US CDC PFGE standard method

1. Preface and background on the implementation of HACCP

HACCP is a systematic and preventive method to achieve food safety standards. It was originally produced in the United States to ensure the food safety of astronauts in space. HACCP is now being adopted around the world as a scientific, systematic and effective way to enhance food safety. It has been recognized internationally that there are clear benefits to applying HACCP systems in food production and processing, as well as the potential to enhance food safety and prevent many foodborne hazards.

HACCP has become an international standard for ensuring food safety. Food control authorities in many countries require the food processing industry to implement HACCP to ensure operational hygiene and product safety. Many countries around the world have adopted this system. It is mandatory in some countries. These requirements apply to many sectors of the food supply chain, including domestic, imported and exported food products. The European Union and Japan adopt HACCP for certain specific products. In addition, many multinational food distribution chains now require the use of HACCP plans as a condition for accepting suppliers.

Many government departments responsible for food safety control are shifting their focus from inspection to prevention by encouraging the use of HACCP. More and more food management departments are also implementing HACCP-based management plans accordingly.

The government has formulated plans to strengthen the application of HACCP in small food processing enterprises, domestic and export markets, which is the key to the success of HACCP implementation in the food industry. In addition, in many countries, industry has taken the lead in developing HACCP plans within its own enterprises and hiring and training high-quality preventive quality control staff.

HACCP practices can be applied in all sectors of the food processing industry and can be tailored to any individual product or processing line. The benefit of using a HACCP system is the continuous control of food safety in the processing plant from the receipt of raw materials to the dispatch of the final product. HACCP is now applied to dairy, fresh fruit, sterilized juices and vegetables as well as meat, poultry and seafood.

In many cases, the introduction of the HACCP system is the responsibility of the industrial sector itself. The enthusiasm may come from the fact that the enterprise itself wants to strengthen food safety or quality due to market reasons, and its decision is to apply HACCP. Food industry sectors with experience in food safety management systems are more aware of the need to move to HACCP. They generally recognize the importance of HACCP when gaining access to domestic and international markets, protecting their reputation and meeting customer requirements.

2. The role of the government in the implementation of HACCP

The governments of most countries play a vital role in promoting the application of HACCP, through including industry associations in the food processing chain , academic departments, various processing and production departments, raw material supply departments, and various interested parties of importers and exporters to achieve successful cooperation.

Government authorities can play both a strategic role in implementing HACCP and an operational role in organizing effective and ongoing HACCP system assessments in the food industry. A key role of government agencies is to show leadership in promoting and strengthening the implementation of HACCP. The types of activities that governments need to consider undertaking have been set out in other FAO and WHO documents. These are summarized below:

2.1 Commitment

Government commitment is probably the most important factor in developing and implementing a successful HACCP system. In this regard, one of the most important tasks of the government is to educate industry about the benefits and necessity of using HACCP to produce safe food. In order to promote HACCP and allow participating departments to fulfill their commitments, governments need to draw the attention of the food sector to the following points: the benefits that can be brought by rationalizing food safety management; the risks of certain foods or production processes; costs, including those caused by production failures the cost of compensation; and the value of HACCP in protecting the corporate image in the event of any related outbreaks and product recalls.

2.2 Planning requirements

To promote and facilitate HACCP practices, governments may need to consider mandatory measures where appropriate. Countries that have developed mandatory HACCP systems for specific products are: Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States and the European Union. In some countries, regulatory authorities develop voluntary systems and then seek participation from companies.

For example, the Fisheries Agency of Thailand has used the voluntary HACCP program to enhance food safety practices, standards and processing for approved exports of fishery products. Regardless of whether the program is mandatory or voluntary, clear guidance should be provided to ensure uniformity of application and scientific integrity.

2.3 Training

Good training is extremely important to overcome human resource obstacles in government and industrial sectors. Governments need to take a leading role in training programmes. Support from academic institutions and industry associations is also important. Training should include all levels of industry employees and law enforcement officials.

2.4 Technical Support

The industrial sector, especially small-scale enterprises, often lacks the technical experts required to implement HACCP and may therefore require external support. The ability of government and industry or trade associations and academic sectors to provide adequate technical support is a critical factor in the successful implementation of HACCP. The type of technical support provided by government, academic departments, or industry and trade associations may include the following:

■ Providing relevant technical training combined with the educational, cultural and language proficiency of managers and staff;

■ Assist in providing appropriate popular scientific support;

■ Assist in obtaining low-cost analytical services;

■ Provide commercial users with easily accessible targeted general guidance , such as industry guidance, modules, and general HACCP plans; and

■ Develop and maintain a foodborne disease surveillance program and assist in obtaining collected epidemiological statistics.

