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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Food manufacturers told to follow global standards
IN THE arena of food manufacturing, global standards were set to keep food products safe for human consumption. A state-of-the-art technological approach initially designed to keep food safe in outer space has become an accepted standard on earth.
Menandro Ortego, senior Trade and Industry Development specialist for Food of the Philippine Trade Training Center, said during a trade department-led seminar that the international market require food manufacturers to have at least a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) record.
HACCP is a preventative food safety system in which every step in the manufacture, storage and distribution of a food product is scientifically analyzed for microbiological, physical and chemical hazards.
Attended by local manufacturers and producers from Cordillera, the seminar also discussed organic product accreditation, good manufacturing practices and systematized productivity that are being followed internationally.
Ortego, a frequent traveler and keen observer of international marketing trends, said that due to the borderless economy brought about by globalization, local manufacturers will have to face a stiffer competition in the outside market.
He explained that through HACCP, potential hazards are, therefore, identified and appropriate control measures are taken before the problem could take place. Through HACCP, there will be a reduction of rejects, returns and resources will be maximized.
HACCP has become a food safety standard that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) of the US had set several guiding principles: First, the producer should analyze hazards, potential hazards associated with a food and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be biological, chemical, or physical. After the initial analysis, the producer will then identify critical control points. These are points in a food's production from its raw state through processing and shipping to consumption by the consumer at which the potential hazard can be controlled or eliminated. Examples are cooking, cooling, packaging, and metal detection. Succeeding steps will then establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point.
HACCP also require the establishment of corrective action to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met. Certain procedures should be implemented like checking time and temperature, recording devices and cooking units to verify that everything is working properly.
Ortego stressed the need to verify whether the system is working properly and every item and activity in the production area should be well documented.
Documentation is one important tool for an inspector to verify actions and for easier traceability of defects.
Record keeping is a very important component of HACCP. These include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems.
While local farmers and producers are aware of the benefits of organic farming and the need to apply effective and good manufacturing practices, the HACCP requirements and the need to be recognized by accrediting bodies are some considerations for a growing and progressing industrial community. With the support of the private sector, local government units and line agencies in the region, Cordillera can still bid as the food capital of Luzon if not the Philippines. (AT)
(May 23, 2006 issue)
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