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Codex Alimentarius defines food hygiene as ‘all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of food chain’. Prerequisite hygiene programs (GHP: good hygiene practice, GMP: good manufacturing practice) as safety assurance systems such as hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) are compulsory in EU member states.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a highly specialized system for food safety that necessities the carrying out of an analytical study about microbiological, chemical or physical risk. Hazard analysis contains the identifications of potential risks throughout the food process and the identification of critical stages (CCPs) that must be controlled to assure the food safety. HACCP based programs were implement in the 1990’s to enhance food safety and quality. Preventive measures in terms of adequate process controls accompanied by periodic verification and corrective actions were considered more effective than inspecting defects out of each final product.
Quality and safety are important for the Hotel and Restaurants. The quality assurances the whole process is significant for the consumer acceptability, while the assurance of the safety is obligatory for protection of public health. Quality is required in order for the product to meet the customer’s specifications and is assured by application of quality management systems like ISO 9001. Referring the food safety, food legislation of E.C., recognizing the significance of safety for human health, has establish the application of Directive 93/43 and 854/2004 in which the seven HACCP principles are defined. In each stage of the process, all possible hazards (physical, chemical, microbiological) are identified, their importance is estimated and all the preventive measures for their control are described (principle 1). The Critical Control Point was identified using a risk assessment according to ISO 22000:2005 where control is critical for controlling the safety of the product (principle 2). For each identified CCP critical limits for preventing measures (principle 3) and monitoring systems (principles 4) are established. When monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met, corrective actions must be taken (principle 5). Finally, procedures to verify that the system is working properly (principle 6) and effective records to document the HACCP systems are established (principle 7).
In Cyprus foods plans (Restaurants, Hotels, Industries) have started to apply safety programs the past few years in a preliminary way to comply with the food safety legislation and directives (like 93/43/EU, 854/2004/EU)
Our Restaurant, which is established from 1976, the past few years, was the first Restaurant in Cyprus who decides to implement the HACCP System. The Consultants Office Engineer was Dr. Antronis A. Zorpas & Associates (ENVITECH LTD) and the Certification Body was TUV HELLAS
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DR ANTONIS ZORPAS & ASSOCIATES – CONSULTANTS ENGINEER
ENVITECH (ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY) LTD – Research Institute
Main Office: Ant. Papadopoulou, 9, P.O.BOX 34073, 5309, Paralimni, Cyprus
Tel: +357-23743440 Fax: +357-23743441, E-mail: antoniszorpas@yahoo.com
Web page: www.envitech.com (under construction)
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