Implementation of HACCP and prerequisite programs in food businesses in Turkey

The objectives of this study was to determine food safety practices and procedures related to the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) programme and prerequisite programme implementation in food businesses. One hundred and nine food businesses in Turkey were assessed for HACCP-prerequisite programmes and food safety practices. Only eight food businesses had implemented the HACCP system in food businesses. Directors and employees often have insufficient knowledge regarding the basics of food hygiene. Results indicated that proper food safety practices and prerequisite food safety programmes for HACCP were often not being followed in many food businesses. Time and temperature errors and inadequate handwashing practices were wide in the most food businesses. Emphasis on implementing prerequisite programmes in preparation for HACCP is needed in food businesses. The problems of implementing HACCP in food businesses have been namely a low level of food hygiene management training, high staff turnover rate, lack of motivation, lack of financial resources, inadequate equipment and physical conditions of the facility and failure of government.     

Difficulties and barriers for the implementing of HACCP and food safety systems in food businesses in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to determine barriers for HACCP and food safety programs in food businesses in Turkey. A lack of understanding of HACCP was identified as one of the main barriers to its implementation 63.5% reported that they did not really know what HACCP was while 23.5% reported that it was too complicated. Only 33.0% of managers said they had a food safety management system. About 31% of the employees in food businesses had received basic food hygiene training. The majority of managers (91.3%) identified improved customer confidence as a benefit of implementing a food safety management system. Lack of prerequisite programs (92.2%) was the key barrier identified for all food businesses. While lack of knowledge about HACCP (83.5%), lack of time (88.7%), staff turnover (80.9%), lack of employee motivation (83.5%), complicated terminology (87.0%) and lack of personnel training (91.3) was the other most common barriers in food businesses. As a conclusion, lack of knowledge about HACCP and other food safety programs were identified as the main barriers for food safety in food businesses. Lack of prerequisite programs and inadequate physical condition of the facility were also identified as other barriers. Training programs, both basic food safety and HACCP to support implementation of prerequisite programs and HACCP in food businesses were suggested.     

Food safety knowledge among food service staff in hospitals in Jordan

This study aimed to measure food safety knowledge among food service staff in hospitals in Jordan. A total of 532 food service personal (dietitians, cooks and food workers) from 37 hospitals (public, private, and university hospitals) were conveniently selected to participate in this cross sectional study. The participants completed a questionnaire composed of two parts (general characteristics and food safety knowledge). The overall food safety knowledge of food service staff is fair with a mean score of 56.3 out of 90 points (62.5%). Respondents had sufficient knowledge on “cross contamination prevention and sanitation” aspect, while they had very poor to good knowledge on “foodborne pathogens and related symptoms and illnesses”, “safe storage, thawing, cooking, holding and reheating of the foods”, “health problems that would affect food safety” and “personal hygiene” aspects. There were no significant associations between the total food safety knowledge score and age, educational level, marital status, income, experience, nature of work and attending course(s) on food safety. Respondents from public hospitals and who believed that HACCP is not important for food safety had significantly lower food safety knowledge score than those from private sector (OR: 3.3, CI: 1.76–6.01) and those who believed that HACCP is important (OR: 3, CI: 1.64–5.36), respectively. Food workers and respondents who have experience ≤48 months had significantly lower food safety knowledge score than dietitians (OR: 2.6, CI: 1.33–5.2) and those who have experience > 48 months (OR: 1.9, CI: 1.06–3.51), respectively. There is an urgent need for tailored food safety education and training programs that improve food safety knowledge of food service staff in hospitals in Jordan.     

Practical considerations on food safety objectives

The concept of food safety objectives (FSO) is very strong in that it may make food safety transparent and quantifiable. This brings a major advantage in that one can ensure food safety at the process where it is the most effective in meeting the overall integrated objective. A practical overview is given how to derive FSOs from population health goals, through product group health objectives. Then these FSOs can be used to assign the responsibilities over the various parts of the food chain, and within one part of the chain over the various process stages, linking finally the limits of the CCPs in HACCP to the overall public health objective. Determination of characteristic numbers (log change in numbers) can help to supply the quantification of the various parts. Finally, the impact of the statistical distribution of the concentration of pathogens in foods is taken into account, and how it impacts compliance to an FSO.     

New Zealand approaches to HACCP systems

HACCP is becoming an increasingly important component of food safety assurances for international trade and this includes the expectation that the exporting country will meet similar or equivalent HACCP requirements to those of the importing country. The influence of market access requirements and the existing legislative requirements and infrastructure of New Zealand determine the government’s role in assessing HACCP systems. Recent structural changes in New Zealand has introduced flexibility in this role. The importance of building blocks for HACCP such as prerequisite programmes, food safety objectives, generic HACCP plans, HACCP specifications, and audit competency requirements are emphasised. Government role in assessment is discussed, including the initial “recognition” of a validated HACCP plan followed by performance-based compliance audits.     

