Elaine Clohosey, Technical Manager at BWG FOODS, on the importance of always striving to improve food safety
It was perhaps inevitable that Kilkenny woman Elaine Clohosey would end up working in the food industry in some way, given that she grew up on a farm in Kilmacow, south Kilkenny. She headed to University College Cork (UCC) after school, where she completed a diploma in dairy science, followed by a BSc in food business. She won a scholarship and completed an MSc in food retailing as a result. In 2005 Elaine was awarded a gold medal for finishing in first place in the MSc in Food Safety Management.
Having worked for both Dunnes Stores and Dawn Meats, she took up her current position as Technical Manager with BWG Foods in 2004. One of Ireland’s leading food retail and wholesale companies, BWG’s brands include Spar, Londis, XL and BWG
Wine & Spirits.
“I am the go-to person for everything to do with food safety at retail level,” Elaine explains. “I ensure that our retailers are aware of the most up-to-date legislation and how to implement it. The team and I review, update and evolve the BWG food safety manual on a regular basis.”
Food safety training is a key focus and she is always looking at developing or improving BWG’s retailers’ on-line training platforms. She also assists with the wholesale business and works with other food bodies such as IBEC and safefood.
“Every day is varied and that is probably the main reason why I am still with BWG Foods after nearly 17 years. I am as enthusiastic as I was that very first day,” she says, and notes that BWG Foods is always looking at ways to develop and improve the business. This is an ethos Elaine is particularly interested in. “Everything can always be done better and nothing should stay the same simply for convenience sake. We should always look to challenge ourselves and improve on our practices, something which is at the very foundation of BWG Foods’ philosophy.”
A large part of her job involves liaising with and supporting other departments within BWG, especially trading, marketing and store development. “Food safety has a key role in so many elements of a food business. Product recalls have become a huge part of food safety and unfortunately are too frequent but the development of our new automated system has really helped us achieve successful recalls,” Elaine says.
“Food safety also costs money. When you factor in the time spent in regularly taking temperatures, the cost of pest-proofing your premises, and paying a staff member to carry out tasks such as checking dates it all adds up. That said, it is a fact that all this monitoring and prevention can save a lot of money in the long term as well as saving the business. It’s a necessary cost to ensure your business operates at the highest standards.”
The ongoing Covid-19 situation continues to be a challenge but, Elaine says, one key food safety issue that needs constant review is the provision of accurate allergen information. “It is imperative to ensure this information is presented prominently for all loose foods on display,” she says. “In order to assist our stores in overcoming this challenge, we have approved two suppliers who provide digital allergen support for all our retailers so they can display accurate information on the tablets. Technology needs to be embraced to conquer such challenges.”
Elaine also notes that businesses were able to adapt quickly to the challenges that Covid-19 has brought. “When Covid-19 arrived in our country in March 2020 it was new to us all, but the retail management and staff were to the fore at all times and assisted customers when there was initially a great level of fear. Covid-19 has developed a level of trust between customers and their local retailers and highlighted the importance of a local retailer to the communities they serve.”
This relationship is just one positive to have come out of the last year. Elaine also points to society’s improved awareness of hand washing (and how to do so correctly), which will help reduce incidences of food poisoning and flu-type illness in the long term. And there are other benefits too.
“Living in Galway, I travelled to our head office in Dublin for meetings but BWG Foods is currently reviewing a proposal to adopt a hybrid approach to working at home and office work,” Elaine says. “I think this will have a positive impact on my work/life balance, which will be of benefit to the company, myself and my family and, indeed, everyone else working in BWG Foods.”
About Elaine
Where are you from? I am from Kilmacow in the very south of County Kilkenny. Twelve years ago, I moved to Glinsk in Co Galway when I married my husband, but I am still a Kilkenny woman! I am fortunate to have a little girl, a boy and a dog so am kept very busy in a good way.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I love hurling and also enjoy running, having completed four marathons under four hours. Last year I raised €4,500 for suicide charity Pieta House and the Glinsk childcare centre by completing the virtual Dublin City Marathon in my local village. I got great support on the day
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