Problems Encountered Applying the HACCP Approach to Food Safety: (If HACCP Can Work So Well, Then Why Do So Many Businesses Have Problems with It?)

Abstract This paper reflects the experiences of practitioners drawn from industry, retailing and regulatory bodies across the world. (Mayes and Mortimore 2001). Problems relating to the effective implementation of HACCP programs appear to lie more in cultural and attitudinal factors related to people and their behaviours rather than in the actual HACCP system. HACCP can be seen as an unnecessary, burdensome and bureaucratic activity: This perception needs to be changed through education in a variety of ways:- * education about food borne illness and trends; * education that HACCP really is a minimal system to ensure maximum control; * education to get across the main benefits (For example -- it can help to reduce sanitation costs and down time, lengthen shelf life, improve efficiencies, reduce waste etc.); and * HACCP needs to be seen as a tool for `empowerment', allowing businesses to devolve control of CCPs in an organised and safe way -- involving employees, who are the ones who make safe food in any case. The paper argues that while small to medium enterprises (SMEs), similar to many businesses found in the foodservice industry, have fewer resources compared with large companies, they have a number of advantages in HACCP implementation, including simpler lines of communication and greater flexibility. When a business has a good understanding of HACCP principles and has the commitment and resources to carry them out, HACCP will deliver the promised benefits. Keywords: HACCP, Food Safety Training Introduction Many people talk about the problems in the use of HACCP -- but are they really referring to the symptoms of a much deeper root cause? This article covers a recent review of the real-life experiences given by a number of practitioners drawn from industry, retailing and regulatory bodies across the world (Mayes and Mortimore 2001). There are some real problems that can be identified that are less related to aspects of the HACCP system and more drawn from cultural and attitudinal factors related to people and their behaviours. These cultural and attitudinal factors include the following. * The wrong perception of the value and complexity of HACCP implementation -- often linked to low motivation in embracing HACCP and its benefits. * The need for culture change within an organization: HACCP requires a proactive culture throughout the organisation, from senior management to line operators, involving greater responsibility for identifying and controlling hazards. Some organisations have a more traditional and hierarchical culture in which managers respond reactively to food safety issues and line staff are given little initiative. * Lack of appropriate knowledge and expertise in such key areas as hazard analysis and risk evaluation. * Lack of motivation once the initial implementation is complete. * The failure to develop the right attitude and skills for system maintenance. These problems are more related to people and behaviour as they exist outside of the HACCP system. It is worth noting that such fundamental problems lead to outcomes that form a familiar picture of HACCP system failures. For example:- * Over-complex and unmanageable HACCP systems with too many critical control points (CCPs), partly resulting from a misunderstanding of the role of prerequisite hygiene programs (PRPs) and an inability to conduct proper hazard analysis. * Ineffective monitoring and corrective actions because of failures in organisational culture, poor training and verification procedures. * Poor documentation as a result of over-complex HACCP systems. * Poor validation and verification, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lacking the relevant expertise on hazards. Despite all the failures and outcomes falling within the HACCP system, if we analyse them fully, we will find that the root causes are actually outside the system. …