Guides
Guides, checklists and course pathways, written by the people who audit and train.
159 articles that answer the questions our learners and clients ask, grouped by topic. Twenty free checklists, from R638 readiness and the Certificate of Acceptability to HACCP, allergens, labels, suppliers, health and safety and Legionella, each point tied to its regulation or clause, on their own pages. And a course path for every job, with live hours and prices, on the pathways hub.
Written by Mthokozisi Nkosi, lead trainer, with the ASC trainers and auditorsChecked against R638 of 22 June 2018. Last reviewed September 2026.
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Guides by topicR638, HACCP, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, hospitality, ISO, Legionella, hygienic design and moreCourse pathways by job role33 jobs, each with the courses in order, live hours and pricesChecklists and templatesR638, HACCP, audits, allergens, labels, suppliers, health and safety, Legionella and moreAnswers people search forShort answers to the questions the inspector, the auditor and the customer askAll courses and pricesEvery ASC course with its hours and price, in one placeCourse pathways
The courses to take, in order, for the job you do
Each path has its own page with live hours and prices, a scheme selector where it matters, and one click to add the whole path to the basket. Nine paths are summarised here; all 33 are on the hub.
Owner or person in charge
Starts with Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises, then Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers. The person in charge (PIC) of a food premises under R638, named on the Certificate of Acceptability.
Open the person in charge path →Restaurant manager or franchisee
Starts with Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers, then Allergen Management for Food Service, Retail and Catering, and 2 more. Runs the store, faces the franchise audit and handles complaints, but does not write the HACCP plan.
Open the restaurant manager path →Food safety officer
Starts with Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises, then Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, and 6 more. Runs day-to-day food safety on site and prepares for inspections and audits.
Open the food safety officer path →HACCP team leader
Starts with Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, then Introduction to HACCP, and 7 more. Owns the HACCP plan, sets the critical limits and answers the auditor.
Open the HACCP team leader path →Food safety internal auditor
Starts with Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, then HACCP for Supervisors and HACCP Teams, and 3 more. Plans and runs internal and supplier audits against the food safety system.
Open the internal auditor path →QA manager
Starts with Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, then HACCP for Supervisors and HACCP Teams, and 9 more. Owns the food safety system and the certification audit, and answers to the customer.
Open the QA manager path →QC or laboratory manager
Starts with Intermediate Food Microbiology: Principles and Application, then Advanced Food Microbiology, and 6 more. Runs testing, sampling, shelf life and the laboratory.
Open the QC manager path →GLOBALG.A.P. administrator
Starts with Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices, then Introduction to HACCP, and 2 more. Runs the system on a farm or packhouse supplying export markets.
Open the GLOBALG.A.P. administrator path →Sustainability or food waste champion
Starts with Food Loss and Waste Essentials, then Measuring Food Loss and Waste, and 1 more. Measures and reduces food loss and waste for FSSC 22000 clause 2.5.16 (Version 6) or ISO 20001.
Open the food waste champion path →Checklists
Tick it before the inspector or the auditor does
The checklists now live on their own pages, so you can print one, share one or come back to one. Every point names the regulation it comes from.
R638 readiness checklist for a food premises
Walk your premises against Regulations 3 to 11 and Annexure E before the environmental health practitioner does.
Open the checklist →Certificate of Acceptability application checklist
What to have ready before, during and after the application to the municipality.
Open the checklist →Daily production hygiene checklist
For the supervisor opening and closing a kitchen, plant or store. One of the records Regulation 10(16) asks for.
Open the checklist →Staff training readiness checklist
What an inspector or auditor looks for when they ask whether your team is trained.
Open the checklist →Staff training matrix and annual training schedule
Two templates to copy: the record Regulation 10(1)(d) asks for, and the schedule that keeps it current.
Open the checklist →HACCP plan review checklist
Walk your HACCP plan through the twelve Codex steps and seven principles before a certification auditor or a municipal environmental health practitioner does.
Open the checklist →GMP and prerequisite programme checklist
Check the prerequisite programmes a HACCP plan stands on, from premises and utilities to recall and storage, in the order ISO/TS 22002-1 sets them out.
Open the checklist →Certification audit preparation checklist
What a certification body auditor opens first on an FSSC 22000, BRCGS or ISO 22000 audit, and what to have ready.
Open the checklist →Supplier approval and raw material control checklist
Approve a supplier, write the specification and check what arrives, so that the hazard you did not make does not become yours.
