HACCP: A State of the Art Approach to Food Safety

EMonument assists companies and governing bodies in describing the HACCP seven principles, and the reasons why there is a need for HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines. For information on how we can help you in establishing your own HACCP program simply contact us for the details.

HACCP Background and Overview

The HACCP System
Is a systematic approach to the identification, assessment of risk and severity, and control of the biological, chemical and physical hazards associated with a particular food production process or practice

Advantages of HACCP
Enhanced public health Control over the occurrence of potential hazards in the food supply Increased consumer confidence in the safety of the food supply

HACCP Principles
Principle 1. Conduct a Hazard Analysis
Principle 2. Determine the critical control points
Principle 3. Establish critical limits
Principle 4. Establish monitoring procedures
Principle 5. Establish corrective actions.
Principle 6. Establish verification procedures
Principle 7. Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures

EMonument's use of HACCP Principles
Low acid canned foods
HACCP for Fish and Fishery Products
ANPR for the Development of HACCP for the food industry
Retail HACCP Program
HACCP Pilot Program for food processors
HACCP for Meat and Poultry

Benefits of HACCP
Better understanding of the rationale for food safety
Provides a systematic approach
Proactive strategy
Continuous problem prevention
Real-time monitoring
Cost effective

Benefits of HACCP
International
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
Harmonized sanitary and phytosanitary regulations
Codex Alimentarius Commission
Encourages use of HACCP

HACCP in the Global Marketplace
Facilitate trade
World-wide system for ensuring food safety
Harmonization of food safety regulations

EMonument's Seafood HACCP Activities
Critical Steps Toward Safer Seafood:
An FDA Consumer magazine article, updated in February, 1999, describing how FDA monitors the safety of seafood and provides an overview of the FDA Seafood HACCP regulation
Provided for implementation period of 2 years
Implementation includes activities in inspection, education, regulation, and technology transfer

Seafood Implementation Activities
Education:
Forming Seafood HACCP Alliance
Produce training curriculums
Develop system for its recognition by state and federal agencies
Assist in establishing qualified inspectors
Conduct domestic and international courses attended for processors and importers

Seafood Implementation Activities, CFSAN Seafood Safety Research
Research projects in the areas of:
Aquatic toxins
Biogenic amines
Virulence determinants and models
Microbial risk assessment
Microbiological methods
Intervention technologies

Seafood Associated Microbiological Concerns
Infectious Agents
Environmental contaminants (e.g., enteric bacteria, Norwalk-like viruses)
Natural contaminants (e.g., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus)
Marine Toxins (e.g., PSP, ciguatoxin, tetrodotoxin)
Decomposition products (e.g., scombrotoxin)
Antibiotic Resistance

Seafood Associated Chemical Concerns
Relatively rare:
Natural contaminants (e.g, methylmercury)
Chemical contaminants (e.g., dioxin in fish feed)
Agricultural/Environmental contaminants (e.g., pesticides)
Drug residues

EMonument's Activities - Future HACCP
Critical Controls for Juice HACCP Safety:
An FDA Consumer magazine article updated in May, 1999, describing how FDA monitors the safety of juice products and provides an overview of FDA's proposal to require juice processors to implement HACCP.

FDA's Juice Initiative
Consistent with NACMCF Recommendations
Consistent with FDA Seafood HACCP Regulation
Consistent with USDA's HACCP regulation for meat and poultry products
Two modifications from Seafood HACCP written hazard analysis distinction between validation and verification consistent with NACMCF
Imports -- written hazard analysis

EMonument's Juice Initiative
EMonument is actively addressing comments and proposals concerning all aspects of HACCP

EMonument HACCP Pilot Program
Background
Involves industry volunteers
Obtain data on hazards associated with specific types of foods
Participating firms - develop and implement HACCP plans to control identified hazards

Future HACCP
Juice Regulation Finalized
Milk HACCP Pilots
Retail HACCP Pilots and other products

This document was issued in part by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods in August 1997. It reaffirms the basic principles of HACCP and provides guidance for its implementation.

The HACCP Approach
The development of HACCP policy must involve interaction between government, academia, and industry - with shared ownership of the results.