Food safety management software is a crucial tool for any organization involved in the food industry, including restaurants, hotels, and schools.
It helps to ensure that all food produced is of high quality and safe to consume by creating controlled processes for managing food safety. These days, these programs come with plenty of digital solutions to help streamline all sorts of processes.
From a general point of view, a food safety software is designed to comply with international food safety standards, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) management standards, or the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) Food Standards Program.
That’s not all.
Some of these programs have been known to support the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) process management, & are inclusive of different sub-level features such as a dedicated food safety checklist, and many types of audit-related capabilities.
By effectively utilizing any robust food safety management software, manufacturers and organizations can provide evidence that they are compliant with food safety standards and legislation and that they are producing safe products.
5 Best Food Safety Management Software For Businesses In 2024
We have handpicked some of the best food safety management software for you to streamline end-to-end FSMA operations. Let’s take a quick look at what we have in store for you!
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1. Xenia - Overall No. 1 Best & Free Online Food Safety Management Software In 2024
When it comes to food safety software, Xenia is the one-stop shop for all of your needs.
Whether you're a restaurant manager or a multi-location franchisor, this software tool has everything you need to streamline food audits and ensure compliance with quality standards.
This food safety management system offers a range of features, including staff training, policy and SOP writing, customizable inspection forms, job management, and real-time conversations. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive analytics and reporting, it's the perfect choice for businesses of all sizes.Key Features
- Inspection & Audits: Conduct extensive inspections and audits through work orders, operational templates aur AI Powered SOPs to avoid near misses, and for overall operational efficiency.
- Task Management: Advanced scheduling and assignment engine for health inspections.
- Communication: DMs, group chats, and any workflow discussion threads for immediate problem identification and accountability.
- Reporting & Analytics: Reports and analytics on end to end food safety operations, inspections - and that too for multi-location businesses from within a centralized dashboard experience!
- Corrective Actions: Creation of resolution procedures based on health inspections using conditional logic and track completion.
- Temperature Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of refrigerators, freezers, and other storage units with alerts for unsafe temperatures.
Pricing
- Free Forever: Free for up to 5 users with access to task & work orders, parent assets, internal chats, template builder, etc.
- Starter: $99 / month for first 15 users and comes with a work calendar view, work and template reports, sub-assessments, and sub-locations.
- Premium: $199 / month for first 15 users and offers unlimited access to all the core features.
- Custom: Need something tailored to your organization?
Available for up to 5 users
Premium for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Available on iOS, Android and Web
2. Fourth Food Service Management Software
Positioned as a top-tier suite for workforce and inventory management, Fourth excels as a food service management software. It is trusted by globally recognized fast-food chains. Fourth Food uses products like Adaco for inventory, HotSchedules for employee rostering, and PeopleMatter for onboarding, it focuses on operational optimization and overall business success.
Key Features
- Efficient inventory management for cost control.
- Ensure menu consistency with a focus on safety compliance.
- Full integration with POS and other sales software for seamless operations.
Pricing
- Pricing details are not available, you can call the sales team for a custom quote as per your needs.
3. BlueCart Food Service Management Software
Empowering over 100,000 businesses and processing 2 billion transactions, BlueCart stands as a comprehensive order management platform for the food services industry. It streamlines workflows, increases sales, and guarantees customer satisfaction.
Key Features
- Marketplace publishing for expanded reach.
- Order processing is integrated with efficient shipping.
- Seamless capture of customer information.
Pricing
- Bluecart’s pricing starts at $10 per month, billed annually (with a free trial).
4. Toast Food Service Management Software
Chosen by nearly 100,000 restaurants globally, Toast stands out as the premier food service management software.
It provides an unparalleled set of tools, spanning from email marketing to food deliveries. With Toast, businesses can efficiently operate, ensuring productivity and success.
Key Features
- Digital menu management for enhanced customer experience.
- Advanced order and table management for seamless operations.
- Scheduling and payroll management for streamlined workflows.
Pricing
- A free version is available, specifically for small businesses like single-location cafes and food trucks.
