Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, is a system that addresses food safety and allows businesses to identify various risks in production processes that can affect the finished product and users or consumers.
The implementation of HACCP at any or all stages of a food supply chain (production, preparation, packaging, and distribution) helps businesses avoid potential physical, chemical, and biological hazards. By eliminating potential hazards early on, businesses need not depend on the inspection of finished products at a later stage to ensure their products are safe for human consumption.
Since our company supplies products to food manufacturers and similar businesses, HACCP is a crucial element of our business.
HACCP and how it benefits our business
We supply food-grade products to food processing companies, meat wholesalers, butchers, seafood suppliers, and other companies in the industry. The products we manufacture include the following:
- Aprons
- Berets
- Beard covers
- Reusable bamboo coffee cups
- Fruit boxes
- Fruit tray liners
- Seafood boxes
- Meat branding ink
- Freezer spacers
- Butcher’s accessories (e.g., arm protection nylon sleeves, arm protection PVC sleeves, butcher’s belt, knife roll with pockets, etc.)
By following HACCP-based procedures, we can implement controls affecting food safety. These include the ingredients and materials we use right through to the production, storage, and distribution of our products, as well as sale and service.
The preventative measures built into the HACCP system ensure our products meet food safety standards so that our customers can benefit in the following ways:
Better food safety
Most of our customers are part of the food manufacturing and processing industry. This means that our products are used or come into contact with certain food products.
For example, our bamboo coffee cups end up in the hands of consumers, while the meat branding ink we supply is applied directly to the skin of butchered animals. These carcasses are later sold as fresh meat or as processed meat products.
If for any reason, the products we supply are contaminated or contain non-food-grade chemicals, the end products may be deemed unsafe for human consumption. With HACCP guidelines in place, we can assure our customers of high-quality food-grade products that are safe for consumers.
Heightened awareness of food risks
HACCP standards require us to be aware of the possibility of food risks at every stage of our supply chain and operations. This enables us to avoid such risks by implementing the preventative measures of the HACCP system.
Higher-level traceability of product and raw ingredients
A big part of risk prevention is in knowing where raw material ingredients are sourced — and this is part of the HACCP system. By knowing where our suppliers are and where our materials come from, we can give our own customers the assurance that everything we use in our products comes from vetted, reliable sources.
Improved buyer and consumer confidence
The fact that we are HACCP-certified and follow HACCP standards inspires confidence and trust in our customers. This is because they are also aware of what being HACCP certified means. In turn, our customers can impart the same confidence to their consumers who can buy and use their products with complete trust.
Consistency in inspection criteria
A major requirement in manufacturing is consistency in quality, which is only possible when inspection criteria remain equally consistent. This keeps us constantly on our toes and, more importantly, compels us to remain vigilant and apply the same stringent standards to all our processes.
Embedding of the internal review of processes in business practices
With HACCP as our guide, we have a system in place to inform business-critical processes and decisions. In this manner, we are able to maintain product and service quality, protect our customers, and ensure the safety of consumers.
Compliance with food safety laws and regulations
HACCP-based protocols are there to ensure our company complies with the food safety and health standards that govern our type of business.
The need to comply with current codes and quality standards helps keep us on our toes at all times, as it is the best way to ensure our products are safe for public consumption.
Decrease in the incidence of complaints
By implementing HACCP standards strictly, it follows that there would be fewer or even zero complaints regarding food safety.
Our production managers, operators, and staff undergo training to understand key HACCP principles and master HACCP critical control points. Any product that does not pass a critical control point will not move any further and be investigated to address any failures or inefficiencies. This eliminates the incidence of product recalls that are both costly and wasteful, and subsequent litigation from aggrieved parties.
Lower risk of negative publicity
Today, more than ever, negative publicity can spread like wildfire, thanks to the Internet and social media. Any news on food safety — particularly those about food contamination or unsafe, unhygienic food production practices — can easily destroy a company’s carefully built reputation.
By adhering strictly to HACCP standards, we do not have to deal with such complications.
Greater responsiveness to and efficient resolution of problems
With a HACCP-enabled business, it becomes easy to identify and address issues, as well as trace where problems might occur.
To be HACCP-compliant, we are required to keep detailed documentation of all procedures and records. This not only makes data retrieval faster but also helps to ensure potential problems are identified easily on the outset and resolved before any of our products even reach our customers.
Effective direction of resources to safety-critical elements of the process
HACCP equips businesses with the ability to identify critical control points that impact food safety. This further enables us to direct more resources to these significant areas to ultimately reduce or eliminate any inefficiencies that can put our products, customers, and consumers at risk.
Most of all, by adhering to the HACCP system, we know that we are doing our utmost to ensure that the end-customers — the consumers — have access to safe and healthy food products.
