CATEGORY:SPECIAL EVENT(WORKSHOP) -------------------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA SATURDAY June 23,2007 Release from GBS ST.GEORGE'S: The Grenada Bureau of Standards in partnership with the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) hosted a one day workshop on the importance of food safety. The workshop was entitled “Introduction to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). It was held at the Bureau and attended by twenty (20) small food processors. In his opening remarks, Mr. Simeon Collins, Director of the Bureau implored the food processors to ensure that the food Grenadians and visitors to Grenada eat or drink is free from physical hazards and dangerous levels of pathogenic micro-organisms and hazardous chemicals. The objective of the workshop was to expose and train the food processors in food safety and good manufacturing practices. This Mr. Collins says is crucial if these workers are to implement HACCP Mr. Cosmos Joseph, National Coordinator of Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) says with the implementation of HACCP, workers would not only have safer foods and food products but will stand the chance of getting their products within the regional and international markets. The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point is a systematic preventative approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP has been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as the international standard for food safety. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards , so that key actions, known as critical control points (CCP’s) can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of hazards being realized. It focuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applying science-based controls, from materials to finished products. It replaces the traditional spot checks of manufacturing conditions, and random sampling of final products to ensure safe food. Trainees were not only introduced to HACCP but were also given information on the pre-requisites necessary for HACCP to work and HACCP auditing. Mr. Daniel Lewis of the Ministry of Agriculture expressed his gratitude towards the Bureau for spearheading the Training Seminar and implored the trainees to take the training seriously as it could impact significantly on the very survival of their business. He adds that the implementation of safe practices in food production is an imperative and not a choice. HACCP certificates of participation were given out to all attendees