8 Best FreshCheq Alternatives For Businesses in 2024

What is a Food Safety Management System?

A restaurant or other food service business can ensure food safety by implementing a food safety management system (FSMS), which is an extensive collection of protocols, techniques, and technology.

To avoid contamination and maintain strict standards of cleanliness, it covers several areas, such as handling, storing, preparing, and serving food properly.

A high-quality food safety management system uses sophisticated software and technology to guarantee that workers follow all procedures and meet all food safety requirements.

It may be necessary to verify that partners and ingredient suppliers are fulfilling their obligations in addition to the restaurant's internal procedures. 

You can find several options on the market when it comes to FSMS. One being FreshCheq, although it’s fairly old in the game it has garnered some good and bad reviews, which makes us wonder if there are better Freshcheq alternatives out there for you.

But first, let’s take a look at what FreshCheq has to offer.

About FreshCheq

FreshCheq is a comprehensive digital food safety and operations management platform, crafted by restaurant professionals for restaurant professionals.

The program aims to enhance food safety compliance and streamline operational tasks, ensuring efficiency and transparency across your food service operations. 

With its intuitive design and robust features, FreshCheq makes managing restaurant operations seamless and effective.

One user on G2 wrote: “I like how the software has made life less complicated by automating routine operations. The product has entirely made food safety simple and thus my workmates are more than willing to do tasks relating to logs.

I like its easy-to-use nature. It is very friendly even to first-time users. All my team members can use it without requiring must assistance. It has saved time that could have been spent on paperwork. Initially, we used to spend lots of time on routine paperwork. Currently, we do not require much paperwork as even the reporting system is cloud-based.” - Stephen M., Accounting Specialist

Features

• Temperature Logs: Record temperatures for food safety checks, line checks, and equipment checks. Use a Bluetooth probe for instant readings and take photos for accountability.‍
• Checklists: Manage daily tasks with scheduled checklists for opening/closing procedures, cleaning, and training, ensuring thorough execution of all processes.‍
• Cooling Logs: Use FreshCheq’s digital solution to complete mandated cooling logs. Receive alerts when it’s time to take measurements, ensuring compliance with safety standards.‍
• Food Waste Logs: Track daily food waste and assign dollar values to it—set reduction goals to save money and minimize waste, contributing to more sustainable operations.‍
• Inventory Logs: Monitor inventory levels with custom units, ensuring you always know what you have on hand and can manage stock effectively.‍
• Prep Logs: Record inventory on hand and compare it with par values. Automatically determine what needs to be prepped, optimizing inventory management.‍
• Restaurant Inspections/Audits: Customize inspections for franchises and individual locations. Conduct self-audits for standards such as EcoSure, Steritech, and NSF.‍
• Robust Reporting: Receive daily reports emailed nightly. Customize reporting for one or multiple locations to gain comprehensive insights into operations.

Pricing

What does FreshCheq have to offer:

• Lifetime Pricing: Enjoy consistent pricing with no unexpected increases.
• No Set-Up Fee: Start using FreshCheq without any initial setup costs.
• No Hardware Required: Compatible with your existing devices, so there's no need for additional hardware.

Plans include:

• Monthly Plan: $60 
• Annual Plan: $629

With that said, FreshCheq does have its limitations: Some users find the interface to be somewhat difficult to navigate initially. 

This might require additional time and training for staff to become proficient in using the platform. Moreover, despite its user-friendly design, there may be an initial learning curve for new users.

Let’s look at some of the best Freshcheq alternatives below. We’ve reviewed the best apps that are similar to FreshCheq and show you why Xenia outshines each one of them. 

Best FreshCheq Alternatives For Businesses

We have listed the best alternatives to FreshCheq that are hot right now! Read on...

1. Xenia - Overall #1 Freshcheq Alternative

On top of our list of the best FeshCheq alternatives is Xenia, an all-encompassing FSMS software with a holistic approach to managing food safety and end-to-end operational excellence across locations for a variety of F&B businesses. 

What makes it an ideal alternative to FreshCheq? Good question, let’s find out below.