- The core plan costs $69 per month with a customized demo.
5. Fimble Food Service Management Software
As one of the most comprehensive management solutions for restaurants and food service businesses, Fimble integrates store management, in-store and online ordering, and other crucial tasks to enhance operations, boost profits, and elevate the customer experience.
Key Features
- Streamlined inventory management for optimal control.
- Order management for both in-store and mobile operations.
- Analytics for insightful business intelligence.
Pricing
- Fimble food pricing starts at $69 per store per month, billed annually. A free version is not available.
What is FSMS?
A Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is a program designed to prevent food safety hazards, ensuring safe and wholesome food production.
It helps businesses comply with international standards like ISO 22000 and local regulations, safeguarding consumer health.
Purpose of a Food Safety Management System
The primary purpose of an FSMS is to guarantee the safety of food, prevent foodborne illnesses, and uphold the reputation of food businesses. It achieves this by managing kitchen safety, minimizing customer complaints and product recalls, and also providing opportunities for certifications like ISO 22000.
Key Elements of a Food Safety Management System
According to ISO 22000, key elements include Interactive Communication, System Management, Prerequisite Programmes, and adherence to HACCP Principles.
Interactive communication involves building trust with stakeholders, while System Management follows ISO principles for effective management.
Prerequisite Programs include Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
5 Steps of a Food Safety Management System
- Identify Needs, Scope, and Objectives: Understand operational flaws and prioritize needs.
- Establish a Food Safety Policy: Outline procedures for complaints, incidents, and food safety practices.
- Develop a Hazard Control Plan: Create plans for each food product, detailing hazards, and control measures.
- Follow Prerequisite Programmes: Implement GMP, GAP, and GHP programs for cleanliness, risk assessment, and hygiene.
- Measure the Effectiveness of the System: Continuously review and improve the FSMS based on measurable objectives.
Key Components of a Comprehensive Food Safety Management System?
A comprehensive FSMS includes risk assessments, SOPs, hygiene practices, employee training, regular inspections, documentation, and continuous monitoring and improvement.
How can Employee Training Impact Food Safety Standards?
Employee training plays a crucial role in instilling proper hygiene practices, safe food handling, and hazard awareness. The well-trained staff ensures consistent adherence to food safety protocols, reducing the risk of contamination.
How does Technology, such as Food Safety Software, Enhance Hygiene and Compliance?
Food safety software automates processes, facilitates real-time monitoring, centralizes data, and offers insights. It enhances traceability, simplifies record-keeping, and ensures compliance with regulations which contributes to better hygiene and adherence to standards.
Conclusion
Food safety software has become increasingly important in recent years due to the rise of foodborne illnesses and the need for strict compliance with regulations. These software solutions enable businesses to keep track of food safety procedures, monitor potential hazards, and ensure that everything complies with regulations.
Moreover, with the increasing demand for food safety software, businesses are looking for cheap and robust facility inspection applications.
On that note, the aforementioned food safety software are the best in class, with unique features that enhance different business operations.
We recommend going on a trialing spreee to see which programs work best for your business, without directly signing up for a paid solution. Doing so will give you a better idea of your exact business needs vs. whatever food safety management tools that you're considering paying for.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is HACCP, and why is it crucial for ensuring food safety?
HACCP, or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, is a systematic preventive approach to food safety. It identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards in food production. It's crucial as it helps prevent, eliminate, or reduce potential risks, ensuring the safety of food products.
- How can businesses implement effective food safety practices in their operations?
Businesses can implement effective food safety practices by developing and following a comprehensive food safety management system, providing employee training, conducting regular inspections, and leveraging technology such as food safety software to streamline processes.
- What are the key components of a comprehensive food safety management system?
A comprehensive food safety management system includes risk assessments, standard operating procedures (SOPs), hygiene practices, employee training, regular inspections, documentation, and continuous monitoring and improvement.
Streamline Food Safety, Maintenance and Daily Operations with Xenia
Xenia unifies food and beverage operations with tools to standardize, track and measure work across every team, asset and facility.
