Comments on: Food Safety: HACCP – What is it? Why did NASA invent it? http://www.australianfoodsafety.com.au/blog/2009/11/food-safety-haccp-what-is-it-why-did-nasa-invent-it/ Gourmet Guardian: Providing safe food solutions and quality assurance services Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:33:39 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Hema Lutchoomun http://www.australianfoodsafety.com.au/blog/2009/11/food-safety-haccp-what-is-it-why-did-nasa-invent-it/comment-page-1/#comment-13488 Hema Lutchoomun Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:27:29 +0000 http://www.australianfoodsafety.com.au/blog/?p=63#comment-13488 This article is very interesting and I agree with all the points that have been highlighted concerning HACCP analysis methods. However this blog is missing one very important key point which is Traceability. The traceability process takes place from boat to plate that is every product leaving the plant can be traced from raw material level to the individual packing and sealing the product itself. This is done by applying a bar code to each product. The bar-code gives all the required information about: • The name of the supplier • Their certificate number • Evidence of certificate validity • information on the vessel (name, call sign, flag) • area in which the fish has been caught; • fishing technique used; • size of the catch and whether it has been divided up. In order to achieve this, a full product traceability system is compulsory so as the products can be traced from their suppliers and tracked back to their buyers if claimed. Having worked in the fishing industry for quite some years, HACCP has become a fundamental aspect when it comes to food safety. Thanks to HACCP program we are able to export our fish products such as hake fillet, frozen hake fillets, moulded loins, etc all over the world. However, HACCP is not a stand-alone system but it is build upon other programs such as the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). In South Africa, a HACCP program undergoes a bi-annual audit from SABS (South African Bureau of Standardization, Cape Town). This is done in order to ensure that the company abides with the required criteria imposed by HACCP certifier. A certificate of compliance is validated every six months. HACCP is also endorsed by international organizations such as Codex Alimentarius (a commission of the United Nations), the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), and the European Union and by several other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. You can also find some useful information concerning how HACCP program is applied by other companies on: http://www.seawork.com.na/main-products.html This article is very interesting and I agree with all the points that have been highlighted concerning HACCP analysis methods. However this blog is missing one very important key point which is Traceability. The traceability process takes place from boat to plate that is every product leaving the plant can be traced from raw material level to the individual packing and sealing the product itself. This is done by applying a bar code to each product. The bar-code gives all the required information about:

• The name of the supplier
• Their certificate number
• Evidence of certificate validity
• information on the vessel (name, call sign, flag)
• area in which the fish has been caught;
• fishing technique used;
• size of the catch and whether it has been divided up.

In order to achieve this, a full product traceability system is compulsory so as the products can be traced from their suppliers and tracked back to their buyers if claimed.

Having worked in the fishing industry for quite some years, HACCP has become a fundamental aspect when it comes to food safety. Thanks to HACCP program we are able to export our fish products such as hake fillet, frozen hake fillets, moulded loins, etc all over the world. However, HACCP is not a stand-alone system but it is build upon other programs such as the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). In South Africa, a HACCP program undergoes a bi-annual audit from SABS (South African Bureau of Standardization, Cape Town). This is done in order to ensure that the company abides with the required criteria imposed by HACCP certifier. A certificate of compliance is validated every six months.

HACCP is also endorsed by international organizations such as Codex Alimentarius (a commission of the United Nations), the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), and the European Union and by several other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

You can also find some useful information concerning how HACCP program is applied by other companies on:
http://www.seawork.com.na/main-products.html

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