Open the checklist →Food fraud (VACCP) and food defence (TACCP) checklist
Build and test the vulnerability assessment, the threat assessment and the two plans that FSSC 22000 and BRCGS audit alongside HACCP.
Open the checklist →Allergen management checklist
Control the common allergens from the supplier to the label, in a kitchen, a plant or a store, so that an undeclared allergen never reaches a customer.
Open the checklist →Food label compliance checklist
Check a label against the labelling regulations before the artwork is approved, so that a reprint or a recall does not follow.
Open the checklist →Shelf-life study and date marking checklist
Plan the study that proves your best-before or use-by date, so that the date on the label is defended by data rather than habit.
Open the checklist →Cleaning validation and environmental monitoring checklist
Prove that cleaning works and that the factory environment is not growing the organisms you are trying to keep out of the product.
Open the checklist →Hygienic design and equipment acceptance checklist
Check a new or modified machine against hygienic design principles before it is installed, so that the cleaning crew does not inherit a problem that engineering built in.
Open the checklist →Health and safety representative inspection checklist
What the Occupational Health and Safety Act expects a workplace to have, and what the representative checks on a monthly walk.
Open the checklist →Legionella risk assessment and control checklist
The water systems that can grow Legionella, the risk assessment the regulations expect, and the controls that keep the count down.
Open the checklist →Food loss and waste baseline checklist
Build the food loss and waste policy, objectives and controls that FSSC 22000 additional requirement 2.5.16 asks for, on a baseline you have measured rather than estimated.
Open the checklist →Environmental aspects and legal compliance checklist
The register of aspects, the compliance obligations and the evidence an ISO 14001 auditor or an environmental inspector asks for at a food site.
Open the checklist →GLOBALG.A.P. IFA self-assessment checklist
Prepare the annual self-assessment and the certification visit for Integrated Farm Assurance for plants, in the order the certification body audits it.
Open the checklist →All articles
Read the guide, then enrol in the course it points to.
159 articles in 12 topics. Open a topic to see its articles; every guide names the course that answers it.
Choosing a course, bundles and training at scale
18 articles
- Best Food Safety Training Provider in South Africa: 10 Checks Before You Pay
The ten things to verify before you pay any provider, from the accreditation number to published reviews, and how ASC measures up.
- Best Online Food Safety Training in South Africa: What Good eLearning Looks Like
Seven standards for online courses, why eLearning now beats the classroom for knowledge training, and what is accepted for a CoA.
- Food Safety Training for Restaurant Groups: Train Every Branch Before the Inspector Arrives
Who needs which course, what a branch costs to train, and how bulk enrolment and the manager dashboard work.
- ASC Food Safety Training Reviews: What 2 300+ Delegates Say
How reviews are collected and published, what learners praise, what they criticise, and ratings by programme.
- Which HACCP Course Do You Need? Introduction, Supervisors or Advanced
How to choose between the three HACCP levels by role and responsibility.
- Enterprise R638 and Food Safety Training in South Africa, at Scale
How franchise groups and multi-site businesses train thousands of staff and keep the records.
- How to Choose an R638 Training Provider in South Africa
What to check before choosing an R638 training provider: accreditation, assessment and verification.
- Why Every South African Food Business Needs This Accredited Training Bundle in 2026
Three accredited courses that cover Regulation R638 for a food business, in one bundle.
- Food safety training in South Africa: R638, CoA and HACCP explained
An overview of food safety training in South Africa: R638, the Certificate of Acceptability and HACCP.
- Which Food Safety Certification Does Your Business Need? FSSC 22000, BRCGS, ISO 22000, GLOBALG.A.P. and HACCP Compared
Your customer decides, not technical merit. The five schemes side by side, and which course starts each route.
- How Much Does Food Safety Training Cost in South Africa? A Straight Price Guide
Every ASC course and bundle price, what drives the differences, and what training does not cover.
- How to Become a Food Safety Officer in South Africa: Qualifications, Courses and the Route In
The job titles, what employers actually ask for, and the certificate stack that gets a CV read.
- VACCP and TACCP Training for HACCP Teams and Internal Auditors
The 6-hour, HPCSA CPD accredited course that shows HACCP teams and auditors what a sound VACCP and TACCP assessment looks like.
- Food Fraud Training for Procurement and Supplier Approval Teams
Why most food fraud enters through suppliers, and the coordinator course that trains buyers to score and control it.
- Food Defence Training for Security, Engineering and Operations Managers
Who should own the TACCP threat assessment, and the course that teaches site managers to build it, including FSMA.
