Debate about food safety best practices rages on

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The various food safety standards leave some F&B professionals feeling confused about which to follow.

The Middle East's hospitality industry remains divided over best practice guidelines for food safety and hygiene.

Despite the fact that many of the region's hotels and restaurants are in the process of gaining HACCP certification at present to meet international standards of safety, Coral Deira Dubai general manager Naucer Mechmoum claimed these standards were "absolutely out of date and obsolete, as they are more than half a century old".

"The UAE has witnessed an impressive development in the hotel sector in terms of products and standards, and I'm sure that hygiene is given the appropriate consideration. However, since HACCP was first established in the 1960s, science, technology and our profession have progressed tremendously," he pointed out.

Nowadays, the innovation in the food safety field was ISO 22000, Mechmoum stated, which was established in October 2005.

"The HACCP guidelines only account for about 20% of this particular food safety management system," he said.

"The critical control points (CCPs) deal with cooking and storage temperatures whereas ISO 22000 is a management system that starts with the origin of the raw materials at the level of the suppliers or producers."

Mechmoum was convinced of ISO 22000's superiority because it took the aspects of food storage, requisitioning, dispatching and preparation into consideration.

"Every link of the food production chain is recorded. HACCP is only a method to control a particular food production stage, whereas ISO 22000 is a complete and comprehensive process to help businesses achieve safe products," he summarised.

Oman-based Food Safety Consultancy general manger and senior food safety advisor Fran Collison disagreed strongly with Mechmoum, however, describing his views as "worrying".

"While HACCP is at the forefront of many hotels' and catering establishments' agendas, [these] comments, which promoted another type of food safety standard, could be confusing to those who are trying so hard to get their operations in line," she explained.

"Essentially, ISO is expensive and consultants and certification services seem to be able to use it as a license to print money.

"As good as the standards may be, no government or international organisation to my knowledge promotes the ISO 22000  as the standard to use for food safety management."

Collison also opposed Mechmoum's assertion that HACCP only dealt with elements such as cooking and storage temperatures, stating that the regulations covered the entire food safety and hygiene process, "from farm to fork".

"ISO 22000 is as good as the auditor or certification company that enforces it and, in my opinion, many auditors are not technically competent in assessing to the required standard," she added.

Dr. John Surak of Surak & Associates, a full-service food safety and quality consulting service, said that improvements needed to be made to the current regulatory system in order to eliminate any confusion.

"There is a need for a unified [food safety] process."

"There are dozens of accreditations necessary for different markets, which are all slightly similar but slightly different," he explained.

"What I believe is really impressive is the overwhelming desire for industry and government in the region to build the necessary infrastructure for better food safety management programmes to be implemented."

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USER COMMENTS (3 COMMENTS)

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Telephone number
Posted by Fran Collison, Muscat, Oman on 27 May 2008 at 19:50 UAE time


00968 92644974 is the correct number if you wish to contact me.

HACP
Posted by Fran Collison, Muscat, Oman on 24 May 2008 at 21:13 UAE time


Bobby is correct, HACCP is modern and complies with the field to fork approach to food safety.

As a point to note, a food safety management system based on the Codex principles of HACCP is required for all food businesses in Europe. Eu Regulation 852
So perhaps the most advanced in its field along with Australia and New Zealand who also follow Codex to the letter.
The USA at present only recommends HACCP rather than enforcing it through legislation.
The HACCP world is changing daily and I would like to think that those who would like to be updated get educated.

Fran Collison
Food Safety Consultancy
Sultanate of Oman
00968 92644774

Food Safety
Posted by Bobby Krishna on 13 May 2008 at 21:16 UAE time

I think Mr. Naucer Mechmoum needs a good training session on HACCP and ISO 22000. From his statement, I can clearly understand that he has no clue about both.

The International Food Safety Management Standard, ISO 22000, was developed in response to a need for a worldwide standard supported by an independent, international organisation, which would encourage harmonisation of national and private standards for food safety management.

HACCP, though it started for NASA's space missions, was originally developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint committee of the FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization) and WHO (World Health Organization). The committee first published HACCP guidelines in 1991, and has been enhanced and refined ever since. It is the most accepted food safety management system worldwide. Mr. Mechoum perhaps doesnt know that hazards are controlled at all stages from Farm to Fork.

HACCP is manadatory for manufacturers in the U.S, a country that is believed to be most advanced in food safety. European Union has also enforced HACCP for manufacturers. Dubai is a step ahead by enforcing HACCP for retailers as well.

Please don't judge systems based on the year it was formulated because they get updated often!

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