To Identify and Evaluate Management Issues likely to Contribute to Food Safety Control Failure in Food SMEs

The study is divided into the following stages:
<ul><li>
A literature review to determine the nature and significance of foodborne illness and injury and, where possible, the causative factors.
<li>The collection of information from enforcement personnel and food business operators, through surveys and discussion groups, to determine the cause(s) or most likely causes of outbreaks of foodborne illness or injury and the associated management issues.
<li>The identification of management issues linked with the cause(s) and most likely causes of outbreaks of food poisoning and to compile a ranked list for each issue and associated factors with a weighted 'score' for each ('management issues listing').
<li>A survey of a representative cross section of food small and medium enterprises (SMEs) against the criteria detailed in the 'management issues listing'.
<li>Discussion of the findings with 'focus groups' of enforcement personnel and food business operators, to refine the 'management issues listing' and to discuss and agree practical methods of implementation.
<li>The development of recommendations for future enforcement approaches to improve the identification of potential food business management failures to allow timely and appropriate preventive action to be taken by enforcement personnel and by the food business operator.</ul>