Canteen concessionaires at Batangas State University (BatStateU) – Alangilan underwent a training on Basic Food Hygiene (BFH) and Food Safety Hazards (FSH) as preparation in the pilot use of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-CALABARZON’s mobile food safety self-assessment tool (FSSAT) conducted at the campus’ audio-visual room, Alangilan, Batangas City, January 30-31.
FSSAT, first launched in November 2020 as a web application, was developed by DOST-CALABARZON to assist persons engaged in the food industry track their compliance with basic food hygiene. Its development was anchored on the growing number of “career shifters” or individuals that shifted into home-based and online food selling during the pandemic. Generally, it ensures that food safety is practiced by local food entrepreneurs. Hence, in a move to expand its scope and make it more accessible and convenient to use by members of the food industry, a mobile version was developed.
At present, FSSAT provides a 68-item self-assessment checklist under 15 categories based on Presidential Decree No. 856 (P.D. 856) or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines that covers the minimum requirements of food safety. After answering the questions, the app will automatically provide a business operator’s “rating” for the day. A rating log per month can also be generated in the application. Through this, business operators could monitor their progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
The pilot testing of the mobile app was designed and coordinated with BatStateU canteen concessionaires as users. To provide them with the basic principles of food safety and a deeper appreciation of the purpose of conducting a regular self-check or internal audit, a training on BFH and FSH was conducted.
The training on BFH covered topics on sanitary permits, health certificates, quality and protection of food, primary production, establishment (design of facilities and equipment), training and competence, establishment maintenance, cleaning and disinfection, pest control, personal hygiene, control of operation, product information and consumer awareness, and the special provisions of P.D. 856.
Meanwhile, training on FSH touched on the types of food hazards (physical, biological, and chemical) and their implications to food processing, as well as the control measures for the food safety hazards.
Navigating the FSSAT mobile application was also demonstrated to the participants. Diagnostic examinations were also conducted to assess the knowledge gained by the participants. The DOST-CALABARZON Food Safety Team (FST) members, Mr. John Maico M. Hernandez, Ms. Anna Marie M. Marasigan, Dr. Marielli Katherine C. Untalan from BatStateU, and Ms. Ezra Ryza R. Noel, served as resource speakers of the training.
Participating concessionaires are expected to improve food handling practices and maximize the use of the mobile app. The pilot testing will run for three months with regular monitoring of DOST-CALABARZON in partnership with BatStateU and Batangas City Health Office.#