The program simply makes HACCP and FSMA compliance easier. Say goodbye to the tedious procedure of food safety management by using a combination of different features that range over food safety compliance modules, corrective actions, temperature monitoring, task management, and tons of other things.

Moreover, our one-of-a-kind platform's built-in data analytics capabilities help navigate and analyze temperature logs, identify patterns, and deliver actionable insights. Here is what else Xenia has to offer:

Simplified Food Safety Inspections 

With Xenia, managers can seamlessly create and manage digital checklists to assist with day-to-day tasks without getting lost in a sea of paperwork. Not only does it help ensure that all food safety protocols are followed consistently but also maintains a central repository for all the data, significantly reducing the chances of human error and missed steps.

Employees on the other hand can log food safety tasks in real-time through their mobile devices, ensuring that records are always up-to-date and easily accessible.

Now let’s talk about the dreadful process of managing inspections and audits, what if we tell you that our solution can help make the entire process more straightforward and less time-consuming through digital records while maintaining a clear audit trail with timestamped entries, ensuring transparency and accountability in all food safety activities.

Check out some of our ready-made templates for food safety audits:

• Audit Checklist For Restaurant
• Steritech Food Safety Audit Checklist
• BRC Audit Checklist

Xenia allows you and your team to build and submit custom forms like site inspection reports, incident reports, customer feedback forms, and more. 

Customized checklists help in ensuring staff continue to comply. Employees can complete safety inspections, end-of-day procedures, and more directly from the app. 

Gather Key Information on Food Safety through Reports and Analytics

Xenia generates customizable reports that provide insights into compliance and operational efficiency. These reports can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your business, making it easier to track performance and identify areas for improvement.

Set up alerts for missed tasks or anomalies, ensuring that any issues are addressed promptly. This proactive approach helps maintain high standards of food safety.

All-in-all Xenia’s analytics and reporting capabilities, help you completely eliminate waste with digital logs, resolve bottlenecks with data-driven insights, and enhance overall operational efficiency. 

Get The Latest Scoop on Food Safety through the In-app Chat 

Want to know if Jake responsible for checking the quality of fresh ingredients is following the steps laid out in the last meeting? Shoot him a message on our in-app chat feature which ensures seamless connectivity and coordination across all organizational levels.

Users can easily send instant messages, create collaborative group chats, and broadcast company-wide announcements via public feeds. The ability to share digital attachments and files facilitates precise instruction dissemination, keeping the workflow smooth with instant notifications.

The chat functionality also integrates directly into tasks, promoting fast and effective teamwork. Managers can comment on tasks to provide guidance, while all task-related messages are safely archived for future reference and accountability.

Moreover, attachments such as images and documents can be included to give a clear work picture. This integration helps centralize in-task communication, making it easier for team members to collaborate and stay updated.

Sign Up for Free or Get a Demo now to see how Xenia can revolutionize your food safety management!

Features

• Temperature Monitoring
• Corrective Actions
• Operations Templates
• Dedicated Restaurant Tasks & Work Orders
• Document & Records Management

Pricing

• Free Forever: Free for up to 5 users with unlimited access to all the basic features.
• Starter: $99 / month for the first 15 users with access to all the core features.
• Premium: $199 / month for the first 15 users with unlimited access to all the core and advanced features.
• For Multi-Unit Operators: Need special packages for your multi-unit; multi-location business? Feel free to contact our sales team.
• Custom: Need something tailored to your organization?

2. FORM OpX

FORM OpX, our second FreshCheq alternative, enhances compliance by digitizing audits and inspections to improve safety and quality results.

Configurable mobile forms provide sophisticated workflows and job reassignments based on conditional and scoring logic based on frontline replies. 

This allows supervisors to manage exceptions and mitigate risk in real time. Personalized desktop and mobile dashboards enable teams to make decisions quickly and respond appropriately, even when they are not connected. 

Users can use their corrective action software to provide real-time mobile insights to field workers, enabling them to make faster and more informed choices.