- How Much Does Food Fraud and Food Defence Training Cost for a QA Manager?
Every VACCP and TACCP course price, what each one produces, and when the R3 713 bundle is the better buy.
- Food Fraud and Food Defence Training for Meat and Poultry Processors
Species substitution, false claims and tampering risks in meat plants, and which course each role should take.
- VACCP and TACCP Team Training for Food Companies
Which team member takes which course, how group enrolment and invoicing work, and how to prove the training at audit.
Regulation R638 and the Certificate of Acceptability
14 articles
- R638, Food Handler & Persons-in-Charge Training
What Regulation R638 asks of food handlers and the person in charge, and the two courses that answer it.
- R638 & Food Handler Training, Done Right
How food handler training should be run so it stands up at inspection, with records to match.
- R638 Food Safety Compliance for Crèches, Schools and ECD Centres
What Regulation R638 means for creches, schools and early childhood centres that prepare food.
- Do Home-Based and Online Food Sellers Need a COA in South Africa?
Whether home-based and online food sellers need a Certificate of Acceptability, and how to get one.
- Spaza Shop Food Safety Training and Registration in 2026: The Complete South African Guide
Registration, training and hygiene requirements for spaza shops, step by step.
- Inside ASC’s R638 Course: The Complete 2026 Curriculum Walkthrough
Module by module, what the Persons in Charge course covers and how it is assessed.
- R638 Training Across South Africa: The Complete City-by-City Guide for 2026
R638 training and inspection practice city by city, from Johannesburg to Gqeberha.
- Applying for a Certificate of Acceptability: A Municipality by Municipality Guide
The Certificate of Acceptability process as municipalities run it, and what the inspector checks.
- R638 vs R962: South Africa’s Food Safety Regulations Explained
How the current R638 differs from the earlier R962 and what changed for food premises.
- Accredited Food handler training in South Africa
Who counts as a food handler, what training the regulation expects, and which course to take.
- Certificate of Acceptability in South Africa: What It Is and How to Get One
Everything about the Certificate of Acceptability: the law, the application, the inspection and the training.
- Accredited R638 Food Safety Practices Training for Persons in Charge
The Persons in Charge course and how it supports a Certificate of Acceptability application.
- Is Online Food Safety Training Accredited and Accepted in South Africa?
What regulation 10(1) really says, who accredits what, and how to check any provider claim.
- The Food Safety Records Every South African Food Business Must Keep
The full register an inspector and an auditor ask for, how long to keep it, and the seven ways files fail.
HACCP
6 articles
- Advanced HACCP System Implementation: For the People Who Own the HACCP System
For the person who owns the HACCP plan: building, validating and verifying the whole system.
- HACCP for Supervisors & Teams Online Course
Hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring and corrective action at the level an auditor tests.
- Introduction to HACCP: The Beginner Course That Gets You Onto a Food Safety Team
The seven principles and twelve steps in plain language, for anyone joining a food safety team.
- HACCP Training in South Africa: The Complete Guide
The complete guide to HACCP in South Africa: principles, steps, prerequisites and the training pathway.
- Prerequisite Programmes and GMP: The Foundation Auditors Check Before They Look at Your HACCP Plan
Why a weak prerequisite programme makes a HACCP plan unworkable, and what to build first.
- Corrective Action and Root Cause Analysis: How to Close an Audit Finding So It Stays Closed
Correction versus corrective action, the techniques that work in a plant, and a full worked close out.
FSSC 22000, BRCGS, GLOBALG.A.P. and auditing
26 articles
- FSSC 22000 for Catering: What a Category E Audit Is Conducted Against
The four documents behind a category E audit, and which additional requirements reach a kitchen.
- Does Environmental Monitoring (2.5.7) Apply to Catering?
Why clause 2.5.7 does not reach category E, and what a kitchen carries instead.
- FSSC 22000 for Packaging: What a Category I Audit Is Conducted Against
The four documents behind a category I audit, and the one additional requirement packaging is excluded from.
- Set-off, Migration and Snap-off Knives: What ISO 22002-4:2025 Adds for Converters
Four requirements that exist nowhere else in the ISO 22002 family, and that catch converters out.
- FSSC 22000 for Transport and Storage: What a Category G Audit Is Conducted Against
Clause 17 of ISO 22002-5:2025, cross docking, and the three additional requirements that do not reach a logistics provider.
- FSSC 22000 for Feed: What a Category D Audit Is Conducted Against
The four requirements ISO 22002-6:2025 adds, all about medication, and the clause written for category D alone.