Measuring microbial food safety output and comparing self-checking systems of food business operators in Belgium

The Belgian food safety authority has provided incentives for food business operators to set-up a certified self-checking system (SCS), based upon good practices and HACCP principles. A selection of food processing companies in Belgium was invited to take part in a self-assessment study to evaluate the effect of SCS certification on the performance of an implemented food safety management system (FSMS) and on company's microbiological food safety output according to their sector and company size and to compare the added value of SCS against voluntary standard certification.Results revealed that the majority of food processing companies (90%) were already certified for a voluntary standard such as BRC or IFS prior to or next to the Belgian SCS certification (50%). Although five clusters could be identified among the eighty-two participating companies in the performance profiles of their food safety management system and microbiological food safety output, overall no significant difference could be identified between SCS certified and non-certified SCS food processing companies. However, assurance activities (i.e. set-up of sampling plan, validation and verification of the FSMS) were elaborated at a more advanced, tailored level in SCS certified companies. No significant differences were found according to company size, but depending on the sector more robust FSMS could be identified (e.g. animal products processing sector). The benefits of the widespread presence of a third party certified food safety management system (whether voluntary standard or national SCS) as a basis for governing food safety are also reflected in the favourable inspection results obtained by Belgian food safety authority (76.90%–78.71% compliance in years 2009–2011; 12 823 SCS certified companies being visited) at the processing level. Whereas higher non-compliance in inspection results is noted (47.55–52.45% compliance in years 2009–2011; 4 415 SCS certified companies being visited) in the distribution sector, encompassing a large amount of small food service operations and retail outlets. The introduction of certified SCS is still exceptional in that sector (4.11% in 2011) and the introduction of voluntary standards is less common due to lack of incentives, capacity and resources. Thus, there are indications that a certification system based on audits is an appropriate approach in pro-actively governing food safety and supporting the implementation of control and assurance activities at advanced level, hence increasing the robustness of the food safety management systems as a basis for good microbiological food safety output.     

HACCP – The difficulty with Hazard Analysis

HACCP is a key element of modern food safety management practice such that design, implementation, control and management of HACCP systems are crucial to the production of safe food products. Whilst it is widely accepted that food companies should apply HACCP, understanding of the factors impacting successful HACCP application is limited and this knowledge is important to the delivery of systems that will control all relevant food safety hazards. HACCP principle 1, Conduct a Hazard Analysis, forms a central pillar of any HACCP plan since hazards need to be identified, analysed and understood before effective control measures can be specified. However limited guidance is available to HACCP teams on exactly how to approach the application of this principle. This paper discusses an investigation into the application of HACCP principle 1 by HACCP teams operating within manufacturing sites of a multinational food company. Using a combination of HACCP knowledge testing and HACCP plan assessment, the study identified weaknesses in knowledge of significant hazard identification and errors in the hazard analysis process, including errors in application of structured risk evaluation methods. Findings suggest that this is an area of difficulty for HACCP teams and that further detailed guidance in the application of this HACCP principle is urgently needed.     

A review on food safety and food hygiene studies in Ghana

Food safety and hygiene in Ghana was studied using desk top literature review. Food research was highly concentrated in the capital city of the country and most research focus were on commercial food operations specifically street foods and microbiological safety with limited information from institutional catering and other forms of food hazards. The media currently serves as the main source for reporting of food borne diseases. Food establishments and other sources contributing to food borne diseases included restaurants, food joints, food vendors, schools and individual homes. Limited use of prerequisites measures and food safety management systems was identified. Recommendations on regulating the General Hygiene Principles, implementation of HACCP to strengthen the food sector, regular food safety and hygiene workshops and training for food handlers that commensurate with their roles were made. Government support for SMEs and food handler's health screening were made.     

A comparison of food safety programs using the Customizable Tool for Online Training Evaluation

Food safety training for restaurant and food service employees is essential to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. With the large variety of food safety training programs available, it is critical to have an objective evaluation tool, which will allow managers, supervisors or purchasing agents to assessment strengths and weakness among multiple programs. The objective of this study was to use a newly created evaluation tool, the Customizable Tool for Online Training Evaluation (CTOTE) to assess and compare four online food safety training programs currently available to the food service industry. Through a comparison of the objectives of each training programs, a delivery method for training to front-line employees was identified. The preferred training approach was a blended method, which uses multiple delivery methods in a single training module to reinforce of the material being taught. The food safety training program containing the highest overall rating among respondents uses this blended delivery method and was taught at a middle school reading level. Results from this study show supervisors that front-line employees want clear, easy-to-follow instructions, the ability to check their progress, save their work and continue at a later time and include relevant examples and scenarios. Additionally, based on these results, retail employers and food processors can employ the most preferred food safety training methods for their employees.     