2.5 Infrastructure

Implementing HACCP may require improvements to the infrastructure, both in the community and in the business itself. The government has a role and sometimes even an obligation to provide the necessary infrastructure (electricity, roads, safe water supply, sewage discharge, etc.) and to minimize environmental pollution. The main role of the government is to provide adequate infrastructure as per food hygiene requirements.

2.6 Communication

Insufficient communication between the government and enterprises and between enterprises will affect the adoption of HACCP. Government agencies have an obligation to clearly communicate to the food industry all relevant hygiene and safety standards, regulations, guidelines and other requirements. A communication strategy needs to be part of any HACCP effort. To ensure consistent understanding, it is particularly important to use consistent and accurate terminology as used in Codex documents. Using appropriate and effective communication channels is also extremely important for communication.

2.7 Evaluation

Once the HACCP plan is developed, it should be evaluated for its effectiveness, legality (if applicable), compliance schedules and how it can be improved. Governments can play a key role in HACCP evaluation, ensuring that the plan meets food safety objectives and seeking further development and improvement. Governments also have a role to play in strengthening program evaluation of industry (internal audits) and making recommendations on how to improve.

The impact of HACCP on enhancing food safety can be measured directly (e.g. through data collected from foodborne disease surveillance and food contamination surveillance) or indirectly (e.g. through the results of industry sector audits or HACCP Design and implementation checks).

3. Promote the successful implementation of HACCP

The government can play multiple roles in food safety management systems. This includes promoting, assisting and inspecting manufacturers to implement appropriate control measures for potential hazards and improving their implementation. In some cases, the industrial sector plays a leading role in the application of HACCP, especially those of large companies and food exporters.

It is vital that government authorities have the capacity to carry out the necessary tasks, especially when the industrial sector relies entirely on the judgment of management. Therefore, the government must reorganize relevant activities and teams to support the industrial sector, especially in the following areas:

Organizational management: In order to improve the capabilities of staff, human resource management must first be considered. This may include adding staff and improving their qualifications to carry out assigned tasks. Auditors who are familiar with traditional GMP inspections but are unable to switch to HACCP-based assessments may have to limit their tasks to GMP-related activities. Many organizations address this problem by recruiting and training new staff. When recruitment is not possible, extra attention must be paid to human resource management.

Knowledge and skills: Food management departments should ensure that auditors have a full understanding of HACCP and related processing techniques. Possible food safety hazards must be controlled.

Auditors should have sufficient knowledge and experience to identify hazards associated with raw materials and processing techniques. It is also important to have the ability to determine whether the control measures taken in accordance with HACCP requirements are appropriate.

Training provides the knowledge and experience that are important to auditors. However, attention should also be paid to the content and delivery techniques of the training sessions, especially when there are new students. The focus of training is not only on gaining theoretical understanding, but also on practical skills and auditing skills, such as the ability to obtain evidence and evaluate clues. Proper training helps ensure consistent auditor productivity.

Auditor training should include at least the following:

– HACCP principles and applications;

–Food safety hazards and control measures;

– HACCP prerequisites;

– HACCP assessment;

– Relevant processing technologies;

– National/international HACCP requirements.

Government departments, when training their own staff to implement HACCP, should also provide support to the industrial sector to successfully implement the plan. This support includes the following:

3.1 Technical Support

Government plays a leadership role in the following areas:

Information: In addition to formulating laws, requirements or regulations, Guidance materials or application guidelines may also be developed to describe management requirements and the role of government in certifying and auditing HACCP systems. General information about HACCP and the documentation required is also provided.

Application Guide: A guide explaining the HACCP principles, their application to specific processes and products, and the main planning components required by the control department (e.g. control prerequisites, sanitation control plans, general HACCP models), which are useful for industry It is important for the department to successfully apply HACCP. This guide will be a help to both official inspectors and managers and workers in the industrial sector. This guideline applies to the HACCP implementation phase.

Industrial workshops: The government uses meetings and seminars as a powerful tool to inform and explain the requirements, content, benefits and plan objectives of HACCP to the industrial sector in the early stages of plan implementation. Promotional materials such as brochures, leaflets and videos are also useful in the early stages. Today, they are often replaced by information on the Internet, a readily available source of information.

Identifying Hazards and Guiding Control: An introduction to hazards associated with specific raw materials, processes or products is necessary to provide scientifically based information for hazard analysis and development of relevant control measures. An example of this material is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Hazards and Control Guidelines for Fish and Fishery Products, which provides the scientific basis for the implementation of HACCP in the industrial sector. Many government agencies have developed specific hazard and control guidance for raw materials and processing.

Normal HACCP mode: The normal HACCP mode has been developed by government technicians and serves as the basis for HACCP plan development. These serve as guidelines for designing specific HACCP systems for the food sector.

