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Food SMEs urged to operate effective food safety management system |
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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in the food sector are advised to establish and operate an effective food safety management system (FSMS) in order for them to thrive and survive.
Director Nestor O. Raņeses of the University of the Philippines-Institute for Small Scale Industries cited the inadequate or lack of awareness and strategic understanding of such system among the impediments faced by food SMEs.
Raņeses, in a food safety conference, said an effective FSMS are those which are well-established, documented and continuously improved; as well as which are pro-active, innovative, scientific, risk-avoiding and prevention-oriented.
He said essentials of the system include good practices/prerequisite programs, hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) program and food safety management systems.
Raņeses explained that prerequisite programs are basic conditions and activities needed to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food supply chain.
These programs control food safety hazards from work environment; control biological, chemical and physical contamination of the product; and control safety hazard in the product and processing environment.
Raņeses said the HACCP, on the other hand, needs to be implemented in conjunction with two other food safety practices --Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).
"HACCP cannot itself guarantee food safety. Must be done in conjunction with GMP and GHP," he stressed.
Raņeses further said FSMS management elements include management responsibility; resource management; product/service realization; measurement, analysis and control; and documentation.
In the implementation of the system, he underscored the need to intensify government food safety programs particularly GMP, HACCP, Good Agricultural Practices and ISO 22000.
For his part, Undersecretary Fortunato De La Peņa of the Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for S&T Services stressed that increasing food safety awareness minimize exposure to hazards thus, minimize the risk.
De La Peņa said an effective risk-based food safety system can result in increased consumer confidence, sound regulatory foundation and better food safety outcomes and improvements in public health. -- Danielle Venz, PHILEXPORT News and Features
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