- FI or FII? The Subcategory Split That Decides a Retail FSSC 22000 Audit
Physical handling settles the audit basis, and Clause 18 on display exists nowhere else in the family.
- FSSC 22000 V7 Additional Requirements
The FSSC 22000 additional requirements for food manufacturing, explained for certified and preparing sites.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Transition Deadlines: What Happens and When
What a certified site must update to move to the current FSSC 22000 version.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Online Courses
The FSSC 22000 course pathway: introduction, transition, additional requirements and implementation.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Transition Course for South African Manufacturers
The transition course for sites already certified to FSSC 22000.
- GLOBALG.A.P. Toolkit and Course Bundle for South African Growers
A document toolkit and online course for implementing GLOBALG.A.P. yourself.
- The BRCGS Issue 9 Toolkit & Course Bundle
A document toolkit and online course for implementing the BRCGS food safety standard.
- The FSSC 22000 Toolkit & Course Bundle
A document toolkit and online course for implementing FSSC 22000.
- What is Changing in FSSC 22000 Version 7?
What changed in the current FSSC 22000 version and what your site must update before the next audit.
- Master Internal and Supplier Auditing for Food Safety Management Systems
Planning, conducting and reporting internal and supplier audits, and driving corrective action.
- ISO 22000 Explained: The Clauses, the Prerequisite Programmes and What Certification Really Involves
Clause by clause, PRPs versus OPRPs versus CCPs, and why ISO 22000 alone is not GFSI recognised.
- BRCGS Certification Explained: What a Food and Packaging Audit Actually Checks
The fundamental requirements, how grading works, and what a single fundamental failure costs.
- GLOBALG.A.P. Certification for South African Growers: IFA, Chain of Custody and the Audit
Smart versus GFS, when a packhouse needs Chain of Custody, and the records to have ready.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Changes: What Actually Changed, and What You Have to Do About It
The three audit documents, the rebuilt food chain category table, and findings that grade minor, major or critical only.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Additional Requirements Applicability: Which Ones Actually Apply to You
Category C covers C0 to CIV, so a requirement scoped to BIII, C, I and K reaches every one of them.
- FSSC 22000 Version 7 Documented Information: What It Asks For, and Where Sites Fall Short
The acceptable level justification, the CCP or OPRP decision and the critical limit rationale auditors sample.
- ISO 19011:2026 and your food safety internal audits: what changed and what to fix on Monday
ISO 19011:2026 replaced the 2018 edition with no transition period. What changed, and six fixes for your internal audit procedure.
- How to prepare for a food safety audit in South Africa, without the two week panic
The weekly routine, the five record tests and the unannounced visits that make audit readiness the normal state.
- ISO 22000 clause 8.5 explained: hazard control step by step
The four parts of clause 8.5, PRP against OPRP against CCP, and where the nonconformities land.
- How to write a food safety audit finding that gets fixed
Requirement, evidence and gap: a finding that survives the closing meeting and gets closed properly.
Hospitality and foodservice: restaurants, hotels and guesthouses
- Franchise Food Safety Training: How ASC Trains KFC, Jack’s Bagels and Spur Corporation Teams
How franchise programmes run across Southern Africa: live or self-paced training, assessment, certificates and area manager reporting.
- Guesthouse Compliance Checklist for South Africa (2026)
R638, POPIA, chemicals, fire and first aid: what to have in place, the records to keep, and which staff need which training.
- POPIA for Guesthouse and Hotel Front Desks: What Staff Must Do
Guest data, ID copies, WhatsApp, CCTV, marketing consent and reporting a breach, explained for reception staff.
- Chemical Safety in Housekeeping and Laundry: HCA Regulations 2021
Safety data sheets, labels, never-mix rules, PPE, storage and spills for cleaning and laundry teams.
- Guesthouse Fire Safety: Extinguishers, Evacuation and Power Cuts
Which extinguisher for which fire, annual servicing, night evacuation and roll call, and load-shedding risks.
- Food Safety for Caterers and Events: R638 Temperatures and Timing
Hot and cold holding, the four-hour limit, transporting food, buffets, allergens and leftovers.
- Best Before vs Use By: Cutting Food Waste in Hospitality Kitchens
Date marks under R146, how long foods keep, where kitchen waste comes from and what surplus can be reused or donated.
- Halal, Kosher and the guest at table six: what every hospitality team should know
What waiters and front desk staff must know about Halal and Kosher requests, and the five steps that prevent mistakes.