Scientific information: Since the HACCP system is specifically designed for food safety, the selected control measures must be based on scientific information. Management has put some controls in place. If specific statistical or other important information about the results of control measures does not exist, relevant research will be necessary. These studies may include risk assessments to identify hazards and appropriate control measures. In addition, certification methods and certification key points for critical control points are also necessary. However, it is not always possible for processing units to carry out these activities, especially small processing plants that do not have sufficient manpower, knowledge and skills. The government should take the lead in conducting research and providing necessary information to industry.

3.2 Training

Originally it was the role of the government to develop training programs for the industrial sector/employees; however, this activity has been carried out by scientific research institutions, trade associations or private consultants. bear. The objectives of the training promoted by the government are to improve capabilities; promote consistent science-based application; ensure compliance; and build confidence in the abilities of those involved and, in turn, the safety of the food supply.

In the initial stage of HACCP implementation, training usually provides processing plants with the necessary information to develop and operate the HACCP system and make it comply with relevant management regulations.

During the implementation phase, ongoing training is required to strengthen weak links in certain areas, such as hazard analysis, internal audits, certification, and how to maintain HACCP effectiveness.

Since the ability of HACCP staff is one of the driving forces that affects the success of HACCP, staff should be well-trained to contribute to the implementation and management of their company's HACCP system. Leaders of these staff may need advanced training. Training is not just theoretical learning, but also gaining practical experience for better understanding.

In some developed countries (such as Australia, Canada and the United States), the government and government/academic units/industry departments jointly develop training programs for industrial departments and management officials. In developing countries, international organizations assisted in training officials applying HACCP at the beginning. Teacher training, funded by FAO and WHO, is carried out in many developing countries. Thailand invests in training officials and industry to strengthen hazard analysis capabilities, plan application, plan evaluation and auditing. Thailand is also working with FAO and WHO to develop information and training programs for other Asian countries.

Training programs aligned with national standards, Codex requirements and importing country requirements have been developed and adapted to meet the needs of different sectors of the industry especially Small Less Developed Businesses (SLDBs). To assist teachers conducting HACCP training courses, many countries have developed HACCP tutorial manuals through government efforts and support from academic departments and industry associations.

3.3 Improving hygiene

Given that HACCP is not an isolated system, it requires basic hygiene conditions and good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to support the progress of the plan. Before implementing HACCP, the government must provide the necessary assistance to improve sanitation. Guidance on hygienic operations and good manufacturing practices for specific processes and products must be provided. The government must work with industry to frequently review sanitary conditions and develop plans to encourage improvement and maintenance of hygiene.

Thailand recently launched a program aimed at accelerating improvements in sanitation and operating procedures such as Good Agricultural and Aquaculture Practices, sanitation surveys, field program consultations, and support for primary and small processing plant activities monitoring.

3.4 Primary Production Control

Although HACCP is used as a tool for processing enterprises to manage food safety, the hazards present in raw materials are related to the environment, such as heavy metal pollution, causing Bacterial contamination and other types of contamination that are often beyond the control of the food processing unit itself. In this regard, a nationwide food safety plan should be implemented throughout the food chain. This includes control of the harvesting environment (whether in the field or on the farm), control of good operating practices before processing, etc. Government agencies should play a leadership role in carrying out these tasks.

3.5 Develop a plan to certify the HACCP system

In order to speed up the effective implementation of HACCP, it is necessary to develop a plan to certify the HACCP system. This could include 1) reviewing rules and requirements to move from end-point testing only to safety management system practices, and 2) reducing inspection rates where HACCP is effectively applied.

Statutory audits: As HACCP systems progress in food safety management systems in the food industry, the traditional role of food authorities, including that of food inspectors, is changing, particularly where regulations require Countries that implement HACCP systems. In addition to inspecting the food industry for compliance with good manufacturing practices and other statutory requirements, government officials must take on new responsibilities, including the assessment of HACCP systems developed and implemented by industry.

Government authorities should review and establish clear policies and procedures to ensure uniformity and technical integrity. The government's role in HACCP audits has been communicated internationally. [11] Teaching materials for audit training, including audit guides, have been developed for government use. Assessment tools for assessing and ensuring competency and consistency are also covered. Government evaluations include the following:

Plan evaluation: Prior government approval of HACCP can improve the effectiveness of industrial applications of the system, as it ensures that the system meets legal requirements and food safety objectives.

Management authorities usually require processing companies to have HACCP plans, but some do not require processing companies to submit for approval in advance; then it is impossible to know whether a processing plant's HACCP plan is consistent with the requirements of the competent authority, and the truth cannot be known until the plant is inspected. Pre-approval also recognizes that the plan is adequate to ensure food safety and guides processors in its application and implementation.

On-site compliance audit: On-site audit should be to assess whether the implementation is in place, such as understanding whether the HACCP plan and its prerequisites are actually implemented, maintained and functioning correctly in the food department.

