Un expert en alimentation australien à la retraite ayant plus de 30 ans d'expérience de l'inspection des aliments, des normes alimentaires et des politiques en matière d'alimentation, a récemment participé aux efforts déployés par l'Inde pour renforcer sa réputation dans le domaine de l'innocuité des aliments. Il a été fait appel aux compétences de M. Kevin Hammer dans le cadre d'un projet de coopération technique visant à renforcer la capacité de l'Inde à appliquer de bonnes pratiques de fabrication ainsi que le Système d'analyse des risques - points critiques pour leur maîtrise (HACCP).
M. Hammer a travaillé avec le Service de la qualité des aliments et des normes alimentaires de la FAO à l'organisation de toute une série d'ateliers et de cours de formation sur l'HACCP et les bonnes pratiques de fabrication tenus conjointement à Cochin et Calcutta par la FAO et l'Export Inspection Council indien.
Un experto en alimentación australiano jubilado, con más de treinta años de experiencia en inspección de los alimentos, formulación de normas alimentarias y trabajos de política alimentaria, ayudó recientemente a la India en sus esfuerzos por mejorar su reputación como proveedora de alimentos inocuos.El Sr. Kevin Hammer aportó su competencia técnica a un proyecto de cooperación para reforzar la capacidad de la India en la aplicación de buenas prácticas de fabricación y en el sistema de análisis de peligros y de puntos críticos de control (HACCP) con el fin de asegurar la calidad e inocuidad de los alimentos.
El Sr. Hammer colaboró con el Servicio de Calidad de los Alimentos y Normas Alimentarias de la FAO en una serie de seminarios y cursillos de capacitación sobre HACCP y BPF en Cochin y Calcutta , organizados conjuntamente por la FAO y el Consejo de Inspección de las Exportaciones de la India.
A retired Australian food expert with more than 30 years of experience in food inspection, food standards formulation and food policy work at both the national and the international levels recently helped India in its quest to strengthen its reputation as a supplier of safe food. Kevin Hammer lent his expertise to a technical cooperation project
Kevin Hammer (centre) with trainers and participants at the "Training the trainers" course, held in Cochin, Kerala, India, from 30 November to 11 December 1998, and staff from the TCP project Manpower Development in Food Quality and Safety |
HACCP is the system adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international standard-setting body on food standards, and is internationally recognized as being effective in ensuring the safety and suitability of food for human consumption and in international trade. Many countries now require their food imports to come from HACCP-based plants, and there is a tremendous demand from developing countries for training in the HACCP system.
Hammer worked with FAO's Food Quality and Standards Service on a series of workshops and training courses on HACCP and GMPs in Cochin and Calcutta, which were held jointly by FAO and the Export Inspection Council of India and were attended by specialists from the food industry, the Export Inspection Agencies and academic and research institutions. Hammer was one of a team of national and international instructors on the two 11-day training courses; he also made presentations at the training workshops on international food trade, the World Trade Organization Agreements and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The food-processing industry in India is diversified and is of major importance to the national economy. Processed food grains, oilseeds, pulses and spices, processed fruits and vegetables, dairy products, seafood, meat and meat products together with extruded foods and soft drinks contribute about 18 percent to the country's GNP. Quality and safety of these exported foods, including seafood, are essential to maintain a reputation as a supplier of good food in the international markets. In India, the Export Inspection Council plays a key role in assuring the quality and safety of exported seafood, cashew nuts and spices.
The main export markets for seafood include a number of Southeast Asian countries, most notably Japan, as well as the European Union and North America. To meet the import requirements of importing countries, the food industry and government regulators have given priority to implementing the food safety system, HACCP. Most plants involved in the export of seafood have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, an HACCP system.
Food quality control in India's export plants is good, but standards need to be extended to the national food supply as well as to other export products. All export plants require approval from the national authorities to be able to export their products. Good manufacturing practices include basic hygiene, sanitation, pest control, personnel practices, equipment and plant layout and design, etc. It is essential that these basic controls are in place in the food plant as part of a successful HACCP system.
Potential hazards in the food chain can be microbiological, of physical origin (i.e. dirt and debris) or chemical. The HACCP system is a preventive approach which identifies specific hazards and measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. The objective of the courses was to provide India with a group of trainers with in-depth knowledge of GMPs and HACCP and the ability to conduct further training on these technical issues to colleagues in regulatory agencies and in the food industry.