Some shades of divergence exist between HACCP and FSMS that set them apart. Keeping food hygienic and safe is indispensable for survival in the existing world, pressing for a clear roadmap, and models like HACCP and FSMS are tailored to deter food safety risks, along with ensuring adherence to hygienic practices. Both aspire for similar goals like health protection and keeping communities healthy, and fostering a culture of food safety, but they reflect divergence in their objective, techniques, sphere of operation, and implementation.
The distinction between Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is what makes Indian businesses decide which system is suitable for them based on their size, objectives, market, and operations.
We can better grasp their functions when we compare these two leading food safety schemes in the context of managing and implementing food safety regulations over time. As a hazard-specific approach, HACCP investigates, analyses, and controls likely risks to counter foodborne diseases and infections. HACCP examines the hazards that can likely infiltrate the food manufacturing, processing, and packaging phases, as well as their distribution by supervising and carrying out a detailed risk assessment, and recognizing the critical control points (CCPs), which cover the leading stages where hazard control is possible. Such a plan would make HACCP a system that ensures food safety, even if there are some hidden breaches of the rules, through the setting of critical limits, process monitoring, and carrying out corrective actions, which would help in maintaining food safety and reducing contamination and spoilage risks.
HACCP: Guided By Seven Principles
The HACCP framework is founded on seven principles, namely,
- conducting a hazard analysis to control chemical, foodborne pathogens, and physical contamination of food.
- Finding out critical control points (CCPs).
- Supervision of CCPs.
- Initiating corrective remedies recognized in every contingency plan.
- Validating the framework and process for every result-oriented step to promote accuracy
- Maintaining proper records.
These fundamentals steer the course for the food harvesters, agronomists and manufacturers in undertaking proactive management and anticipating the ensuing dangers and ensure that these strategies produce their desired result.
For instance, a sauce or pickle manufacturing unit may identify the risk of microbial growth. It can set up critical control points, such as calibrating the pH of the food to an extent where it curbs microorganism development. A seafood processing factory can associate the critical control points of the HACCP plan with the temperature regulation, as well as with the storage and food preparation. These instruction markers see to it that preservation of foodstuffs and their preparation are performed at the optimal temperatures, so as to diminish any likelihood of contamination.
Standards
The principles of HACCP form a segment of the worldwide standards, like ISO 22000, and are accorded approval by well-founded organisations on food quality and standards like the Codex Alimentarius Commission. On top of that, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFS) gives its sanction to various certification projects like IFS, BRCGS, and FSSC 22000, which all emerge from the HACCP principles.
Scope and Implementation
HACCP takes a proactive route to reduce risks tied to food safety. It uses a prevention-based strategy to address physical, biological, or chemical contaminants or toxins in a given food production process. It does not cover broader management systems. This safety system is crucial to follow under FSSAI’s Schedule 4 for medium to large-scale food manufacturers. Besides, it is often employed by exporters and food producers to comply with safety protocols. A HACCP plan helps Indian food businesses meet FSSAI rules and fulfil legal obligations about food safety.
FSMS: Important Points
FSMS covers every part of food safety, starting from getting supplies to delivering products. It provides a full system that includes HACCP along with other safety standards. FSMS focuses on hygiene, record-keeping, checking processes, and making constant improvements. It applies to all kinds of places in the food industry, including manufacturers, farmers, transporters, shops, restaurants, and storage facilities.
HACCP controls safety during food production, while an FSMS uses a wider and more thorough plan to keep food safe. An FSMS includes many steps and practices blending various parts of food safety rules into an all-encompassing system framework. It contains not only HACCP concepts but also the elements of quality management, vendor or supply chain management, traceability, audits, and legal obligations.
An FSMS relies on international standards like ISO 22000. The standard provides a basic structure to develop and implement a system all over the place that guarantees the safety and cleanliness of food. The benchmark which the ISO 22000 follows merges the HACCP fundamentals with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. These instruments are designed to involve the continuous upgrading of the food safety measures, the proper keeping of the actions performed, and the facilitation of transparency at each stage. When a dairy plant uses an FSMS under ISO 22000, it creates HACCP plans to control risks like chemical, foreign objects in food, and biological dangers. It also certifies that providers and wholesalers or traders pay careful attention to the safety protocols, oversee and record the movement of goods or flow of products in the logistics network and delivery chain and monitor the processes.
Such an in-depth and exhaustive technique upgrades the manner in which businesses deal with food safety and ways of sanitizing it during every phase of food stocking, growing and its distribution.
FSMS: Core Principles
In India, the underlying principles of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) are governed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and conform to global standards, notably ISO 22000. FSMS focuses on a methodological technique, documentation, and follows a planned and orderly process regarding food preservation and safety pervading through the food distribution chain. By employing Prerequisite Programs (PRPs), FSMS attains a more advanced food preservation and hygienic controls.
Standards:
Global: ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF.
India-specific: FSSAI’s Schedule 4 and FoSTaC training modules. The Food Safety and Standards (FSSAI) Act, 2006, as well as the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Regulations, 2011, are the essential norms that control the activities of production, food labelling, and other administrative sectors. India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI), the legal entity, decides what the standards are and the conditions for food items and businesses all over the country, with the aim of ensuring food safety at each stage from the farm to the dining table.
Scope and Implementation
FSMS has a broader scope compared to HACCP, encompassing cleanliness practices, traceability, assessment and audits, recording and documentation, and training. Implementing FSMS is compulsory for mass-scale operations and is highly suitable for SMEs targeting export or authorization. The use of FSMS helps prevent recalls, penalties, and defamation.
Conclusion
Across India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) controls both FSMS and HACCP. However, HACCP has its utility as an independent tool for identifying hazards and reducing the risks of food-related diseases, as well as controlling these hazards. HACCP is suitable for medium to large food businesses and is a necessary concomitant for export certification. FSMS is the ideal food safety method of choice for achieving full compliance and authentication. FSMS, in the context of the Indian food industry, is directed towards expansion, gaining credibility, and outreach to global markets. FSMS with integrated HACCP is the best criterion and acts as a robust framework. It helps to secure FSSAI compliance, counterbalance the best global practices, enhance food safety, streamline operations, and build a strong brand reputation.
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