Food Control Systems and Role of
GMP/HACCP
Regional Consultation Workshop
Implementation of GMP/HACCP in Asia – a status review
23-25 June 2014
Bangkok, Thailand
Ms. Shashi Sareen
Senior Food Safety & Nutrition Officer
FAO Regional Office for the Asia & the Pacific
E-mail:
[email protected] Outline of the presentation
• Introduction
• Effective food control systems
• Elements of an effective food control system
• Risk-based food inspection and Good Practices/
HACCP
• Some guidance tools and important websites
Introduction
• Globalization - increasing demand by consumers for
variety of foods
• Creation of global market - transboundary movement
and trade of food across countries – imports/exports
• Potential for spread of contamination across countries
high
• Leading to increasingly new challenges & risks to the
health & safety of consumers
• Quality, health, safety, labelling, food fraud incidents
(melamine, horsemeat) acquiring global focus
• Governments have mandate to ensure health and
safety of populations (ensure safe food supply) through
effective food control systems
A Snapshot of Quality & Safety
Melamine 2008
Dioxin contaminated
Irish pork in 2008
E.coli O104:H4 (in
2011) in northern
Germany
radionuclide
contamination of food
items from Japan
Horse meat scandal
Pesticide residues in
vegetable Thailand in
2009-11:
Effective food control systems
Objectives
Protection of health & safety of domestic
populations
Protection from fraud – mislabelled,
adulterated, unwholesome foods
for ensuring safety & quality of food in regional/
international trade - facilitates market access
Contributing to economic development by
maintaining confidence in food systems
Providing a base for Mutual Recognition &
equivalence agreements
Effective food control systems
Principles
Food safety & quality is primary responsibility of
food business operator - farmer or producer,
processor, handlers
Food chain approach
Preventative approach
Risk-based approach
Collaboration and coordination
Cohesive system
Food safety & QC primary responsibility of
producer/ processor
Reorientation of Roles & Responsibilities
The Farmer - 1st step in food chain (implementing GAP, maintaining recs)
The Processor
Ensure production of safe food (GMP/HACCP...)
Engage in proactive dialogue with regulatory bodies
to agree on standards & ensure efficient & effective
integration of industry & official food control systems
Upgrade facility, design & implement system, doc & maintain recs
Handlers
Maintaining conditions necessary for ensuring safety & suitability
The Government
creating an enabling environment (scientific, technical, financial,
infrastructure, regulatory) - compliance by stakeholders
Guarantor of the system
The Consumer
demanding a safe product; following directions for storage & use
Preventative Approach based
on Risk – in Food Chain
Good Practices
GMP/GHP - All practices regarding conditions & measures
necessary to ensure safety & suitability of food at all stages of
the food chain
GAP – practices that address environmental, eco, social
sustainability for on-farm processes & result in safe & Q food
HACCP
A system which identifies, evaluates & controls hazards
(chemical, physical, biological) significant for food safety
An internationally accepted method to reduce & manage risk
FSMS - A holistic system of controls that manage food safety in
food business. (GHPs; HACCP; management systems elements &
policies; & traceability/ recall system)
Food control systems - elements
• Policy framework – highest level commitment &
support, central/local govt, integrated control across
food chain, voluntary vs mandatory implementation
• Food laws and legislation - regulations,
requirements or procedures, standards
• Implementation/ enforcement & surveillance
(inspection, testing, certification, FBDS, food safety
emergency management) across food chains
• Certifications and accreditation
• Trainings/ awareness/ education
Laws/ Legislation
• Legislation to provide for preventative, risk-based approach
(RA/GP/HACCP)
• Requirements to be specific & enforceable– Codex advisory texts,
use terms like ‘adequate’/ ‘acceptable’ - do not qualify compliance
• Primary responsibility to FBOs
• Authority to CA to enforce, monitor, verify through inspection &
control systems at all stages of production, import/exports,
processing, storage, transportation, distribution, trade
• Include provisions of approval/registration of establishments or
listing of certified units, penalties, fees
• Provisions for national surveillance programmes – FBDS, RMPs
• Recognise GMP/HACCP systems of FBO/ voluntary initiatives
• Be complete to cover:
RA/ GMP/ HACCP
Performance standards/ maximum limits for contaminants
Traceability/ recall/ emergencies
Minimum records requirement
Others
Implementation / enforcement/
inspection
Inspection to ensure that food laws/ regulations being
complied with ie enforcement
Focus on Risk-based inspection
• Risk-based method in which inspection prioritized using a
risk based approach - focusing inspection on risk factors that
may cause food-borne diseases
Poor conditions, procedures, or practices that result in out of control
food safety hazards (B,C,P)
• Change of focus from end product testing and compliance of
a product or premises to assessment of controls put in place
in operations to address food borne disease risk factors that
