HACCP and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System

Being health is a human beings most basic requirement and right. Food products are one of the most important factors affecting our health. Therefore, safety of food products is an unconditional demand of the consumers purchasing them and the production companies are totally under the responsibility of the management. For this reason, food safety must be considered as an unconditional and constant quality parameter in accordance with the quality system terminology.

A manager must establish the Food Safety Control System, maintain its continuity and support it if he/she wants to make production in accordance with hygiene standards and make sure that every batch of product produced and sold is safe.

It must be known that continuous analysis system alone does not provide a guarantee if it is taken into consideration that only a very small amount of the product can be analyzed. Therefore, a method that deals with all stages of the process in a more systematic manner and that is preventive at the same time. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) concept is a system that provides a systematic and logical approach towards this requirement. Food Safety, which is an important subject relating to European Union integration, is also faced in the inspections of public institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the requirements of the Food Codec as covered by this standard.

HACCP STANDARD SERIES

ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System – Conditions for the Establishments in the Food Chain

• ISO 22003 Food Safety Management System – Conditions for the Establishments that Audit and Certify Food Safety Management Systems (2006 first quarter)
•  ISO 22004 Food Safety Management System – The Guide relating to the Implementation of ISO 22000:2005 (November 2005)
• ISO 22005, Traceability in animal feed and food chain- General principles and guideline for system design and preparation

WHO CAN IMPLEMENT IT

Establishments that can be certified directly and indirectly under the scope of the ISO 22000 standard are as follows.

A) Organizations,
1. Farmers,
2. Harvesters,
3. Animal food manufacturers,
4. Food component manufacturers,
5. Food manufacturers,
6. Food vendors,
7. Food services,
8. Ready-made food companies,
9. Organizations that provide cleaning and sanitation services,
10. Shippers, storage and distribution companies, etc.

B) Indirect organizations
1. Organizations that provide equipments,
2. Cleaning and sanitation agents,
3. Packaging materials
4. Organizations that manufacture other elements in contact with food, etc.

HACCP

HACCP is a food safety concept based on the establishment and maintenance of an effectively working system in order to provide safe products to consumers.
It is a food safety system which can be implemented in all establishments and that ensures that safe foods are manufactured conducting hazard analysis and determining control points in all steps of the food chain starting from the procurement of raw materials and including food preparation, processing, producing, packaging, storing and shipping so as to prevent any possible problems before they are realized.

Fundamental Principles of HACCP

HACCP consists of the following 7 generally accepted fundamental principles:
1. Conducting hazard analysis
2. Determining critical control points
3. Establishing critical limits
4. Establishing the system to monitor critical control points
5. Monitoring points that are not under control and implementing corrective actions if necessary
6. Establishing control procedures to inspect the effective operation of the system
7. Creating the documentation system that includes procedures and records used for the implementation of these principles