- First impressions, lasting loyalty: etiquette and cultural sensitivity in South African hospitality
The 10 and 5 rule, communication and presentation skills, and cultural sensitivity in a diverse country.
- Great service starts with safe food: R638 training for restaurant, hotel and guesthouse staff
Who counts as a food handler in a hotel, restaurant or guesthouse, what R638 expects, and which course suits each role.
- How to handle guest complaints: a five-step method every waiter and receptionist can use
The five LEARN steps, the phrases that calm a situation, and the habits that prevent complaints.
ISO 9001:2026 and quality management
3 articles
- ISO 9001:2026 is published: every change from 2015, clause by clause
The foreword list, then the clause by clause table: what changed from ISO 9001:2015, and the four things people wrongly call new.
- Transition to ISO 9001:2026: a 12 month plan for a certified site
The published dates, a month by month transition plan, the five things ASC expects assessors to look at first, and who needs which course.
- Quality culture, ethical behaviour and climate change: the three new words in ISO 9001:2026 and what an auditor will ask
Every word ISO 9001:2026 says about quality culture, ethical behaviour and climate change, with the evidence that satisfies each one.
ISO 14001:2026 and environmental management
24 articles
- What is ISO 14001:2026? A plain guide for South African businesses
What is ISO 14001:2026? A plain guide to the 2026 edition, clauses 4 to 10, what changed from 2015 and how South African sites can start this month.
- Environmental aspects and impacts explained, with examples from South African sites
Environmental aspects and impacts explained with real examples from a ready meals plant, a citrus packhouse and a restaurant group.
- ISO 14001 awareness training: what every employee must know
ISO 14001 awareness training under clauses 7.2 and 7.3: the four things every employee must know, how auditors test them and how to prove training works.
- The South African environmental laws behind ISO 14001
South African environmental laws behind ISO 14001: NEMA, the Waste Act, Air Quality Act, Water Act and by-laws.
- ISO 14001 vs ISO 9001 vs ISO 22000: how the three systems fit on one site
ISO 14001 vs ISO 9001 vs ISO 22000: what each manages, where they overlap on a food site and how to add ISO 14001 to FSSC 22000 without a second system.
- Why South African suppliers are being asked for ISO 14001, and what it gets you
ISO 14001 for suppliers in South Africa: why retailers and export buyers ask for it, what their questionnaires ask and how to answer honestly this month.
- ISO 14001:2026 vs 2015: every change and what each means for your site
ISO 14001:2026 changes from the 2015 edition, clause by clause: what is new, what is only wording and what your site must build.
- ISO 14001:2026 transition deadline: the dates and how certification bodies apply them
ISO 14001:2026 transition deadline explained: what the standard says, the dates certification bodies work to and how to plan your audit.
- ISO 14001:2026 gap analysis checklist: no action, confirm or build
ISO 14001:2026 gap analysis for certified sites: each change sorted into no action, confirm or build, with the evidence auditors expect.
- ISO 14001 climate change and environmental conditions: clause 4.1 in the 2026 edition
ISO 14001 climate change wording moved into clause 4.1 environmental conditions in 2026. What changed, what auditors ask and how to update your register.
- ISO 14001 planning of changes: clause 6.3 in the 2026 edition and what auditors ask for
ISO 14001 planning of changes is new in clause 6.3 of the 2026 edition. What it requires, which changes count and the evidence auditors ask to see.
- ISO 14001:2026 transition audit preparation: the evidence file
ISO 14001:2026 transition audit preparation: what goes in the evidence file, what the auditor checks first and how to use the last 30 days.
- How to implement ISO 14001:2026: a step by step plan for South African sites
How to implement ISO 14001:2026 at a South African food site: ten steps in the right order, realistic timelines and the faults that slow certification down.
- How to build an ISO 14001 aspects and impacts register with significance scoring
Build an ISO 14001 aspects register with significance scoring that holds up at audit: the columns, a worked method and seven scored rows from a food plant.
- ISO 14001 legal register for South Africa: building the compliance obligations register and evaluating compliance
Build an ISO 14001 legal register for South Africa that names your permits, limits and evidence, then evaluate compliance under 9.1.2.
- ISO 14001 environmental objectives and KPIs: worked examples
ISO 14001 environmental objectives examples for restaurants, food plants and packhouses, with KPIs, owners and 6.2.2 action plans.
- ISO 14001 emergency preparedness and response (8.2): spills, ammonia and NEMA section 30
ISO 14001 emergency preparedness and response under clause 8.2: spill and ammonia scenarios, NEMA section 30 and how to test a plan that works at night.
