Jollibee Group reinforces food safety culture amidst pandemic

PHILIPPINES – In light of the pandemic, the Jollibee Group, a Filipino multinational chain of fast food restaurants, is strengthening its food safety culture even further to ensure that food safety practices and measures in all the stores of its various restaurants in the Philippines meet global standards consistently.

During the height of the pandemic, the group said they immediately rolled out its Food Safety Standards and Control Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic across all its stores nationwide to implement new safety standards and help employees safely adapt to the new normal.

“Our product standards are aligned with global standards even prior to the pandemic. To elevate quality further, we instituted additional measures to ensure safety in food preparation, as well as safety protocols to help protect the health of store teams and customers,” said Wally Mateo, Jollibee Group’s Head of Global Quality Management.

He added that the company has also linked its supply chain processes to a centralized digital data management system to help  in data analysis and store monitoring anytime it is needed. He informed that system is an end-to-end food safety model from their suppliers to their commissaries, and even up to the store levels.

“Digitization is playing a huge part not only in improving the customer experience with our brands during this pandemic, but also in our supply chain operations—way before our meals reach our customers,” said Mateo.

Cultivating and strengthening the food safety culture is vital for the Jollibee Group. As part of the continuing education and training for its workforce, all restaurant personnel undergo food safety training to ensure that the company’s high standards for safety and quality are maintained.

The company also recognizes food safety champions and certifies quality advocates across different levels in the organization.

Supply Chain Food Safety and Quality Agile Audit System

One such initiative in response to the pandemic is the Supply Chain Food Safety and Quality Agile Audit System, which allows Jollibee Group’s Quality Management team to continuously assess risk factors and ensure compliance of vendors, commissaries, and stores despite limited mobility caused by lockdown restrictions.

The Jollibee Group proactively evaluates and monitors emerging food safety and quality risks and keeps itself updated on the trends.

As a response to these identified risks and trends, the company designs food safety and quality programs that are observed from farm to fork—from product design and development, sourcing, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, up to restaurant processes.

These programs are on top of internationally recognized risk-based systems such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for its plant farm sources, Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP) for poultry, meat and egg sources, Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Food Defense and Food Fraud.

The same standards are also required from the company’s suppliers, commissaries, warehouses, depots, and distribution centers.

To strengthen the culture of food safety across the organization, the Jollibee Group provides continuing education and training for its workforce. All restaurant personnel from the company are required to undergo food safety trainings.

The company has also trained more than 700 food quality champions and quality advocates across different levels in the organization through its internal certification program.

“Food safety is everyone’s responsibility in the Jollibee Group. Our standards for food safety and cleanliness are well-ingrained in our employees and are integrated in our operations,” Mateo added.

He noted that this is an ongoing commitment by the Jollibee Group to deepen the trust of customers in its products and brands.