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Our customers love Xenia's robust use cases including:
Food Safety Management
🌡️ Automatic Temperature Monitoring
Xenia leverages temperature sensors that utilize both Bluetooth and LoRaWAN technology to transmit data reliably to your Xenia account. The monitors work continuously in a range of 40°C to 125°C and an accuracy of +/- 0.4°C. When an temperature deviates from a pre-set acceptable range, management is notified to investigate and resolve.
🔎 Smart Inspection Workflows
Xenia's operations template builder has built in conditional logic into each step. This allows you to trigger actions based on a form response such as creating a corrective action on a failed inspection step, sending a notification to management for out of range meter readings, and much more.
✨ Corrective Actions
Operationalize inspections with fast work order assignment arising from a failed inspection step. All corrective data is stored in the checklist submission for auditing and accountability.
📋 Compliance Reports
View live dashboard summaries of tasks, employee performance, template submissions and more. Filter, organize and export compliance reports to PDF and Excel formats to simplify compliance management.
Maintenance Management
🛠️ Work Orders
Create work orders with associated team, asset, location, priority, category and due date. View live progress reports on each work order, chat with teams, and review resulting template submission, images and notes to improve operations.
🧰 Preventive Maintenance
Create a preventive maintenance calendar to ensure asset uptime is not compromised. Attach images, templates, videos and notes to every task and assign to a team or individual for completion.
📲 QR Codes
Generate and attach QR codes to equipment and facility locations to enable fast and accurate inspections and data logs.
📁 Equipment Work History
View work history for every asset and sub asset in Xenia. Review performance data and enable corrective actions to improve your operation.
Daily Operations
✔️ Checklists & SOPs
Create checklists, SOPs, Inspections and Data Logs to power accountability, training and staff clarity on every task.
📆 Recurring Tasks
Create recurring schedules for review meetings, inspections, cleanings and more.
💪 Team Accountability
Defeat pencil whipping and disorganized responsibility assessments by standardizing operations with Xenia. Track time, collect photos, send messages and ensure high quality work.
📊 Team Performance Reporting
Use Xenia's analytics dashboards to view staff work reports. Filter by asset, location, category or due date and export the report in PDF or Excel
Streamline End to End Operations With The Best Food Safety Management Software
Xenia unifies BOH and front-ended food and beverage operations with tools to standardize, track and measure work across restaurants.
Our customers love Xenia's robust use cases including:
🌡️ Automatic Temperature Monitoring
Xenia leverages temperature sensors that utilize both Bluetooth and LoRaWAN technology to transmit data reliably to your Xenia account.
The monitors work continuously in a range of 40°C to 125°C and an accuracy of +/- 0.4°C. When an temperature deviates from a pre-set acceptable range, management is notified to investigate and resolve.
✔️ Restaurant Checklists & SOPs
Create checklists, SOPs, Inspections and Data Logs to power accountability, training and staff clarity on every task.
🔎 Smart Inspection Workflows
Xenia's operations template builder has built in conditional logic into each step.
Doing so allows you to trigger actions based on a form response such as creating a corrective action on a failed inspection step, sending a notification to management for out of range meter readings, and much more.
🛠️ Work Orders
Create work orders with associated team, asset, location, priority, category and due date. View live progress reports on each work order, chat with teams, and review resulting template submission, images and notes to improve operations.
📋 Compliance Reports
View live dashboard summaries of tasks, employee performance, template submissions and more. Filter, organize and export compliance reports to PDF and Excel formats to simplify compliance management.
📊 Team Performance Reporting
Use Xenia's analytics dashboards to view staff work reports. Filter by asset, location, category or due date and export the report in PDF or Excel
📆 Recurring Tasks
Create recurring schedules for review meetings, inspections, cleanings and more.
💪 Team Accountability
Defeat pencil whipping and disorganized responsibility assessments by standardizing operations with Xenia. Track time, collect photos, send messages and ensure high quality work.
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