XS4039 Food Safety Management Systems CW Assignment 2 Brief 2025-26 | UCLan

XS4039 UCLan Coursework Assessment Brief

The introduction of HACCP-based food safety management systems is often achieved through a change management process.   This involves consideration of the existing systems and resources within the food business, identification of gaps and project planning for the development and implementation of effective food safety management procedures.  In order to develop a practical project plan, the barriers to HACCP application and food safety culture considerations for workable solutions need to be understood.

Case Study Company

Potter’s Foods (see Supporting Document: Potter’s Foods case study) is a medium-sized manufacturer of chilled ready meals based in the north of England.  The company has identified the need to develop a HACCP-based food safety management system and you have been given the job of managing this project.

Case Study – Assessment Requirements:

Considering the case study company information provided and using literature on barriers to HACCP application and food safety culture as a guide, discuss the food safety culture and identify the barriers to effective HACCP/food safety management system implementation at the case study factory.  Prepare a critical report demonstrating how you would manage the change process at this company necessary to overcome barriers, mature the food safety culture and implement HACCP effectively.  Prepare a project plan, with key targets and milestones, showing how the process will be accomplished.

Your submission should include:

• Critical Report
• Project Plan

Note: Although specialist project planning software can be helpful, it is not essential to use this in your submission.  Project plans can effectively be represented using standard office software such as MS Word, PowerPoint, or Excel.

Additional Points to Consider

• What steps are involved in HACCP development, implementation and maintenance?
• What information is known about barriers to HACCP/food safety management systems implementation and how to overcome them?
• What barriers do you anticipate at Potter’s Foods?
• Which model from food safety culture literature would you adopt to provide an assessment of the food safety culture at Potter’s foods?
• What challenges/perceived barriers do you anticipate to maturing the food safety culture at Potter’s foods?
• Are there any additional systems and procedures that need to be developed at Potter’s Foods to support the application of HACCP?
• Do these need to be developed first or can the HACCP development progress alongside?
• What are the key stages needed to get HACCP working effectively at Potter’s Foods?
• What resources and timescales will you need to achieve your solution?

The following Learning Outcomes (LOs) will be assessed in Assignment 2. 

3.    Evaluate critically the key concepts and theories of food safety culture and managing projects and change in relation to development and implementation of effective HACCP-based food safety management programmes. 
4.    Apply some of the tools and techniques for managing projects and change in the context of the design and implementation of a HACCP project.

XS4039 Marking criteria