Role of HACCP in Food Safety

During the past decades, the quest for safety has been challenged by important changes in food production, such as innovations in manufacturing processes, reduced intervals between production and consumption, increased product shelf life, and increased prevalence of some microorganisms (Stevenson 1990) .

As the food chain became global, FBDs are seen in a new dimension (Motarjemi and Käferstein 1999 ) and now represent one of the greatest health problems worldwide, affecting millions of people a year  and leading to significant economic and social consequences (Ruegg 2003 ; Silva 1999 ) .

Data from the World Health Organization show that, in 2005, 1.8 million people died of gastroenteritis caused by contaminated food and water (World Health Organization 2007 ) . In spite of the technological progress in food production and control, the occurrence of these diseases has recently increased, even in developed countries (Franco and Landgraf 2003 ) .

Food hazards or contamination may come from primary production, still on the farm, from inadequate handling or storage in the food industry, or from errors during preparation at home or in other places where the food is consumed. Although they have not recently become an issue, FBDs have become increasingly important lately, both in terms of magnitude and in terms of health consequences for the general population. Factors related to the supply chain, demographic situation, lifestyle, health system infrastructure, and the environmental conditions of each country infl uence the prevalence, increased frequency, and consequences of these diseases (Motarjemi and Käferstein 1999 ) .

When all these facts are taken into account, HACCP is an important tool in modern quality management in the food industry, ensuring the integrity of the product, preventing FBDs, and protecting the health of the consumer (Mortimore and Wallace 1998 ) .

However, HACCP will only become effective when its principles are correctly and broadly applied in all stages of the food production chain. Some of the reasons for the recent increase in FBD frequency all over the world may be failures in implementation or limited application of HACCP, mainly in small companies; lack of knowledge of the final consumer, keeping inadequate food handling practices alive; and low rates of HACCP adoption in developing countries, where most of the FBD outbreaks occur.

References

1.        Stevenson KE. Implementing HACCP in the food industry. Food Technol. 1990;44(5):179–80.

2.        Mortimore S, Wallace C. HACCP – a practical approach. Gaithersburg: Aspen; 1998.

3.        Motarjemi Y, Käferstein F. Food safety, hazard analysis and critical control point and the increase in foodborne diseases: a paradox? Food Control. 1999;10:325–33.

4.        Franco BDGM, Landgraf M. Microrganismos patogênicos de importância em alimentos. In: Franco BDGM, Landgraf M, editors. Microbiologia dos alimentos. São Paulo: Atheneu; 2003.

5.        World Health Organization. Food safety and foodborne illness. 2007. http://www.who.int/ foodsafety/foodborne_disease/in/ . Accessed 17 Feb 2014.

6.        Ruegg PL. Practical food safety intervention for dairy production. J Dairy Sci. 2003;86(Suppl):E1–9. Savoy.

7.        Silva JA. As novas perspectivas para o controle sanitário dos alimentos. Revista Higiene alimentar.1999;13(65):19–25.