With comprehensive data broken down by user, location, and time, teams can monitor progress and see how they're doing.

With comprehensive data broken down by user, location, and time, teams can monitor progress and see how they're doing. Provide teams with simple options to annotate image submissions inside the app, allowing them to clarify and give meaning to what they're seeing on the ground.

Features

• Digital Audits: Create and distribute digital audits, inspections, and checklists to field teams using our iOS, Android, and Windows mobile inspection apps.‍
• Offline Mode: With offline mode, you can work uninterrupted and never lose data. Maintain team productivity even in places with poor internet or cellphone coverage.‍
• Configurable Interface: Use your brand's colors and typefaces to white-label this platform to provide users with a positive end-user experience that reflects your culture.

Pricing

• Contact the vendor to get the pricing plan that works for you.

3. FoodDocs

Number 3 on our list of the best Freshcheq alternatives, FoodDocs assists you in adhering to organizational policies and food safety regulations. 

With FoodDocs, you can rapidly digitize your food records, helping staff members keep on top of their responsibilities and save time on monitoring. 

Their employee management tool is used to do this. 

With this service, you can arrange food safety training seminars, team training, and course completion certificates all in one location. FoodDocs may also be used to spread awareness about the need of good food hygiene and food safety.

Key Features

• Traceability System: Their Advanced Search tools allow for fast document retrieval when you require specialized product-related information.

• Integrations: Their solution facilitates faster monitoring and improved food safety by making connections with smart devices and Internet of Things temperature sensors simple.

• Knowledge Base:  Acquire the tools you need to put FoodDocs into practice.

Pricing

• Free Trial
• Basic: $84/mo, Billed at $1089/yr‍
• Standard: $167/mo, Billed at $2179/yr‍
• Professional: $250/mo, Billed at $3269/yr‍
• Enterprise: Get a Custom Quote

4. Safefood 360°

Our next FreshCheq alternative, Safefood 360° provides an all-in-one cloud-based platform for managing supplier quality and food safety procedures, enabling complete site management.

Concerning monitoring, management procedures, prerequisite programs, document control, and risk assessment, the solution offers a complete platform for all the components needed for a food safety management system.

To guarantee the efficacy of the solution, the project leadership and internal team get support on product and food safety from Safefood 360°'s Support team.

HACCP and food safety plans are automatically created using software tailored to company needs by a team of technical and food safety professionals.

Key Features

• Action-Drive Software: Throughout the platform, your team has access to clear, searchable, and filterable grids that make it easy for them to see and identify the tasks they need to do in order to stay on time.  ‍
• Alerts and Notifications: Multinational corporations can get maximum control with little micromanagement since users are notified when work is required, warned when it is past due, and escalated to high managing when a major danger is presented.  ‍
• Real-Time Auditing: Without requiring human intervention, their system can identify nonconformities by automatically tracking events and indicators within your data and records.  

Pricing

• Ask the vendor for a quote

5. MasterControl Quality Management System

Moving on in our list of the best Freshcheq alternatives is an all-inclusive digital quality management system that manages quality from the start to the finish and removes obstacles related to food safety compliance.

With MasterControl an organization subject to regulations can develop new products, get them into the market fast, and maintain growth via meticulous and compliant quality control. Since it requires the right tools and systems, paper-based processes are no longer enough in the fiercely competitive economy of today. 

The digital quality management software from MasterControl, Quality Excellence, automates quality throughout the whole product life cycle to help businesses navigate constantly changing standards and regulations, streamline operations, prove compliance, and position quality as a real differentiator in the market.

Key Features

• Quality in the Cloud: With the entire digitization and consolidation of paper-based data and documentation provided by the cloud software, quality and compliance processes may be continuously improved via more frequent software updates.‍
• Automated Regulatory Compliance: With the entire digitization and consolidation of paper-based data and documentation provided by the cloud QMS software, quality and compliance processes may be continuously improved via more frequent software updates.‍
• Comprehensive Inspection Management System: Master control feature provides a robust Inspection Management System that seamlessly integrates customizable templates, automated workflows, and efficient corrective actions.

