HACCP PRINCIPLES

HACCP is designed for use in all segments of the food industry from growing, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, distributing, and merchandising to preparing food for consumption. Prerequisite programs such as current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) are an essential foundation for the development and implementation of successful HACCP plans. The principles of HACCP have been universally accepted by government agencies, trade associations and the food industry around the world.

Maintaining an effective HACCP system depends largely on regularly scheduled verification activities. The HACCP plan should be updated and revised as needed. An important aspect of maintaining the HACCP system is to assure that all individuals involved are properly trained so they understand their role and can effectively fulfill their responsibilities.

Objectives of Implementing a Food Safety and Food Quality Program

By implementing a food safety and food quality program, we can eliminate costs that result from poor quality and unsafe food products. Poor quality, for example, can be spotted as defective product, wastage, and product returns.

Besides, there are other costs associated with poor quality control such as:

a) Reduction in shelf life.
b) Loss of customers.
c) Reduction in repeat sales.
d) Production line downtime.
e) Excess inventory.
f) Product liability.

Benefits of Implementing HACCP

In addition to meeting the legal and moral obligation to produce food that is safe to eat, HACCP offers a variety of other benefits for not only the consumer, but for the food industry and the government. The following are examples of benefits that may be gained by implementing a HACCP program.

HACCP can be applied throughout the food chain from the primary producer to final consumer.

HACCP reduces the need for finished product testing by identifying the hazards associated with the inputs into the process and the product and devising control measures which can be monitored in order to minimize or eliminate the hazards.

A HACCP program, when properly designed and implemented, will significantly reduce the chance of microbiological, chemical, and physical contaminants from reaching the customer.

HACCP can reduce regulatory involvement (and hence costs) by replacing on-line inspection with regular auditing.

HACCP principles can be applied to other aspects of food quality and regulatory requirements.

Since HACCP increases one’s ability to detect poor quality product during production, such product can be held before further value is added. Resources are saved and faulty product is not produced. Productivity and profitability is improved.

HACCP improves communications between supplier and customer. It encourages businesses to work together more closely and to help them understand each other’s capacity and requirements.

HACCP is capable of accommodating changes such as advances in raw materials, equipment and premise design, procedures, and technological developments.

Communication between the different segments of the food chain improves as HACCP provides a common language and a common focus on quality.

Improved customer confidence leads to increased market share.

ISO 22000

Recently the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released ISO 22000, which is a new International Standard desgned to ensure safe food supply chains worldwide.

ISO 22000:2005, Food safety management systems – Requirements for any organization in the food chain, provides a framework of intrnationally harmonized requirements for the global approach that is needed.

The standard ISO 22000:2005 is basically made up of the following major components:

The unique differentiator from other food safety systems is that the entire standard is based on a preventive mechanism rather than a corrective one. The certification to ISO 22000:2005 can help an organization in the food chain to assure its client about the preventive system it follows in order to offer safe-to-consume food products across the chain.

Need more information?

Call Mr. Bhavesh Bhavsar on +919824340207 or mail your queries on info@qmc.co.in