- ISO 14001:2026 documented information: the full list of what you must have
The full ISO 14001 documented information list for the 2026 edition: ten items to keep available and seven kinds of evidence, by clause.
- How to become an ISO 14001 internal auditor in South Africa
How to become an ISO 14001 internal auditor in South Africa: the competence, supervised audits and registration facts you need.
- ISO 14001:2026 internal audit checklist: questions and evidence clause by clause
ISO 14001 internal audit checklist for 2026: the question, who to ask and the evidence to find for clauses 4 to 10 on a food site.
- How to write ISO 14001 audit findings: nonconformity examples that hold up
ISO 14001 audit findings that hold up: requirement, evidence and statement, with five nonconformity examples from food sites.
- ISO 14001 internal audit programme (9.2.2): how to plan the year
ISO 14001 internal audit programme under clause 9.2.2: frequency, objectives, criteria and scope for every audit, with a worked year plan.
- Auditing environmental legal compliance: how an ISO 14001 auditor tests compliance obligations
Auditing environmental legal compliance: how an ISO 14001 auditor traces each obligation from register to floor without legal opinions.
- ISO 14001 combined audits: auditing with ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and FSSC 22000
ISO 14001 combined audit with ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and FSSC 22000: what to audit once, what to keep separate and how to plan the day.
Food fraud and food defence
5 articles
- How to Do a Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment: The Method, the Scoring and a Worked Example
The seven factor VACCP method from ISO 22002-100:2025 clause 16.3, worked end to end on one material group with every score shown, and an honest residual rating that is still significant.
- What a Food Defence Coordinator Actually Does, and How to Evidence the Competence
The duties four certification schemes and the FDA Intentional Adulteration rule hand to one person, what belongs to engineering, HR and IT instead, and what the competence requirement really asks for.
- HACCP, TACCP and VACCP: Which Assessments Each Certification Scheme Actually Requires
Three separate assessments mapped clause by clause across FSSC 22000 Version 6 and 7, BRCGS Issue 9, SQF Edition 10, IFS Food 8 and GFSI 2024, with both live transitions.
- FDA Intentional Adulteration rule: a guide for SA exporters
What 21 CFR Part 121 asks of an exporter, and how one plan can serve TACCP as well.
- Food fraud horizon scanning and supplier certificate checks
A monthly hour that leaves a record, and how to verify a supplier certificate properly.
Food loss, waste and sustainability
6 articles
- Best Before vs Use By: Cutting Food Waste in Hospitality Kitchens
Date marks under R146, how long foods keep, where kitchen waste comes from and what surplus can be reused or donated.
- What Is Food Loss and Waste, and Why Does FSSC 22000 Clause 2.5.16 Ask You to Measure It?
The vocabulary, the food recovery hierarchy, and what the standards actually require, by clause.
- Food Loss vs Food Waste: What Is the Difference, and Why Does It Matter for Your Audit?
Why the two terms are not interchangeable, and how to classify any stream correctly the first time.
- How Do You Calculate Food Loss and Waste on a Production Line?
Stage loss, stage yield and cumulative yield, worked line by line on one real production day.
- How Do You Write a Food Loss and Waste Policy and Objectives That Pass an FSSC 22000 Audit?
The base year, the metric, the objectives register and the prevention plan clause 2.5.16 a asks for.
- Can You Donate Surplus Food Safely? A Food Safety Manager’s Guide to FSSC 22000 Clause 2.5.16
The surplus decision route and the controls clause 2.5.16 b and c require for donation and animal feed.
Hygienic design and equipment
13 articles
Read the guide, then see the courses: the ASC hygienic design series.
- What Is Hygienic Design in Food Manufacturing? The Ten Rules, and How to Spot a Bad Machine on Your Own Line
The ten rules from EHEDG Guideline 8 with the real numbers, what R638 regulation 6 already requires of your equipment, and six design faults you can find on your line this week.
- Dead Legs in Food Processing Pipework: How to Find Them, Measure Them and Get Rid of Them
How to find every dead leg on your line with a tape measure, how to work out L over D, and which guidance sets which limit.
- 304, 316 or Duplex? How to Choose the Right Stainless Steel for Food Equipment
Three numbers off your own plant choose the grade: chloride, surface temperature and pH. Plus the four corrosion mechanisms you will actually meet.
- Hygienic Design of Floors and Drains: What to Specify, and How to Audit What You Already Have
The profile, the fall, the cover and the rated capacity to specify, and the four drainage findings almost every plant has.