could put products at risk
Inspecting premises & processes for compliance with hygienic &
other requirements of standards/ regulations
Evaluating HACCP plans & their implementation
What is traditional inspection & Risk-based
food inspection
• Food inspection – examination of foods or systems for
control of food, raw materials, processing and distribution,
including in-process & finished product testing, in order to
verify that they conform to requirements
• Risk-based food inspection – focusing inspection on risk
factors that may cause food-borne diseases
• Food-borne disease risk factors – are those factors that may
cause food-borne disease in consumers if left uncontrolled
Poor conditions, procedures, or practices that result
in out of control food safety hazards (B,C,P)
Philosophy & approach of risk-based inspection
• Emphasizes on preventative approach rather than corrective
actions
• Assessment of controls in place to address food-borne risk factors
(verification of compliance of products or premises)
• Places responsibility on various stakeholders specially producer/
processor rather than government of producing a safe food
• Change of philosophy from regulators to food safety professional
• Fosters partnerships between inspectors and processors for
purpose of improving food safety
• Uses limited resources in a more effective manner – risk
categorization/ food inspectors to harmonize inspections with
other inspectors/ inspections
• Recognition of other certifications (accreditations)
• Investigate & apply enforcement action proportionate to risk
• Provide advice & information to food industry workers &
management
Risk-based inspection procedures
• Consider hazards associated with the food
• Review the control measures in place
• Assess the adequacy of pre-requisite plans
• Prepare regulatory action plans including
controls
• Verify HACCP plans, traceability and recall plans
• Target high risk establishments with available
resources
Risk-based inspection – important
considerations and prioritization
• Establishment registration and identification
• Establishment categorization
High or low risk based on risk factors
Product profiles, processes, consumer groups, etc
• Inspection prioritization
History of compliance
Product risk profiles
Traditional vs risk-based inspection
Traditional Risk-based
• Corrective/ reactive • Preventive
• Inspection planned randomly • Prioritization based on risk
– all premises inspected at factors
same frequency
• Emphasis on product/ • Emphasis on process
premises inspection inspection/ controls in place
(compliance to regulation) to address risk factors
• FS responsibility of inspector • FS responsibility of FBO
• Sample collection for • Sample collection for
assurance purposes verification purposes
Aspects to be covered in risk-based
food inspection
• Pre-requisite programme
Plant construction and equipment
Management review
Training programmes
Customer complaints and handling
SOPs, SSOPs
Pest control programme
Personal hygiene
Supplier specifications and controls
Record keeping
• Regulatory action plan
• HACCP Plan, traceability
Risk-based food inspection and Good
Practices/ HACCP – in summary
• Responsibility of food safety is within the food
business
• Both build on same principle of risk-basis
• Food inspection has changed from full scope
inspections to targeted inspections on critical
points and implementation of preventative
measures
• Reviews and evaluates QA and management
systems including control measures
• Promotes partnerships b/w inspector and food
business
Information, education,
communication and training
• Inspectors :
food safety and quality;
food processing operations, food microbiology &
chemistry
prerequisite programmes; HACCP system
Risk-based inspection techniques;
food sampling techniques and broad testing methods
• Food businesses in adopting pre-requisite programmes
(GAP/GMP/GHP…) and HACCP
• Consumers – food safety awareness
Other technical support for FBO
• Generic HACCP models/ guidance documents – development of
HACCP plans, hazards in food chains, critical control points in
specific foods, HACCP audits
• Scientific information – Sound basis for CCPs/ CLs –– identifying
hazards, CCPs, CLs, test facilities for validations
• Trainings – develop training curriculum & impart trainings,
courses on Good Practices & HACCP
• Evaluating voluntary implementation of good practices & HACCP
• Infrastructure – test facilities, cold storages, strengthening
backward linkages (primary production/raw material)
• Data - providing industry RMPs/ monitoring data & information to
assist in sourcing correct raw materials
• Others
Cost/benefit studies - Cost implications of implementation (costs of
consultants, certification, manpower time & training)
Data & studies relating to impact of HACCP on food safety – as visible
benefits not evident
Some guidance tools
Information Exchange
Mechanisms/ websites
• FAO Food Safety and quality home page
http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/home-
page/en/
• Codex web site: www.codexalimentarius.net
• FAO Regional office for Asia and the Pacific
http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/rap/home/en/
• Capacity Building and implementation of
international food safety standards in ASEAN
countries http://foodsafetyasiapacific.net/
THANK YOU