Critical factors,food quality management and organizational performance

This paper proposes a model for measuring the effectiveness of quality (ISO 9001) and food safety (HACCP) systems, based on their stated objectives, when these systems are jointly implemented in a food company. In addition, it investigates the critical factors for effective implementation (CFEI) of the ISO 9001 and HACCP systems; and examines the degree to which the combined implementation of ISO 9001 and HACCP influences the overall performance of the certified firms. To achieve these objectives, primary field data was collected through an empirical survey that was conducted among 347 food companies in Greece, which were certified to ISO 9001, HACCP and/or ISO 22000 systems. Initially, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and then Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were applied. The connections among the non observed model factors were verified through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) inspection. The findings suggest that “employee attributes”, “organizations' attributes” and “internal business motives” make a significant contribution to the effective implementation of the ISO 9001 and HACCP systems. In addition, the effective implementation of the ISO 9001 and HACCP systems contribute to the business performance of companies in the Greek food industry. The evidence provided in this study helps managers to realize the importance of CFEI and the effective combined implementation of these systems in order to provide the necessary resources and support and develop the necessary policies, practices and procedures.     

HACCP effectiveness between ISO 22000 certified and non-certified dairy companies

The purpose of the study is to determine the differences between the ISO 22000 certified and non-certified dairy companies with regard to the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) Food Safety System (FSS) effectiveness. The HACCP FSS effectiveness is defined in the present study as the degree of the achievement of the system objectives (identification, assessment and the control of food borne safety hazards). A research study was carried out in 74 Greek dairy companies using a structured questionnaire. The differences between the ISO 22000 certified and non-certified dairy companies (both implementing HACCP principles) with regard to HACCP effectiveness are determined through non parametric tests such as the Chi-square Test and the Mann–Whitney Test. The vast majority of the participating in the present study dairy companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The ISO 22000 certified dairy companies significantly outperform the non-certified with regard to the HACCP FSS effectiveness, in other words to the degree to which the objectives of HACCP are achieved. Thus, managers of dairy SMEs taking advantage of the structured organization and the documented procedures provided by the ISO 22000 standard can increase the level of achieving the objectives of the HACCP FSS, in other words HACCP effectiveness. In doing so, dairy SMEs can set the foundations in order to optimize the conditions under which safe food is provided, minimize the possibility of food non-conformities and scandals, increase market share and consequently withstand the current downturn.     

The relationship among food safety knowledge,attitudes and self-reported HACCP practices in restaurant employees

This study investigates relationships among food safety knowledge, attitudes and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) practices in restaurant employees in Taiwan. The authors administered a baseline questionnaire to 542 restaurant employees to assess their food safety knowledge, attitude and HACCP practices. A total of 421 valid questionnaires were returned and used in analysis. Mean scores for each survey item were calculated and used in a structural equation model (SEM) designed to assess interrelationships between the three. Participants scored an average 84.7% correct in food safety knowledge, with highest and lowest correct scores in, respectively, the food poisoning and good hygienic practices (GHP) constructs. The highest score in the attitude section was “concern for food safety” followed by “self-improvement.” With the exception of the food poisoning construct, this study found correlations among knowledge, attitude, and HACCP practices, with attitude mediating the relationship between knowledge and HACCP practices. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

An empirical investigation of food safety culture in onsite foodservice operations

Limited studies have explored employees' perceptions of food safety culture in onsite foodservices, despite the growing recognition of the impact of improving food safety practices. A cross-sectional paper-based survey was conducted with nonsupervisory employees (n = 582) from health care and school foodservice operations (n = 51) in three Midwest states to assess food safety culture using an instrument developed and validated in this specific context. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which employees' perceptions of food safety culture differ based on demographic variables and operation characteristics (management system, size, and type of operation). Employees' perceptions of food safety culture were evaluated on factors of management and coworkers support, communication, self-commitment, environment support, work pressure, and risk judgment. Areas of strength and potential improvement were identified; significant differences found in employees' perceptions can guide development of interventions that support safe food handling practices in onsite foodservices.     

