Promoting regional trade and agribusiness development in the Pacific : 2nd PACIFIC AGRIBUSINESS FORUM "Linking the agrifood sector to the local markets for economic growth and improved food and nutrition security" Organised by PIPSO, CTA, IFAD, SPC and SPTO Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia, Samoa, 29th August -1st September 2016

1. “Importance of Food Safety Standards in
Value Adding”
Apiame Cegumalua, Api Food Consulting Services

2. IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY
STANDARDS IN VALUE ADDING
PROMOTING REGIONAL AND AGRIBUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT IN THE PACIFIC
2nd
Pacific Agribusiness Forum
28 August to 1 September, 2016
Apiame Cegumalua (Mrs)
API FOOD CONSULTING SERVICES
SUVA, FIJI

3. Banana chips in Samoa
What determines our buying choice and selection ?
Costs ? Quality ? Brand ?

4. Pandanus Juice in Marshall Islands
Does food safety play an important role in the choices of buying?

5. 1. Food Produce
- nutrients ideal for growth
- HANDLING & PROCESSING INTRODUCES HAZARDS
- many & various microbes are present
Fresh Produce and final product must be made safe or
protected :
- preservation and good manufacturing practices
including
- a food safety program – e.g. hazard analysis
critical control point
(HACCP)

6. -difficult to DEFINE WHAT IS A “SAFE FOOD”
- (ISO 8402 -2000) -
state in which risk of human (to persons) or damage is limited to an acceptable level
(FSC, 3.1.1) Safe and suitable food
i) for the purpose of the food safety standards, food is not safe if it would be likely to
cause physical harm to a person who might later consume it, assuming it was :
a) after that time and before being consumed by the person , properly subjected to
all processes (if any) that are relevant to its reasonable intended use and
b) consumed by the person according to its reasonable intended use
1.1 Safe Food Product

7. - Impact /effect of unsafe food (food poisoning) is not known
- not every incident is recorded or identified
- food standard Aust. NZ (FSANZ) estimated that 5.2 million Australians
- suffer from food poisoning every year with the costs of over $2.6 billion per year
to the economy
1.2 Food Safety Issues
1.2.1 - Food borne outbreaks :
- little or no records in Fiji and Pacific
Island countries
Aust : causes :
bacteria (44%)
toxins (21%)
viruses (4%)
unknown (31%)

8. no records in Fiji / PIC
Aust : 1.2% adult & 5.8% children
suffer from food borne allergies –
symptoms : skin rashes, eczema, bloating, mouth ulcers, diarrhoea
and/or constipation, respiratory problems, etc .
(Ref: afgc “food industry guide to allegens management labelling “)
www.afgc.org.au
increased food poisoning is due to
changes in food processing, minimally processed, extended shelf life, pre –
preparation
most outbreaks occurs in commercial operations by :
Raw materials (26%)
inadequate handling (20%)
temperature abuse (18%)
1.2.2 Allergies and illnesses

9. - food businesses must decide
- A) what hazards (risks) they consider significant ?
B) - what controls they put in place?
C) - what micro standards applied?
- depend upon the level of
risk the business wishes to ACCEPT
- CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO SET STANDARDS
D) must determine the level of risk in a supply
chain or at every step of process? :
Severe ? High ? Medium or Low ?
3 criteria to use for High risk foods
a) ready to eat
b) must be kept under temp control for safety
c) use by date
2. Where does the “HARM”
begin?

10. Steps Hazards Level of
severity
Corrective
action
Monitoring
who?
records
Receiving Biological : bacteria
Chemical: weedicides,
heavy metals
Physical : soil, dirt
High
med
low
Accept/
reject ?
Physical
check/
supervisor
Record
BC 001
Washing Biological -
Chemical-
Physical -
low
Medium
low
GMP 01
Cleaning
Peeling B, C, P GMP O2
Slicing B, C, P GMP O2
Frying B, C, P Temp
/time
Packing B, C, P GMP 04
Storage B, C, P GMP 05
2.1 Example of a hazard/risk analysis for banana chips
(HACCP)

