Food Safety Teams in Negros Oriental and other areas improve their way of managing food safety hazards through AFOS Foundation’s workshop on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) 2020.
AFOS Foundation, together with Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (NOCCI), conducted a two-day virtual workshop on HACCP via Zoom in Panda Ice Cream Conference Room, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The fruitful event was held on August 27 and 31, 2021, and was attended by Negros Oriental FST and other FSTs.
During the online workshop, food safety teams were not only reminded of the importance of their role in the foodservice industry. They were also able to acquire a deeper understanding of the principles employed in the development of HACCP plans.
HACCP is an internationally recognized system of identifying and managing risks related to food safety. It serves as a guide to conducting a thorough analysis and effective control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production to the consumption of the finished product. When a HACCP program is properly implemented, customer complaints may be prevented, hazards may be eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels, and other issues on food safety may be promptly addressed.
Each HACCP program is unique. If a specific plan works on one operation, it does not necessarily mean that it will work for others. Because of this reason, every HACCP plan must be tailored to the business’ product, customers, equipment, processes, and operations.
To create a plan that perfectly fits a specific business operation, food safety teams must fully understand the principles of HACCP. Every member should keep themselves updated on the latest science and regulatory developments in the industry. This way, the team can conduct a thorough hazard analysis, catch all the critical control points, and provide the most efficient way to eliminate possible food safety hazards.
Food safety teams play a vital role in keeping consumers happy and healthy. When food is contaminated, it may contain harmful bacteria, parasites, or chemical substances that can cause hundreds of various diseases ranging from diarrhoeal to cancer. Worse, it may lead to death.
AFOS Foundation understands the importance of having an effective and skilled food safety team. That is why its hardworking team reached out to FSTs in Negros Oriental and other areas and tapped excellent resource persons who can help FSTs hone their skills in integrating HACCP.
AFOS Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of fisherfolks and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the fisheries and related food value chains. As a part of its objectives, AFOS hosts virtual and face-to-face events geared towards capacity-building FSTs under the umbrella of Business Membership Organizations.