“Importance of Food Safety Standards in Value Adding”

Apiame Cegumalua, Api Food Consulting Services

IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS IN VALUE ADDING

PROMOTING REGIONAL AND AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE PACIFIC

2nd Pacific Agribusiness Forum 28 August to 1 September, 2016

Apiame Cegumalua (Mrs)API FOOD CONSULTING SERVICES SUVA, FIJI

Banana chips in Samoa

What determines our buying choice and selection ?

Costs ? Quality ? Brand ?

Pandanus Juice in Marshall IslandsDoes food safety play an important role in the choices of buying?

1. Food Produce

- nutrients ideal for growth

- HANDLING & PROCESSING INTRODUCES HAZARDS

- many & various microbes are present

Fresh Produce and final product must be made safe or protected :

- preservation and good manufacturing practices including

- a food safety program – e.g. hazard analysis critical control point

(HACCP)

-difficult to DEFINE WHAT IS A “SAFE FOOD”

- (ISO 8402 -2000) -

state in which risk of human (to persons) or damage is limited to an acceptable level

(FSC, 3.1.1) Safe and suitable food

i) for the purpose of the food safety standards, food is not safe if it would be likely to cause physical harm to a person who might later consume it, assuming

it was :

a) after that time and before being consumed by the person , properly subjected to all processes (if any) that are relevant to its reasonable intended use and

b) consumed by the person according to its reasonable intended use

1.1 Safe Food Product

- Impact /effect of unsafe food (food poisoning) is not known- not every incident is recorded or identified - food standard Aust. NZ (FSANZ) estimated that 5.2 million Australians- suffer from food poisoning every year with the costs of over $2.6 billion per year to the economy

1.2 Food Safety Issues

1.2.1 - Food borne outbreaks :

- little or no records in Fiji and Pacific Island countries

Aust : causes : bacteria (44%) toxins (21%) viruses (4%) unknown (31%)

no records in Fiji / PIC

Aust : 1.2% adult & 5.8% children suffer from food borne allergies –

symptoms : skin rashes, eczema, bloating, mouth ulcers, diarrhoea and/or constipation, respiratory problems, etc .

(Ref: afgc “food industry guide to allegens management labelling “) www.afgc.org.au

increased food poisoning is due to changes in food processing, minimally processed, extended shelf life,

pre – preparation

most outbreaks occurs in commercial operations by :

Raw materials (26%)inadequate handling (20%)temperature abuse (18%)

1.2.2 Allergies and illnesses

- food businesses must decide

- A) what hazards (risks) they consider significant ?

B) - what controls they put in place?

C) - what micro standards applied? - depend upon the level of

risk the business wishes to ACCEPT

- CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO SET STANDARDS

D) must determine the level of risk in a supply chain or at every step of process? :

Severe ? High ? Medium or Low ?

3 criteria to use for High risk foods a) ready to eat

b) must be kept under temp control for safetyc) use by date

2. Where does the “HARM” begin?

Steps Hazards Level of severity

Corrective action

Monitoring who?

records

Receiving Biological : bacteriaChemical: weedicides, heavy metals Physical : soil, dirt

Highmedlow

Accept/reject ?

Physical check/supervisor

Record BC 001

Washing Biological -Chemical-Physical -

lowMedium low

GMP 01Cleaning

Peeling B, C, P GMP O2

Slicing B, C, P GMP O2

Frying B, C, P Temp /time

Packing B, C, P GMP 04

Storage B, C, P GMP 05

2.1 Example of a hazard/risk analysis for banana chips (HACCP)

- promotes exports of safe and high quality food from the PIC to meet

increase demand of “ safe food in compliance with strict hygiene rules”

- a “statement” or “qualification” of “commitment” to produce and

supply Safe Food

- a reference for Safety and Quality Consistency

- serves as a Basis for Audit

- present concerns in quality with respect to biological, chemical and

physical, will be addressed if appropriate pre and post harvest

operations, storage and packing are adopted.

2.2 Food safety standard

• CODEX Alimentarius Commission is an International standard • – widely used

E.g. a) Compositional Standards e.g. Std 240-2003

Coconut milk and coconut creamb) Processing Guidelines e.g. GL 13-1991 Preservation of raw milk by lactoperoxidase

c) Code of practice : e.g. RCP-1, Rev 4 -2003 General Principles of Food Hygiene

www.codexalimentarius.netCountries have developed Food Standards

based on CODEX

3. Application of International standards in Fiji, PIC, NZ & Australia

• The Food Hygiene Directive (FHD) (93/43/EEC) set out across the EU

- Is applied to anyone who owns, manages, works and processes, or involves in a food business activity in EU (apart from those working in primary food production) and indirectly affect those

supplying to the EU.

• Application of FHD 93/43/EEC will force exporters to supply a higher and safer quality of produce and to improve production

circumstances and methods in the country of origin

3.1 Application of Standards with EU Market

European Union FHD (93/43/EEC) andCODEX Code of Practice . RCP-1, Rev 4 -2003

General Principles of Food Hygiene both implement system that are based on the

principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) – A

technique or a process, it’s a preventative system in a process to assure safe and quality

production of safe and quality food• : will not buy any raw material suspected to be

unfit for human consumption even after sorting and processing or suspected to have harmful

materials will be rejected- • Critical Control Point The last opportunity to control the

risk

3.2 Application of HACCP system in the Food Processing & Manufacturing Business

- Pacific Community EU program (FACT, IACT)

- 9 Pacific Island Business enterprises - HACCP accredited

- ( 5 Fiji, 1 Tonga, 1 RMI, 2 FSM) - 8 Pac Is. Bus. enterprise are

HACCP complying- (5 Fiji, 1 Tonga, 1 Cook Is, 1 PNG)

3.3 Food Safety work in the Pacific Islands

- HACCP accredited Food business are - implementing systems to ensure that Hazards are identified and controls are in place,

- are selective in dealing with their suppliers and should request strict application of HACCP in the countries of origin of imported products

Any HACCP System is capable of accommodating changes such as advances in equipment, designs, processing, etc., related to the products.

• On a market pt. of view, the PIC should take into account the introduction of systems

based on HACCP in food business in the EU.

• Consider food safety procedures and apply HACCP.

• Exporters should check with overseas importers to find out any hygienic codes which may contain specific

recommendations of (foreign) supply for a specific product

3.4 Application of HACCP system in the Food processing & Manufacturing Business in PIC

- There is an increasing need to promote appreciation and understanding Of HACCP by Govt. and Food industries here in the Pacific.

- Need to Increase available capacity and skills and knowledge of - Food Safety program HACCP

- Need to increase capacities Food Science, Food Tech, Food Analysis, Microbiology /Trainers/Safety AUDITORS

- Effectiveness of Control measures and level of implementation - Commitment by management including Directors

- Awareness of all employees- CAPITAL/ FUNDING ($$$)

- - seek funding from Financial Institution or donors

4. Challenges, Constraints, Opportunities

• It is not easy task• Some degree of compliance will be attained

If normal care and attention are given at various stages of handling the produce, from growing to packaging

• “ We in the PI must rise to this challenge -implement HACCP to producing quality and safe food ”

• Its time we learn from EU, develop just one “Food Standard for the Pacific ”

4.1 Applications of International Standards in Fiji and PI nations

Vinaka Vakalevu

Thank you for your attention