11. - promotes exports of safe and high quality food
from the PIC to meet
increase demand of “ safe food in compliance
with strict hygiene rules”
- a “statement” or “qualification” of
“commitment” to produce and
supply Safe Food
- a reference for Safety and Quality
Consistency
- serves as a Basis for Audit
- present concerns in quality with respect to
biological, chemical and
physical, will be addressed if appropriate pre
and post harvest
operations, storage and packing are adopted.
2.2 Food safety standard

12. • CODEX Alimentarius Commission is an
International standard
• – widely used
E.g. a) Compositional Standards e.g. Std 240-
2003
Coconut milk and coconut cream
b) Processing Guidelines e.g. GL 13-1991
Preservation of raw milk by lactoperoxidase
c) Code of practice : e.g. RCP-1, Rev 4 -2003
General Principles of Food Hygiene
www.codexalimentarius.net
Countries have developed Food Standards
based on CODEX
3. Application of International
standards in Fiji, PIC, NZ & Australia

13. • The Food Hygiene Directive (FHD) (93/43/EEC) set out across the EU
- Is applied to anyone who owns, manages, works and processes, or
involves in a food business activity in EU (apart from those working in
primary food production) and indirectly affect those supplying to the
EU.
• Application of FHD 93/43/EEC will force exporters to supply a higher
and safer quality of produce and to improve production
circumstances and methods in the country of origin
3.1 Application of Standards with EU
Market

14. European Union FHD (93/43/EEC) and
CODEX Code of Practice . RCP-1, Rev 4 -2003
General Principles of Food Hygiene
both implement system that are based on the
principles of
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) – A
technique or a process, it’s a preventative
system in a process to assure safe and quality
production of safe and quality food
• : will not buy any raw material suspected to be
unfit for human consumption even after sorting
and processing or suspected to have harmful
materials will be rejected-
• Critical Control Point The last opportunity to control
the risk
3.2 Application of HACCP system in the
Food Processing & Manufacturing
Business

15. - Pacific Community EU program
(FACT, IACT)
- 9 Pacific Island Business
enterprises - HACCP accredited
- ( 5 Fiji, 1 Tonga, 1 RMI, 2 FSM)
- 8 Pac Is. Bus. enterprise are
HACCP complying
- (5 Fiji, 1 Tonga, 1 Cook Is, 1 PNG)
3.3 Food Safety work in the Pacific
Islands
-
HACCP accredited Food business are
- implementing systems to ensure that
Hazards are identified and controls are
in place,
- are selective in dealing with their
suppliers and should request strict
application of HACCP in the countries of
origin of imported products
Any HACCP System is capable of
accommodating changes such as
advances in equipment, designs,
processing, etc., related to the
products.

16. • On a market pt. of view, the PIC should take
into account the introduction of systems based
on HACCP in food business in the EU.
• Consider food safety procedures and apply
HACCP.
• Exporters should check with overseas
importers to find out any hygienic codes
which may contain specific
recommendations of (foreign) supply for
a specific product
3.4 Application of HACCP system in the
Food processing & Manufacturing
Business in PIC

17. - There is an increasing need to promote appreciation and understanding
Of HACCP by Govt. and Food industries here in the Pacific.
- Need to Increase available capacity and skills and knowledge of
- Food Safety program HACCP
- Need to increase capacities Food Science, Food Tech, Food Analysis,
Microbiology /Trainers/Safety AUDITORS
- Effectiveness of Control measures and level of implementation
- Commitment by management including Directors
- Awareness of all employees
- CAPITAL/ FUNDING ($$$)
- - seek funding from Financial Institution or donors
4. Challenges, Constraints,
Opportunities

18. • It is not easy task
• Some degree of compliance will be attained
If normal care and attention are given at various stages of handling the
produce, from growing to packaging
• “ We in the PI must rise to this challenge -implement HACCP to
producing quality and safe food ”
• Its time we learn from EU, develop just one “Food Standard for the
Pacific ”
4.1 Applications of International
Standards in Fiji and PI nations

19. Vinaka Vakalevu
Thank you for your attention