Effective implementation of food safety initiatives: Managers’, food safety coordinators’ and production workers’ perspectives

The purpose of this research is to identify factors motivating HACCP implementation in small and medium food companies, factors essential to successful implementation, and challenges during implementation. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with various personnel in eight establishments in Ontario. These generated 239 pages of transcribed data. Trends and patterns in the data were identified using NVivo7 software. The main motivating factors were the likelihood of future regulation, the value of HACCP for marketing, and avoiding food safety problems. Management commitment was the most commonly cited element of successful implementation. Food safety managers/coordinators faced the greatest variety of challenges during implementation.     

Trapping the food safety performance of a small or medium-sized food company using a risk-based model. The HYGRAM system

The requirements of implementing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles in food production are increasing. A practical risk quantification model, HYGRAM, was developed for small and medium-sized enterprises to meet this challenge. The model makes the user familiar with the HACCP principles by software-assisted guidance through the procedure, connecting special microbiological hazards, good hygiene practice, and other prerequisite programs to HACCP. HYGRAM is a tool to analyze and quantify risks of different processes, and to compare them. It is developed to relieve enterprises with limited resources in confirming the food safety of their production.     

Barriers and benefits of the implementation of food safety management systems among the Turkish dairy industry: A case study

The aim of this research was to determine the barriers and advantages of the Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and food safety programs (FSPS) employed by the dairy industry in Ayd?n, Turkey. By conducting face-to-face interviews and using questionnaires, the structure of Ayd?n dairy plants’ food safety management systems was characterized. The questionnaires elicited information about the applications of food safety systems, dairy plant managers’ opinions about any inspection systems, and their expectations for government and local legal authorities in food safety systems. Twenty-eight operating dairy plants in Ayd?n with a production licence from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock show activity in the sector for more than 10 years (53.5%) with joint-stock or limited company status (60.7%). These plants produce white cheese, fermented milk products and butter. Implementing a clear and efficient food safety management system can improve legal issues (85.7%) and increase client trust (64.3%). This is positively correlated with the ages of dairy plant managers in the dairy industry in Ayd?n (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). All the same, not understanding the HACCP was specified as one of the main barriers to its utilization. Almost half of managers (46.5%) reported not really knowing what HACCP was, while 35.8% reported that it was too expensive to employ. On the other hand, the main difficulties with prerequisite program (PRP) applications in Ayd?n dairy plants was determined to be a result of insufficient physical conditions (35.7%) and cost (46.4%).A lack of knowledge relating to and the cost of HACCP and other food safety programs were the main barriers to implementation in the Ayd?n dairy industry. Providing periodical training and consultation services for FSMS applications in the dairy industry by the government and also providing financial support must be provided.     

Attitudes towards own-checking and HACCP plans among Finnish food industry employees

Ten copies each of a mail survey was designed and distributed to 87 Finnish food manufacturing companies in order to be distributed to 870 employees representing both workers and managers. Respondents were asked about their attitudes towards food hygiene management strategies in their companies. The final response rates for companies and individual employees were 34.9% and 21.2%, respectively. Answers were stratified according to four job categories and four industry sectors (meat, dairy, fish and bakery). The employees’ attitudes towards various surveyed risk management practices were exclusively positive, regardless of job category or industry sector. All 30 companies that responded to the survey had a functioning own-checking plan (OCP), while other quality management programs were less prevalent. When asked what had caused most difficulties in devising the OCP/HACCP plan the most common answers were choosing the critical control points, committing the firm’s entire workforce and organizing the documentation of monitoring results. According to the respondents, the biggest benefits of the OCP/HACCP plan were product safety and quality.     

Food safety objective: An integral part of food chain management

The concept of food safety objective has been proposed to provide a target for operational food safety management, leaving flexibility in the way equivalent food safety levels are achieved by different food chains. The concept helps to better relate operational food safety management to public health goals, i.e. to an appropriate level of protection. The FSO articulates the joint target of a food chain, including all relevant links in that chain, and is common to all other food chains relevant to a pathogen/commodity combination. Performance objectives and performance criteria are two new concepts proposed recently to complement that of food safety objectives with respect to food safety control and control measures and process criteria regarding operational food safety management. All concepts together help government to give guidance to food chains about the expected safety of food products and at the same time help food chains to design their food production and food safety management systems such that there is compliance with this expectation.     

Implementation of ISO 22000 in cereal food industry “SMID” in Tunisia

Cereal products (flour and semolina) are of great importance in the Tunisian diet. Over one million tons of cereal (soft and hard wheat) are consumed a year. Bread, pasta and couscous are the main forms of cereal consumption providing more than 70% of dietary proteins. The SMID, a wheat grinding company has implemented the ISO 22000 system involving essentially the prerequisite programs (PRPs) and the HACCP principals. The objective of this study is to determine food safety practices and procedures related to the food safety management system (ISO 22000). The PRPs were identified to prepare for the HACCP.