Pricing

• Ask the vendor for a customized quote

6. SafetyChain

With a focus on food safety, quality, and compliance management, this FreshCheq alternative is a HACCP software created for process manufacturers.

Features include automated audits for customer and regulatory needs, real-time specification verification, and a paperless quality assurance procedure. A GFSI code library, support for HACCP, food safety inspections, and IA plans are provided by SafetyChain.

By providing data, practical insights, and essential tools in place of outdated paper-based methods and point solutions, this digital platform for process manufacturers connects production and quality teams.

By integrating with your existing system, SafetyChain gives you the scalability you need to expand and provide the long-term value you need to succeed, while also enabling you to tackle urgent issues.

Key Features

• Automation & Workflows: Utilizing role-based automated processes and programmatic documentation, overseeing compliance, driving plant operations, and be ready for audits. Get rid of guesswork on the shop floor and make sure you're ready for audits so that everyone knows what to do and when.‍
• Continuous Improvement & Value: By offering a training environment and staff coaching support, make adaption simple. To ensure the short- and long-term success of your investment, set up crucial indicators.‍
• Digital Data Capture: Digital data collection and unification is possible from a multitude of sources, including as PLCs, sensors, machines, operators, and devices. Get up-to-date knowledge on what's happening in your facilities.

Pricing

• Ask the vendor for a customized quote

7. Icicle ERP

Food enterprises all around the world rely on the Icicle ERP system as their foundation.

With the help of their revolutionary cloud-based technology, which allows you to manage the whole food production process in one place, your firm can now meet regulatory requirements while still complying with legal requirements.

Food safety should be simple, independent of local laws, product types, or the number of facilities. This was their initial premise. 

Through feedback from our vibrant user community, Icicle ERP adjusts to meet the unique and changing needs of the food industry, providing a comprehensive end-to-end solution that grows with your business.

Key Features

• Centralized Inventory Database: Everything related to inventory across warehouses and retail locations may be managed and tracked using a single, unified database.‍
• Stock History Reporting: Examine the past performance of certain products and contrast new against old inventory sales to influence buying decisions.‍
• Asset Tracking: Utilizing barcode or radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology with specialized readers or mobile applications, you may keep track of inventory assets across warehouse locations.

Pricing 

• Contact Icicle ERP for pricing information

8. Aptean Food & Beverage ERP

Software and services are provided for the food sector by Aptean Food & Beverage ERP. These dependable food specialists assist your business in reducing expenses, enhancing food safety, and controlling compliance to maintain client success.

In order to do this, they align the most effective business procedures with the best software technology. Their team of professionals in the food sector has developed a product roadmap that will help you reach your desired growth goals.

Key Features

• Batch Processing and Shop Floor Controls: Aptean Food & Beverage ERP JustFood Edition offers advanced batch processing capabilities, allowing for efficient management and tracking of production batches. This ensures consistency and quality across all batches. 

• Integrated Planning Engine with Demand Forecasting: The solution features a powerful planning engine that is seamlessly integrated with a demand forecasting system. 

• Comprehensive Food Safety Functionality: Lot traceability ensures that all ingredients and finished products can be traced throughout the supply chain, enhancing recall capabilities and compliance with regulatory requirements. Quality audits help maintain high standards by systematically checking and documenting the quality of products at various stages of production.

Pricing 

• Ask the vendor for a customized quote

Key Aspects To Be Integrated into Food Safety Management Software

Food safety management software should have aspects that make it superior to traditional food safety management systems, as well as the essential elements mandated by regulatory bodies for the establishment of a capable FSMS. Now let's explore these areas:

Interactive Communication

Building trust between producers, distributors, providers, and customers—among the many parties involved in the food supply chain—requires interactive communication. An operator of a food company should be aware of and stay in touch with the following parties, even if they may not have direct access to all of them:

• The person or organization that provides them with food (the supply chain stakeholder directly upstream).
• The person or organization that provides them with food (the downstream stakeholder in the supply chain).

