Adequacy of the best practices manual of and of the standard operating procedures in food services in Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná

Abstract

Introduction: The Best Practices Manual (BPM) and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are documents that are intended to portray the operations performed by establishments. Objective: In this context, the present work had as objective to emphasize the adequacy of these documents in food services. Method: Thus, the BPMs and SOPs of 15 food services were evaluated on the spot, divided into three categories, using a checklist elaborated based on the sanitary legislation in force. This list consisted of eight items on the BPM and eight on the SOPs and included aspects such as language, presence of mandatory items, storage location and update status of the documents. Results: The average adequacy of BPM and
SOPs was 60.62% and 80.50%, respectively. However, differences were observed among the three categories of establishments, with a lower level of adequacy in the food and nutrition units. In addition, some documents did not portray the reality of the places and did not present signatures, fact that indicates lack of commitment of its implementation. The language used was not simple and understandable and many documents were outdated. Conclusions: This analysis allows to conclude that although food services present BPM and SOPs, many points in their elaboration and implementation need to be improved.