Top 5 Costly Mistakes in Food Safety (And How to Avoid Them)

Food Safety and Development Experts

Want Help With Your Process or Food Safety Plan?

Want Help With Your Process or Food Safety Plan?

Johnson Consulting Company helps small and growing food brands get compliant, validated, and ready to scale.

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Skipping a Validated Process

Mistake: Relying on “what worked in the kitchen” during scale-up.

 Fix: Conduct a formal process validation—especially for shelf-stable, refrigerated, or acidified products—to ensure safety and compliance with FDA/USDA regulations.1

 Not Knowing Your Product's pH & Aw

Mistake: Failing to measure or monitor pH and water activity (aw)—key factors in controlling microbial growth.

 Fix: Regularly test and document these values, and understand their role in classifying your product (acidified, low-acid, TCS, etc.).

Overlooking Cross-Contamination Risks

Mistake: Inadequate separation of allergens, raw vs. cooked products, or sanitation lapses.

 Fix: Implement a written allergen control plan, zoning, and a sanitation SOP with proper validation.

Delaying a HACCP or Food Safety Plan

Mistake: Waiting until you're inspected or scaling to write your food safety plan.

 Fix: Develop a proactive HACCP or PCQI-compliant food safety plan early—even if you're a small or exempt processor. It pays off in smoother operations and fewer risks.

Poor Recordkeeping

Mistake: Incomplete or informal documentation of temperature logs, sanitation checks, batch records, etc.

 Fix: Build a simple, organized recordkeeping system. It protects your business in audits and ensures traceability and accountability.

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