- How to Write an Equipment Purchase Specification That Holds Up at Audit
The four parts of a specification that works, the evidence gates that go with it, and what R638 regulation 6 already requires.
- Belt Conveyor Hygienic Design: The Six Points That Decide Whether It Can Be Cleaned
Belt edge, bed, return rollers, drive, transfer and frame, scored one by one, with a photograph on every zero.
- EHEDG Guideline 8: What It Actually Says, and the Numbers People Wrongly Credit to It
What the guideline covers, the figures it never contains, and how to cite it so your specification holds.
- Hygienic Welding for Food Equipment: How to Specify and Inspect Welds You Cannot See Inside
What a good weld looks like, the lines that put it in the purchase specification, and how to inspect a joint with a borescope.
- Why Your CIP Keeps Failing the Same Swab: Cleanability Is Designed In, Not Cleaned In
How to tell a cleaning failure from a design failure, the five places to look first, and what actually fixes a recurring positive.
- Where Listeria Hides on Food Equipment: Hollow Bodies and Harbourage Niches
The niches a swab never reaches, why the organism grows there at chiller temperatures, and the design changes that remove them.
- Hygienic Design at Audit: What FSSC 22000, BRCGS and ISO 22002-1 Expect of Your Equipment
The purchase specification, acceptance evidence and change control an auditor now asks for, and how to have them ready.
- EHEDG, 3-A or R638: Which Hygienic Design Standard Applies to Your Plant?
What each document actually is, how the three stack rather than compete, and which one your specification should cite.
- Commissioning New Food Equipment: The FAT and SAT Gates That Keep Biofilm Out of a New Line
The four gates from purchase order to first production run, and the handover evidence to demand before the final payment.
Legionella and water safety
13 articles
Read the guide, then see the courses: the ASC Legionella training hub.
- Legionnaires’ disease in South Africa: symptoms, causes, who is at risk and how it is prevented
Legionnaires’ disease in South Africa: symptoms, how you catch it, whether it is contagious, Pontiac fever, the NICD numbers and how buildings prevent it.
- Legionella regulations in South Africa: what the OHS Act, the HBA Regulations 2022 and SANS 893 require
Legionella regulations in South Africa explained: the OHS Act, the HBA Regulations 2022, SANS 893, notification and records, in plain words for employers.
- Who is responsible for Legionella? The duty holder, the responsible person and your water treatment contractor
Who is responsible for Legionella in South Africa? The employer, by law. What the CEO, the responsible person, contractors and staff each answer for.
- What a Legionella risk assessment in South Africa must contain, who can do it, and a worked hotel example
Legionella risk assessment in South Africa: what HBA regulation 6 requires, who can do it, how often to review it, and a worked rating of a 140-room hotel.
- A Legionella water management plan template for South African buildings, step by step
A Legionella water management plan template for South African buildings: the CDC seven steps, control limits, check frequencies and corrective actions.
- Legionella and hot water temperature: geysers, heat pumps and solar systems in South African buildings
Legionella hot water temperature for geysers, heat pumps and solar: what temperature kills Legionella and the numbers South African buildings should hold.
- Legionella in water storage tanks: JoJo tanks, water outages and boreholes
Legionella in water storage tanks: how long to store water, safe temperatures, an inspection checklist, water outages, boreholes and tank cleaning.
- Legionella flushing procedure: little-used outlets, showerhead cleaning and a log to copy
A Legionella flushing procedure your housekeeping and maintenance teams can follow, with safe showerhead cleaning, eyewash flushing and a log to copy.
- When and how to do Legionella testing in South Africa, and how to read your results
When Legionella testing in South Africa is needed, how samples are taken, culture or qPCR, and what each result band tells you to do next.
- Controlling Legionella in cooling towers and evaporative condensers on South African sites
How to control Legionella in cooling towers and evaporative condensers on South African sites, from drift eliminators and dip slides to what a high count means.
- Legionella prevention in hotels, lodges and guesthouses: a practical water safety checklist
Legionella prevention in hotels, lodges and guesthouses comes down to a short routine. The checklist for showers, geysers, hot tubs, empty rooms and staff.
- Protecting patients and residents from Legionella in hospitals, clinics and frail care
Why Legionella in hospitals, clinics and frail care kills more often, the tighter healthcare limits to work to, and what to do when a patient tests positive.
- Legionella in the food industry: cooling water, washdown, reused water and what auditors ask for
Legionella in the food industry harms workers, not consumers. Where it grows in cooling plant, washdown and reused water, and what auditors ask to see.