These two important parties need to be informed about the food safety management system or ought to take an active role in its creation. The owner of a food company should also consider the preferences, demands, and specifications of their stakeholders with regard to food safety.

Food safety management software, by giving food industry operators a centralized platform that serves as a tech-assisted communication gateway to communicate with their key stakeholders, ushers in interactive communication inside the food supply chain. 

It enables businesses to communicate with their distributors, suppliers, and other supply chain partners crucial information on food safety protocols, compliance, and quality requirements. 

The software makes sure that stakeholders are informed and involved in the creation and upkeep of the food safety management system by digitizing and improving these interactions. Additionally, it makes it possible for companies to effectively take into account and satisfy the preferences, demands, and specifications of their stakeholders, which in the end promotes openness, confidence, and productive cooperation among all supply chain participants.

System Management

Food Business Operators (FBOs) use system management as a strategy to guarantee the effectiveness of their food safety management systems. Important ISO management guidelines to follow are as follows:

• Putting the needs of the consumer first
• Displaying a strong sense of leadership
• Empowering and involving employees
• Putting a process-oriented strategy into practice
• Aiming for ongoing development
• Deciding using the available data

Effectively Managing Relationships with Stakeholders

Food producers can align their operations with the fundamentals of system management by using food safety management software. By lowering the danger of foodborne illnesses and improving product quality, they allow them to monitor in real-time and increase the effectiveness of food safety processes, therefore elevating customer confidence. 

Food safety management software can be customized to represent the leadership efforts of the food firm by including compliance management, clear food safety goals, and fast execution of remedial measures.

As part of food safety management software, a learning management system (LMS) for employee training can boost the workforce's knowledge and abilities to effectively contribute to the company's food safety culture. Process and procedure documentation and record-keeping for food safety using paperless means using accurate time-stamped audits.

Prerequisite Programs

According to ISO, prerequisite programs (PRPs) are fundamental requirements and actions that are essential to preserving food safety both within an organization and across the food supply chain. The kind of organization and the food chain segment in which it works determine the PRPs required. The following are some instances of comparable terms:

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
• Good Hygienic Practices (GHP)
• Good Distribution Practices (GDP)

Implementation of PRPs can be significantly strengthened with food safety management software through automation of relevant paperwork and record management, minimizing the chances for human error and affirming that they are consistently followed and remain compliant with industry standards. 

Dynamic surveillance and verification of the PRPs from time to time can be conducted as scheduled actionable using food safety management software for detecting and rectifying deviations through a diligent root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) management system. 

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

Food industry owners are required under HACCP principles to identify critical control points (CCPs), or phases in the process, where they may effectively reduce food safety concerns, in addition to completing a hazard analysis. 

A specified critical limit with a minimum or maximum value must be included for each CCP. 

The other HACCP principles demand accurate documentation, comprehensive verification, remedial measures, and monitoring protocols. 

Quality Control

Software for managing food safety should be able to significantly assist quality management practices used in the food sector.

Optimal quality control requires many actions, including raw material inspections, thorough testing throughout the production process, and exacting inspections during final packing. 

Several procedures and tools are used in quality control in food safety management software to make sure that food products meet the necessary quality standards.

These include regular audits to find and fix defects, keeping track of customer feedback, offering written procedures outlining the steps taken to find and fix the issue, lessen the likelihood of occurrence, assess the safety of the affected food, and prevent the affected food from being sold. 

Professionals in the food sector may impose a robust quality management system with the help of food safety management software.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best FreshCheq alternative for your food business can be an uphill battle, the search itself for the best software that matches your food business demands can be very challenging considering all the options out there.

Thus, while looking for the Freshcheq alternatives, keep the aforementioned software in mind to help limit down your options.

Xenia is recognized as a one-stop digital solution for updating all food safety operations, making its mark in the world of food safety management for global food businesses.

Our comprehensive and innovative approach has made a significant impact on food safety management, providing global food businesses with the tools and capabilities they need to ensure compliance, enhance quality, and maintain the highest standards of food safety.