Thursday, April 03, 2008 One-stop shop for food safety helps local companies cut costs
A LOCAL company is offering a service that will enable food processing firms in the Visayas and Mindanao to save on cost of food testing.
The GCH Center for Food and Safety Quality Inc., a member of the Hayco Group of Companies, is a one-stop shop where food processing firms can avail themselves of food safety consultancy, training and laboratory support company.
The GCH Center is the first of its kind, which integrates consultancy on food safety, trainings and laboratory services in one firm.
Prior to the establishment of GCH Center, food testing of some food processing companies in the Visayas and Mindanao has to be done in laboratories based in Manila or avail of certification seminars there. This caused companies in the Visayas and Mindanao to incur travel costs and cause delays in production as they wait for laboratory results to be released.
Martina Go, chairperson of the Hayco Group, said that it is now high time to raise the level of awareness of the local food sector on food safety.
“Local food processors can now have local training,” Go said during an interview.
Experts
Among the trainings that the GCH Center provides are either customized in-house or on-site training on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Control Points (HACCP), ISO 22000 and ISO 14001 on Food Safety and Environmental Management Systems, Good Agricultural Practices, Food Packaging and Shelf Life, Water Safety and Environmental Microbiology.
The company has a pool of local and international experts who can offer consultancy services.
Although hiring a consultant or training might mean additional costs on the food manufacturing companies, Go said that this does not mean that food prices have to go up, especially now that these services are already available in Cebu. “It would cost the company more if they encounter liabilities due to food associated hazards,” she added.
During the company launch yesterday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, GCH also sponsored a two-day training seminar on “Bringing Food Safety Solutions to the South.”
About 50 participants from the food processor industry, hotels, restaurants and caterers attended the seminar.
Losses
Dr. Manuel Garcia, foreign expert and adviser to the Food Development Center and one of the consultants for the GCH Center, said during his talk on Economic, Health and Legal Impact of Food Safety Programs that $35 billion has been lost by different companies worldwide due to food-associated hazards.
Based on the World Health Organization data that Garcia presented, deaths from food and water-borne diseases have reached 2.1 million annually. Most of the victims are children.
“Liabilities can bankrupt a company,” Garcia said, adding that compensation packages given to victims of food poisoning can be high while in some countries, the management of a company can be held liable for involuntary manslaughter.
He also encouraged stakeholders in the food industry to get consultants and trainings since food safety is everybody’s business.
In the Philippines, most food hazards are mainly due to water contamination and unmonitored chemical content in food.
Although there are no notable food disease outbreaks in the country, Garcia said that the main problems that the country have are related to poor hygienic practices of food handlers.
He said that six out of 10 food handlers in the country carry parasites that can be passed on to the food they are serving.
To address this concern, he suggested two simple solutions: thorough washing of hands and requiring the cook to practice more care in food preparation. Aside from these, the government and the private sector can work hand in hand in implementing food safety programs.
Garcia said that the government’s role is to set the goals and regulations on food safety while management teams from the food industry should also be committed to produce wholesome food and safe products at the most efficient cost and lowest liability. (DME)