Food microbiology, shelf life, labelling and specialist topics
22 articles
- Food Safety and Quality Culture for Seafood and Food Exporters
What food safety culture means in practice and how managers build it.
- Online Intermediate Food Microbiology Course South Africa
Applied food microbiology for QA and laboratory teams: pathogens, spoilage, growth and control.
- Food Microbiology for Non-Microbiologists: Pathogens, Spoilage and Testing Explained
The introduction to food microbiology for non-microbiologists, and who should take it.
- Shelf-Life Study Online Course: How to Design, Run and Defend One
How to plan and run a shelf-life study, and the self-paced course that teaches it.
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Online Course for Food Safety Teams
Finding the real cause behind a non-conformance and writing corrective actions an auditor accepts.
- Food Safety and Quality Culture: How to Build It and How to Measure It
The food safety and quality culture course for management and supervisors.
- Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP): The Online Course
Food fraud (VACCP) and food defence (TACCP) explained, and the course that covers both.
- Food Labelling Regulations in South Africa: What R146 Actually Requires
The mandatory particulars, date marking, restricted claims, and why the 2023 draft is not law.
- Allergen Management in South Africa: The Eight Allergens, Cross Contact and May Contain
South Africa declares eight, not fourteen. Cross contact routes, validated cleans and precautionary labelling.
- How to Build a Label Claim Substantiation File That Survives an Audit
What actually substantiates a nutrient content, free-from, natural or comparative claim, organised by claim type.
- 8 Common Food Label Mistakes That Get South African Products Recalled or Delisted
The mistakes ASC finds most often when reviewing labels, what each one breaches, and the quick fix.
- Best Before, Use By or Sell By? Choosing a Defensible Date for Your Product Category
How to choose the right date type for meat, dairy, bakery, beverages and canned products, and the evidence each one needs.
- Recipe or Supplier Change? Why It Forces a Label and Shelf-Life Review
Why a supplier swap or recipe tweak can quietly break both your label and your shelf-life date.
- How to read a food microbiology lab report: a guide for QCs
cfu/g and logs, detection limits, sampling plans, and what to do when a result fails.
- Indicator organisms vs index organisms in food testing
Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli and Listeria spp., and what each test actually proves.
- Measurement uncertainty in food microbiology results explained
Why two laboratories disagree on one sample, and how to write a specification that allows for it.
- Listeria positive environmental swab: the first 24 hours
Swab before you scrub: vectoring, hold decisions, seek and destroy, and the root cause.
- Nutrition information table: how to calculate it in South Africa
Energy factors, calculation against laboratory analysis, cooking yield, and the errors auditors catch.
- Vitamin overage: making label claims last the shelf life
Why the declared value has to hold to the end of shelf life, and how to work out the dose.
- Food label sign off checklist for South African manufacturers
Fourteen checks to run before you sign the artwork, and what triggers a review afterwards.
- Questions auditors ask food handlers, and good answers
The questions operators really get asked on the line, and how to prepare staff without scripting them.
- Near miss reporting for food handlers: getting staff to speak up
Why people stay silent, and the first ten seconds that decide whether anyone reports again.
Questions
Answers people search for.
Tell us what you run, a kitchen, a shop, a factory or a franchise group, and a person will point you to the right course. WhatsApp +27 61 483 0381 during office hours, or use the contact page.
What does an inspector check for a Certificate of Acceptability?
The inspector assesses the premises against Regulations 5 and 6 of R638 (structure, ventilation, lighting, hand-wash facilities, toilets, refuse, pest control, surfaces and equipment) before recommending the certificate, and the local authority can grant up to six months to rectify. The free R638 readiness checklist and the Certificate of Acceptability application checklist at ascfoodsafetytraining.com/checklists/ cover every point with its regulation number.
What temperatures does Regulation R638 require?
Annexure E of R638 sets core temperatures that food must not exceed (or fall below, for heated food): chilled perishable food 5 °C, raw unpreserved fish, molluscs, crustaceans, edible offal, poultry meat and milk 4 °C, frozen food minus 12 °C, ice cream, sorbet (excluding soft serve) and frozen fish minus 18 °C, and heated perishable food 60 °C.
Is there a training matrix template I can use?
Yes. The staff training matrix and the annual training schedule at ascfoodsafetytraining.com/checklists/templates/ are free to copy. Fill in the completion date, certificate number and next refresher for each person, and keep it with your training records for the inspector (Regulation 10(1)(d)).