Your Food Control Plan sets the requirement. Your records show it happened.
For New Zealand food businesses operating under a Food Control Plan, record keeping is part of demonstrating that the plan is being followed. Verification looks at both food-safety practice and the records that support it.
Follow the plan effectively — and keep the records you need.
MPI describes verification as an independent check that the business is making safe food, following its Food Control Plan effectively and keeping the necessary records.
Practice
The operation needs to be doing the food-safety controls described in the plan.
Records
The required evidence needs to be kept so the business can show what happened.
Improvement
Verifier feedback and operating issues should translate into practical corrective action.
The template is the plan. The operating records are the proof.
Many restaurants, cafés, takeaways and caterers use MPI's Simply Safe & Suitable template Food Control Plan. The business must use the current plan, follow the parts that apply and keep the required records.
- Use the applicable records. The plan determines what needs to be recorded for the activities the business carries out.
- Keep the plan current. Changes in processes, activities or sites can require the plan to be updated.
- Be ready to show the history. Verification is easier when records are organised, attributable and easy to retrieve.
Official references: MPI — Simply Safe & Suitable steps ↗ · MPI — Getting verified ↗
Keep the evidence connected to the work.
Prompt the control
Show the limit, required fields and schedule on the device used by the kitchen team.
Capture the exception
Keep an out-of-range result connected to the action taken and later close-out.
Prepare for verification
Search by property, record type, date or status and export the evidence needed for review.
Food Control Plan records and verification
Do FCP businesses need records?
Yes. MPI states that businesses must follow their Food Control Plan and keep the records required by the plan.
What does a verifier check?
A verifier checks whether the business is following its Food Control Plan effectively, making safe and suitable food and keeping the necessary records.
Can electronic records be used?
CSA is designed to capture operating evidence digitally. The exact records and setup should follow the current Food Control Plan and any requirements that apply to the business.
Does CSA replace Simply Safe & Suitable?
No. Simply Safe & Suitable remains the Food Control Plan. CSA digitises the operational record-keeping and follow-up around it.
Make FCP records easier to run and retrieve.
See how CSA can be configured around your New Zealand hospitality operation and verification workflow.