In principle national regulations and Codex (for these regulations that relate to Codex) related to HACCP, should suffice. Regulations are self standing, and you have to comply, first of all with mandatory regulations of your own country or of the importing country.
After that, there are some different possibilities:
(i) Some buyers ask for specific certification from the X scheme. This could be because: (a) the specific certification ask for some requirement, in addition to those already asked for by regulations and/ or because they ask for a more demanding condition. (b)It could be the case that the certification ask for some quality aspect (not a safety requirement included in regulations) too.
(ii) The specific certification is some known (quality) seal aimed to generate credence in consumers (or to follow some private - e.g. supermarket- standard) and it is not necessarily more demanding in terms of safety.
Till here all fine, the problem is that some of these systems are sold like "THE HACCP SYSTEM", this means people in the industry may be induced to believe that the HACCP scheme bought or contracted, is also buying compliance with regulations. This is plainly wrong (at least for EC countries, USA, Canada, etc.), compliance to regulations can be assessed only by competent authorities.
Public health and food (and fish safety) is a matter of food police and has not been delegated to private institutions (many people don not like that, but as Old Romans said: "Dura Lex sed Lex").
In first place, regulations are not Standards, for a number of reasons, and who has been involved in auditing both type, can understand very easily why. This means that for one or another reason, private standards nearly always fall short of regulations.
After saying that, I think that some of them could help industry people to do they homework (to be neutral I would say for instance ISO). The homework could cover, for instance, the HACCP internal audit (included as a part of verification step), or eventually the external private audit(e.g. by the buyer). It does not, and can not, replace regulatory audits, that is what some people in the industry think.
I am sorry but you can not buy that. Of course, as you know, if you dream of something, the next second somebody will be knocking at your door to sell you a wonderful dream.
I think that companies and institutions that sell HACCP certifications for a fee, have a market to assist the industry to perform their internal audit and verification work in general. Unfortunately, they do not sell they products that way.
If they had done this, for instance regarding the Sudan 1 (dye) crisis in UK and Europe, likely some of the brands involved would not have been listed in the recalls (everybody would be surprised of the brands in that recall list, and all the HACCP and quality seals and certification that did not work). If one, only one, of that seals had avoided their customers the problem (or the next food scandal), people would rush to contract them. Council for free to make this World a bit better.
People in developed countries have all the information and knowledge to know about this, I am sending this note because industry people in developing countries not always have the elements to judge about this, and can think that the "X" System, coming from the "X" country, has the blessing of the competent authorities of the "X" country, that very often is not the case.
Kind regards.
Hector M. Lupin
---------- Initial Header -----------
>From : owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu
To : straddiegal@optusnet.com.au,"Foodfocus Advies" info@foodfocus.nl,"Otwell,Walter S" otwell@ufl.edu, pdtom@ucdavis.edu
Cc : seafood@ucdavis.edu
Date : Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:49:41 -0700 (PDT)
Subject : RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
> I have seen the notes on the Dutch Standard but have not joined in. Can anyone advise apart from trade with the Netherlands, why his standard is of interest?
> And also why it would not simply follow the CODEX standard?
>
> Clare Winkel <straddiegal@optusnet.com.au> wrote: Hi All,
>
> Not sure how current the BRC info is. Here is what I got from BRC in
> January.
>
> 10 000 + companies certified worldwide.
> 82 Approved training companies in 25 countries
> 184 certification bodies worldwide.
>
> Thanks
>
> Clare Winkel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf
> Of Foodfocus Advies
> Sent: 26 March 2008 12:37
> To: Otwell,Walter S; pdtom@ucdavis.edu
> Cc: seafood@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
>
> Pamela, Walter
>
> Sorry wrong link to important information.
> Try this link to Dutch HACCP:
>
> http://www.foodsafetymanagement.info/net-book.php?op=cms&pageid=2&pageid_up=
> 0
>
> Did you know that over
>
> 2000 certificates have been issued for Dutch HACCP in 40 countries?
>
> 4000 certificates for ISO22000 (80 countries)
>
> 8600 for BRC, 8400 for IFS, 6000 for SQF2000 and 8000 for GlobalGap.
>
> [ref. Publication in VMT No. 7 21 March 2008; author Ing. C.A. Groeneveld]
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Jan
> www.foodfocus.nl
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> On 26 Mar 2008 at 8:02, Otwell,Walter S wrote:
>
> From: "Otwell,Walter S"
> To: "'Foodfocus Advies'"
> Date sent: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:02:14 -0400
> Subject: RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
>
>
> Good stuff, but English link does not seem to work?
>
> From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf
> Of
> Foodfocus Advies
> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 3:58 AM
> To: straddiegal@optusnet.com.au; Ensis Factory; seafood@ucdavis.edu; Peter
> J. Carpenter
> Subject: RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Here is the link to Dutch HACCP options A and B and related documents
>
> Dutch:
>
> http://www.foodsafetymanagement.info/net-book.php?op=cms&pageid=2&pageid_up=
> 0
>
> English:
>
> http://www.foodsafetymanagement.info/net-
> book.php?op=cms&nnl=english&pageid=2&pageid_up=0
>
> http://www.foodsafetymanagement.info/net-
> book.php?op=cms&pageid=2&pageid_up=0
> Kind regards,
>
> Jan
>
> www.foodfocus.nl
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> On 25 Mar 2008 at 17:00, Peter J. Carpenter
> wrote:
>
>
> Subject:RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
> Date sent:Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:00:35 -0700
> From:"Peter J. Carpenter"
>
> To:, "Ensis Factory"
> ,
>
>
>
> Clare / Dinesh -
>
> GFSI website lists Dutch HACCP website as follows:
>
> http://www.foodsafetymanagement.info/net-book.php
>
> Perhaps what you seek is available through downloads section....
>
> Regards,
> Peter
> _____________________________________________
>
> PeterCarpenter>Director of Quality Assurance
>
> Aqua Star
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf
> Of
> Clare Winkel
> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 3:21 PM
> To: 'Ensis Factory'; seafood@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: RE: Dutch HACCP Standard
>
> Dear All,
>
> I have tried to get a copy of this std as well and failed. So I would also
> like to know how to
> obtain a copy.
>
> Thanks
>
> Clare Winkel
>
>
>
>
> From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf
> Of
> Ensis Factory
> Sent: 17 March 2008 04:08
> To: seafood@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: Dutch HACCP Standard
>
>
> Dear all in Seafood List
>
> Any body got soft copy of Dutch HACCP standard to shear with us. (at least
> summery of
> each claus)
>
>
>
> Thanking you
>
> Dinesh Dhammika
> Quality Assurance Manager
> Ensis Fisheries Factory
> Hulhumale
>
>
>
>
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>
> --
> Ing. J.(Jan) A.M. Verhoeven, director of Foodfocus Consultancy & Service
> Chamber of Commerce No. 1608 3060
> VAT number NL 07888 1894 B01
> mailto: info@foodfocus.nl http://www.foodfocus.nl
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>
> --
> Ing. J.(Jan) A.M. Verhoeven, director of Foodfocus Consultancy & Service
> Chamber of Commerce No. 1608 3060
> VAT number NL 07888 1894 B01
> mailto: info@foodfocus.nl http://www.foodfocus.nl
> De Volder 32, NL-5283 ZD Boxtel, The Netherlands
> Tel. +31-411-675639 Fax +31-411-671156
>
> This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
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>
>
> Brendan McHugh
>
> CCP International
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