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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. |
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Objectives of Implementing a Food Safety
and Food Quality Program
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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. |
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Besides, there are other costs associated
with poor quality control such as: |
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| a)
reduction in shelf life. |
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b) loss of customers. |
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c) reduction in repeat sales. |
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d) production line downtime. |
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e) excess inventory. |
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| f)
product liability. |
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Benefits
of Implementing HACCP
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| 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. |
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| HACCP
can be applied throughout the food chain from the primary
producer to final consumer. |
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| 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. |
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| A HACCP
program, when properly designed and implemented, will
significantly reduce the chance of microbiological, chemical,
and physical contaminants from reaching the customer. |
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| HACCP
can reduce regulatory involvement (and hence costs) by replacing
on-line inspection with regular auditing. |
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| HACCP
principles can be applied to other aspects of food quality and
regulatory requirements. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| HACCP
is capable of accommodating changes such as advances in raw
materials, equipment and premise design, procedures, and
technological developments. |
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Communication between the different segments of the food chain
improves as HACCP provides a common language and a common focus
on quality. |
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Improved customer confidence leads to increased market share. |
