IMPLEMENTATION OF HACCP IN FOOD BUSINESSES - THE WAY AHEAD

Food-borne diseases constitute an important public health problem in b oth developed and developing countries, Although their health and econ omic aspects are often obscured by insufficiency of data, available ev idence on incidence and associated costs of medical care indicates tha t they are a major cause of morbidity, and a drain on resources. A joi nt WHO/FAO expert committee on food safety asserts that illness due to contaminated food is probably the most widespread health problem in t he contemporary world, and an important cause of reduced economic prod uctivity. Given the inadequacies of traditional approaches to food saf ety control, viz. inspection and end-product testing, there is a need to apply such other strategy of proven effectiveness as the Hazard Ana lysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system which has been described as the most viable means for the prevention of food-borne diseases yet devised. While there is an extensive Literature suggesting the effect iveness of HACCP in preventing food-borne diseases, food operators hav e yet to embrace it with the anticipated enthusiasm. This paper examin es factors that are likely to hinder wider acceptance and practical im plementation of HACCP in food operations and discusses measures to ove rcome them. It is concluded that HA CCP training and education of food operators and food regulatory officials is a conditio sine qua non fo r the realization of the fullest benefits of the strategy.