In the world of food safety, you have to walk before you can run. While specialized food safety qualifications like labeling or PCQI are necessary in their own right, sometimes the difference between an effective food safety strategy and a costly food safety incident is your team’s grasp of the basics. That’s what makes well-executed prerequisite programs foundational to your food safety plan's success.
Sometimes, basics like sanitation and cleaning or personal hygiene can fall by the wayside, with manufacturers assuming their team members are well-versed. But these concepts aren't so "basic" after all, and what may seem like an easy topic to skim during training might instead require in-depth knowledge or regular reiteration to execute properly.
Follow along as we highlight the crucial role prerequisite programs play in food safety, including what they are, why they matter, and how to make sure your training is up to standard.
Prerequisite programs (PRPs) are the base food safety practices and conditions necessary to produce safe food. Think of these conditions as the roots of a tree; without PRPs, your food safety program can't grow properly — leaving it unstable and prone to collapse.
There are many examples of prerequisite programs, including:
Sanitation and cleaning
Preventive maintenance
Allergen management
Waste management
PRPs are an essential part of your new employee onboarding process — allowing new workers to get started on the right foot. However, they are also valuable refresher training for even the most seasoned employees who may be rusty on the foundations.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) cover several of these essential PRP topics and serve as the backbone of food safety frameworks like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). However, prerequisite programs aren’t just limited to FSMA guidance. They’re also a core component of HACCP food safety plans under GFSI-recognized schemes like SQF, BRCGS, and FSSC 22000.
No matter which food safety regulations you adhere to, prerequisite programs are the foundation your team stands on to keep consumers safe. These basic principles work in tandem with your preventive controls and critical control points to ensure a more complete food safety environment that promotes operational excellence.
As the foundation of your food safety plan, well-structured prerequisite programs offer a range of benefits. These building blocks influence your team's confidence in their food safety knowledge, ability to learn advanced concepts, and execution of operational food safety actions.
Here’s a look at the role PRPs play in your everyday operations and how they benefit your team:
Prerequisite program training allows employees to apply basic principles effectively, starting their efforts off on the right foot. Without the essential skills and knowledge your staff gains from PRP training, they'll be left scrambling to catch up on regulatory compliance — rather than preventing potential risks in advance. From there, you can layer additional advanced training onto employees' existing knowledge to further optimize your food safety program.
The principles and practices taught in prerequisite courses covering GMP, sanitation, hygiene, and more form the bedrock of your team’s food safety knowledge. A comprehensive PRP training program minimizes knowledge gaps that can lead to food safety incidents.
Using the concepts they learn in these training modules, your team can reduce daily operational risks caused by common food safety mistakes, like poor hygiene, incorrect sanitation procedures, and improper storage controls.
In some cases, prerequisite training is a core element of food safety compliance, like for GFSI-recognized certifications. Under these internationally recognized food safety schemes, prerequisite programs are considered foundational for the success of an effective HACCP food safety plan.
Prerequisite programs are also beneficial for establishing an overall mindset of food safety among your workers as well. Each individual plays a key role in maintaining food safety, and being grounded in the basics can help employees better understand how they influence it in their day-to-day.
Consider how you are framing your PRP training as well. Are employees encouraged to take ownership over their execution and understanding of these principles? Is there an open channel of communication for reporting instances where PRPs are not being carried out correctly? How you structure and deliver these training programs will shape how your team views them, how seriously they take them, and how proactive they are in their everyday efforts.
The key to strong prerequisite programs is due diligence at the front and back ends. Investigating your current gaps will help you develop a plan that aligns with your food safety expectations.
Although how you approach your PRP training will depend on your current practices, these tips can help you assess and optimize your programs.
Unless you're building a PRP training from scratch, your first step to improving your PRP is evaluating where it currently stands. This requires an internal audit to identify gaps that could result in a food safety incident or noncompliance.
Whether auditing your overall PRP training or a specific area like your food safety and sanitation program, you must perform a few key steps:
Review current files.
Assemble a multidisciplinary team.
Create an audit schedule.
Execute your audit with care.
Test corrective actions.
Evaluate results.
Using the insights from your internal audit, you can identify which of your facility’s prerequisite program(s) may need a revamp. You can either have your internal team perform these audits or hire an outside expert for an unbiased perspective.
As part of your internal audit process, consider which prerequisite programs you may be missing in your current training plan. This is particularly important if you plan to obtain GFSI certifications that require specific training your current program doesn’t address. Once you've identified these gaps, you can begin building a PRP that’s both compliant and comprehensive.
Make sure you document standard operating procedures (SOPs) as part of your training development to both facilitate consistent future results and provide proof of compliance to inspectors. Detailed documentation not only facilitates accountability and uniformity, but also streamlines traceability in case of a food safety incident.
Once you’ve developed a comprehensive PRP training, you'll need to train your staff. But training them once won't be enough. Standards for PRPs are constantly evolving with the latest updates to food industry policy and best practices. This means that for your training to remain relevant, you must update and re-administer it on a regular basis.
Once you’ve put in the work to create strong PRP training, the proof will lie in the results. Actively monitoring your team's execution of prerequisite training through document review and real-time observations will help you evaluate your training’s effectiveness, identify potential problems, and verify your team's ability to meet and exceed compliance expectations.
Getting back to basics can be the wake-up call your team needs to achieve exceptional food safety. But creating and maintaining effective prerequisite programs can be a challenge for operations of every size. That's why some food manufacturers place their PRP training responsibilities in the hands of food safety experts with proven track records of quality training.
Outsourcing your PRP training:
Frees up internal resources to be focused elsewhere.
Ensures your team is trained on the latest information by experts in each field.
Reduces costs associated with developing internal programs.
Offers immediate access to the training required to meet compliance.
If, for instance, your team is struggling with warehouse sanitation, you can outsource your warehouse sanitation training to an expert partner who can immediately and effectively get your team up to speed.
Want to offer your team the foundation they need to protect your products without the hassle of building a program from scratch? Sign up for AIB International's GMP/Sanitation Workshop. This virtual seminar offers an easy way for both new and experienced team members alike to learn prerequisite program essentials and understand the value of the food safety principles they cover.