The subject of food safety has been receiving plenty of attention
over the last few years especially after a number of incidents were reported.
Some of the incidents even caused fatalities while the others hospitalized a
number of people. After giving the matter the consideration it deserves the
authorities have presently stipulated that all businesses within the food chain
must have a Food Safety Management System to safeguard against risks of any
kind. They have considered risks due to human errors and also because of
allergens, which could be present within the food chain. Several countries have
now made it mandatory for all businesses involved in the production,
processing, transportation and storage of food stuff to have in place a Food Safety Management System and have
also stipulated penalties for organizations that do not do so.
The authorities have stipulated the kind of businesses, which must
have Food Safety Management System
within their workplace. The list provided is exhaustive and even covers businesses
which can be involved in the production of raw material, the ingredients to be
used for the cleaning of raw material, the handling of products during the
preparation and after and finally even the transportation of the finished
products. The sole objective of this system is to provide the consumer a
product, which he or she can trust and have without the fear of contamination.
While the controls mentioned by the authorities certainly look difficult it is
well known that food safety risks exist and they can easily be eliminated if
the organization or the business is prepared to take the steps needed. A number
of companies and organizations have abided by the law and are presently
benefiting from the investment they made to have Food Safety Management System
in place.
The primary responsibility for managing the system effectively rests
with the management of a company and therefore a Food Safety Management System
is just as effective as the management of the organization. An organization can
invest sums of money to implement the guidelines, which have been provided and
also make regular efforts to upgrade the system. However, the entire effort
will come to naught if the management of the organization does not provide the
proper attention and keep in regular touch with the happenings within the
organization. In fact disaster can strike as it has done with the Peanut
Corporation of America where an outbreak of salmonella in 2008 caused
fatalities among nine Americans and hospitalized over 700. The CEO of the
company along with the quality assurance manager and other management staff was
sentenced to a combined total of 53 years in prison leading to the company
becoming defunct. Under the circumstances, would it not be preferable to have
an effective Food Safety ManagementSystem in place rather than risk a prison term or even closure of the
organization?
Looking at the kind of penalties that an organization or its
executives could face it would be better to conclude that most would prefer to
have A Food Safety Management System despite being required to invest resources
and manpower and remaining in touch with the matter of food safety with utmost
responsibility. The managements of most organizations do not prefer to have a
set of controls placed upon them simply owing to their belief that it would
hamper the profitability of the company. These matters are highlighted within
the litigation with PCA when it was revealed that the management knowingly
shipped tainted products to the market and had even tempered with records from
the lab. Therefore the better option for organizations would be to make a small
investment to implement Food Safety
Management System and to say no to the risks.
When the matter of implementing Food
Safety Management System is discussed organizations do not have to worry
that they will be obliged to bring in major changes that can affect their
overall functionality. They need to have in place a system of controls, which
will reduce the risks, which they could be facing. The management of the
organization must also consider the fact that the system must be indoctrinated
within all its staff members without whom the implementation would become
awkward. Applying the criteria listed under HACCP and implementing it to the
fullest will also make it better for the organization to understand how matters
related to food safety can be easily managed. HACCP will provide the
organization with the information that is needed to manage risks of all kinds
and even have critical control measures in the event of any accidents.
The organization can consider implementing these measures without
external assistance or decide to have a professional draw up a custom-designed
plan for their requirements. There will certainly be some costs involved when
the services of a professional are enlisted. However, he or she will be able to
consider the requirements of the company, design a plan specifically for them
and even have them successfully audited to be certified as an organization,
which is compliant with the requirements. Organizations must understand that
they will be required to train their staff and management to follow every
stipulation, which has been mentioned by the regulatory authorities.
Organizations that are certified as compliant with Food Safety Management Systems can rest
assured that they will have new opportunities opening up for business. The
certificate provided is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative and
therefore the benefits which organizations can get is manifold. They will be
given the opportunity to participate in businesses internationally where they
had never ventured out earlier. It will also give their customers a message
that the organization makes all the efforts needed to safeguard the interests
of their consumers. This will be a credible initiative on the part of the
organization and will not lead them into any kind of disaster.
Not having Food Safety
Management System in place or not paying proper attention to it can lead to
a disaster while the reverse will be true for organizations that are willing to
believe in the policy of "zero risk" and continuing their business
after considering the requirements of their clients before the profitability of
the organization. The principle can be sometimes difficult to adhere to but is
definitely a requirement if organizations are part of the food chain.
No comments:
Post a Comment