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Case:
Introduction and implementation of the HACCP- concept
(Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) in the meat
processing industry Varros N.V. The term “food safety” in a
broader context means more than just, safe or healthy food.
It also implies the assurance of continuous and sufficient
food supplies.” Continuous and sufficient food supplies for
mankind. Essential around food safety though, is the aspect
of healthy/ safe food. Food safety is one of the essential
aspects within the concept of sustainable poverty
eradication and is mentioned in the Millennium Development
Goals of the World Summit for Sustainable Development in
2002. Food safety, as in healthy and safe food can be
guaranteed by quality control- and management. Quality
management in the processing industry has become more and
more an important issue during the last decennium, within
the whole concept of trade. During the years a lot of
guidelines, regulations and acts are developed by national,
regional and international authorities in order to control
activities such as, processing, storage, labeling,
distribution, etc. These regulations aim at assuring the
optimal health conditions of consumers and protect them
against fraud. The responsibility for the product quality is
at the exporting country or company. But more and more also
consumers are being pointed at their responsibility of
handling a product after shelf purchase. Quality control
being a control at the end of a production process , has
evolved into an active quality control system, that
identifies critical control points along the whole course of
the production process and monitors immediately if needed.
This new system is a preventive approach for guaranteeing
food security.
Quality management is being implemented by regulations and
law. These laws are globally based on the Codex Alimentarius
of the Joint FAO/WHO commission. The first attempt towards
active quality management was introduced by the NASA in
1958, through the concept of HACCP, "Hazard Analysis of
Critical Control Points".
Along the whole course of the production process all
possible critical control points are being identified and
monitored. The production process being the centre of
control is managed by control measures concerning the
quality of the raw material, environmental factors, pest
control, sanitation and disinfection, personal hygiene and
Good Manufacturing Practices. The quality and safety of the
end product is dependent on all possible interventions along
the course of farm to table. Training the management team en
personnel in processing companies is very important at
introducing quality management. The management team should
be fully aware of all the new concepts of quality control.
The trainings concept for the personnel should aim at a
complete
behavioral change; the guidelines should be adopted by each
individual and it is important that the workers understand
how the concept works and why it is being introduced. The
training should not just educate or inform, but it should
sensitize the personnel on safeguarding the quality of the
product in the production process. The new computerized
tools for recordkeeping facilitate easy administration
procedures, data entry and –analysis and reporting.
Introduction of quality control norms for the meat
processing industry in Suriname requires inevitably
adaptation of regulations and law. Laws do consists of
articles ruling quality control aspects, but there is a
great dispersion of these articles along different laws and
different departments; mostly they are also outdated.
It is recommended to develop one law, which covers all
relevant quality control related issues already mentioned in
other laws and is conform the recent international
regulations on quality control. This new law “Quality
management- and – control ”, should replace all consisting
laws.
It is also important for this law is to look at issues
concerning the sale of meat products over the shelf, as a
guarantee for the principle “Quality management from farm to
table.
” The Codex Alimentarius should be the guideline for this
new law. Suriname is a member of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission since 1984 and therefore needs to commit to the
implementation and control of the regulations of the codex.
Suriname should determine how to fill in the 3 components of
the Codex and which authorities will be responsible for each
of the components. The 3 components of the Codex are: risk
analysis, risk management and risk communication. Awareness
and education in order for all relevant stakeholders to make
informed choices, more and more become essential parts of
the quality control concepts. Bottlenecks for the
introduction of norms on quality control in the meat
processing industry in Suriname are: the lack of an
integrated/ overall law on food safety and quality control,
outdated law and regulations for the meat processing sector,
the lack of qualified personnel for butcheries and quality
control, lack of certified laboratories, lack of investment
capital for entrepreneurs, detrimental funding conditions at
the local banks. The situation where individual consultancy
bureaus assist in guiding companies through the process of
all kinds of so called international recognized/ certified
bureaus of standards, is a good start, butit does not
guarantee facilitation of exports, since the government
still has no general policy nor law which states the
standards for international bureaus to work with.
Structuring is a essential. An Independent National Bureau
of Standards, responsible for development of a national
master plan for control and management of food safety in
Suriname is hereby recommended. This bureau should not be
under de jurisdiction of one Ministry, since its
responsibility touches on the task areas of more than one
Ministry. It should be responsible for the science based
risk analysis/ -assessment. The responsibility for risk
management should still be assigned to the Ministries, as
for the risk communication responsibility will be with as
well as the Ministry as with the producers. This approach
will also facilitate pooling of staff, knowledge,
laboratories and equipment needed for analysis. It will also
prevent
from unnecessary duplication of activities resulting in
better cost- efficiency within research programs.
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