easier to show compliance during safety and health inspections.

Corrective Actions

Corrective actions help you document and track the steps taken to resolve safety problems. They ensure that issues are addressed promptly and effectively.

They also provide a reference for future training and improvements to prevent similar issues from occurring again.

Integration Capabilities

Integration capabilities allow your food safety software to work seamlessly with other systems in your food business. This feature consolidates data from different sources, such as inventory management systems and customer survey tools, into a single platform.

The software improves efficiency because it prevents the need for manual data entry and minimizes human errors. This makes it easier to maintain high food safety standards.

5 Best Food Safety Software Solutions

Here are the best software solutions for managing food safety.

1. MyFieldAudits

MyFieldAudits homepage

At MyFieldAudits, they are more than just another 'do-it-yourself' software provider.

Instead, they position themselves as a dedicated partner in streamlining on-site food safety inspections and building tailored Quality Assurance programs for enterprise clients.

Their approach ensures compliance, tracks performance, and delivers actionable insights that drive continuous improvement and operational excellence, providing clients with peace of mind knowing that food safety inspections are fully managed.

Key Features:

  • Advanced platform: Capture photos, videos, and real-time data, schedule audits with ease, assign action items to on-site teams, and visually track compliance and completion.
  • Customized solutions: They work closely with clients to identify critical metrics and KPIs, developing inspection forms tailored to every department.
  • Dedicated support: The team offers comprehensive support, from training to ongoing monitoring, ensuring accurate, consistent, and actionable data.
  • Enterprise-level focus: Designed for Mid to Large Level organizations, not individuals or those seeking off-the-shelf solutions.

MyFieldAudits transforms how enterprise organizations track and manage quality inspections, handling the heavy lifting so clients can focus on capturing the critical data that drives operational excellence.

Schedule a discovery call today to get started!

2. Jolt

jolt

Source: Jolt

Jolt is a comprehensive restaurant management software that excels in food safety management. 

It offers different tools to simplify daily restaurant operations and maintain compliance with food safety standards.

Key Features:

  • Digital checklists: It converts paperwork into digital checklists and forms, which you can customize and access anytime.
  • Temperature monitoring: Jolt provides real-time data about your restaurant's food and beverage temperatures to ensure proper storage.
  • Automated alerts: It uses intelligent remote monitoring to alert relevant staff members when temperature and other parameters fall out of the safe range.
  • Employee tracking: It offers scheduling tools and a time clock to manage employees more efficiently.

3. Xenia

xenia

Source: Xenia

Xenia provides a versatile platform for managing food safety in restaurants and other food businesses. 

It focuses on simplifying the inspection process to meet HACCP and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards.

Key Features:

  • Inspection templates: Xenia offers ready-to-use templates that comply with HACCP, FSMA, and OSHA standards.
  • Corrective actions: It allows you to schedule or assign corrective actions to the appropriate worker.
  • Analytics reports: It provides an intuitive dashboard where you can track employee performance, work order progress, and other files. It can even export reports to PDF or Excel files for easy sharing with relevant stakeholders.
  • Scalable platform: Xenia can adapt to your company's growth by adding users or managing more data as needed.

4. GoAudits

goaudits

Source: GoAudits

GoAudits is an all-in-one inspection software that can help businesses with their food safety audits. 

It conducts thorough inspections, generates reports, and tracks compliance with industry standards.

Key Features:

  • Standardized food checklists: GoAudits has pre-built food safety checklists that help you achieve and maintain compliance with the HACCP plan, BRC, and ISO standards.
  • Instant reports: It can automatically generate reports, so your business can identify and resolve issues right away.
  • Compliance tracking: It allows you to monitor issues and resolutions while storing all actions taken, which can help prove compliance with laws.
  • Unlimited follow-up actions: With GoAudits, businesses can assign corrective actions on the spot to ensure everything is working safely and efficiently.

5. SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture

Source: SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture, previously iAuditor, offers a health and safety management system that includes food safety. 

It helps restaurants and other food businesses conduct regular food safety audits, even on sites without an internet connection.

Key Features:

  • Digital inspections: SafetyCulture digitizes food safety inspections, so businesses no longer have to worry about missing paperwork or outdated spreadsheets.
  • Real-time reports: It empowers inspectors to capture and share information from the site, which can prevent incidents from becoming serious problems.
  • Offline access: SafetyCulture lets you access the food safety management system, even without an internet connection.
  • Integration capabilities: It can connect to your company's digital tools to ensure data accuracy.

Achieve Food Safety Excellence with MyFieldAudits

Do you want to achieve and maintain food safety excellence? Choose MyFieldAudits as your food safety audit software.

Their all-in-one platform empowers enterprise clients to conduct thorough safety inspections with ease. Stay on top of compliance and performance with real-time reports, high-quality photos and videos, and actionable insights.

MyFieldAudits also stands out from other solutions because they handle training, develop the inspection strategy, configure the quality assurance platform, and monitor usage compliance. 

They manage everything, so food service enterprises can get back to what they do best—capture critical data that meet operational excellence.

Schedule a discovery call today to get started! You can also contact MyFieldAudits by dialing (844) 344-7265.

FAQs About Food Safety Software

What is food safety management software?

Food safety management software is a digital tool that can help restaurants manage and monitor food safety practices. This ensures compliance with regulations and retains your restaurant's good standing.

Who can use food safety management software?

Any business in the food and beverage industry can benefit from using a food safety management system. This includes restaurants, senior assisted living facilities, contract food services, and beverage manufacturers.

How do I implement a food safety app?

Start by selecting a food safety app that fits your needs. Then, train your staff on its features and integrate the software with other business systems.