List of certification agencies: Government authorities are usually responsible for setting HACCP requirements or compliance standards. Once these conditions are met and confirmed through audit, the processing enterprise can be added to the approval list. These lists are communicated to each other by the departments responsible for jurisdiction and control of import and export, thereby providing market access to companies with a standard system.

Certificate: The certificate is also one of the tools used to ensure that the company has an effective HACCP system to ensure food safety and compliance. Many governments frown upon the use of certificates, but it is a common practice to ensure compliance. The government can establish a HACCP certification program to ensure that the food processing sector complies with HACCP requirements. The main purpose of these programs is to promote trade.

3.6 Others:

Financial support: The government can provide financial support to promote the application of HACCP, which can fund health improvement, infrastructure development, training and consulting services.

4. Problems encountered when applying HACCP

Although the HACCP system has been applied for nearly 10 years, industrial departments and managers in many countries have encountered difficulties in implementing HACCP. is obvious. One of the main reasons may be that although there is a HACCP system, effective control of food safety hazards also requires a scientifically based design and in-depth understanding of the management system. HACCP is not a one-level management system. It requires an analytical thinking process to ensure that control is in place. This process should be reviewed by the processing company during the HACCP development phase or by management during the assessment.

Some problems encountered when applying HACCP are:

4.1 Management agency

4.1.1 Government support

Government commitment It is an important driving force for the success of HACCP plan. Good food safety policies should be developed and strategically planned for practical operations. In many cases there is no strong commitment from the government and this is reflected in the lack of support at the operational level. This support includes financial and human resources.

4.1.2 Legal requirements

In many countries, HACCP is only widely used in export products and does not involve domestic products. This is because there is still a lack of implementation and evaluation of HACCP systems for domestic products. legal framework. Regulators face many time-consuming challenges in convincing processors to apply HACCP, especially smaller processors who already experience difficulties complying with good manufacturing practices.

4.1.3 Human resources

Some departments have a limited number of technical officers to provide technical support for industrial and regulatory audits, especially in some places where the inspection system is shifted to the implementation of HACCP. If functional separation occurs between the advisory and management roles of government, demand for talent will also expand. Furthermore, HACCP-based assessments are more time-consuming than traditional Good Manufacturing Practice assessments because HACCP assessments require good audit planning, document and record review, and better compliance with current practices during the conduct. Traditional Good Manufacturing Practice inspections primarily evaluate hygiene and cleanliness conditions against standards, which simply observe their condition and execution.

4.1.4 Audit capability

HACCP knowledge: Government officials need to have a comprehensive knowledge of HACCP to design and implement the plan for the industrial sector and to answer questions that may arise. HACCP management assessment requires stable performance. Therefore the ability of the auditor is key. Highly qualified HACCP officials and auditors should understand the seven principles of HACCP and know how to apply them correctly (scientifically). Competence should be available to identify hazards that may arise in processing and to assess the suitability of their specific controls. The knowledge required also includes (but is not limited to) an understanding of the hazards associated with different raw materials and processing techniques, such as canning and freezing both of which have different hazards and require different controls.

If the potential hazards and necessary controls are not understood due to inadequate HACCP assessment, the safety of the food produced will be affected. On the other hand, if it is too difficult to control unnecessary hazards, processing companies will be reluctant to maintain HACCP. For example, if the wrong decision was made to require histamine control for fish that do not form histamine, processing plants would be required to record the temperature of the fish, obtain a certificate of analysis from the fish supplier, or test every batch of fish arriving for histamine. Some processing plants often believe that more controls in the HACCP plan will improve food safety. However, too much control can burden the processing plant, especially when errors are created and need to be corrected. Although these HACCP plans are correct, the processing plant may not be able to maintain the entire HACCP system. Because it's likely that more time is spent on unnecessary controls than on important hazards.

Assessment techniques: In addition to the basic assessment procedures, the biggest challenge for auditors is the ability to collect sufficient evidence to make judgments on HACCP compliance. Different processors may have different control methods for the same hazard and may provide different information for assessment. Evaluators must therefore use appropriate techniques to obtain the necessary information in each situation. Some units cooperate well with auditors, while others do not. If the assessment guidelines are too restrictive or if the general HACCP model lacks flexibility for different situations, it may lead to companies not complying with the HACCP plan. On the other hand, failure to obtain correct evidence will also cause processing companies to give up control of potential hazards and bear the risk of producing unsafe food.

4.2 Food Industry

4.2.1 Technical Difficulties

Hazard Analysis (HA): Since the introduction of the HACCP system, the application of hazard analysis technology has always been a difficult problem , the same problem exists even for large-scale companies. The process of hazard analysis requires expertise, knowledge of chemical and microbiological hazards and the risks they pose, which often does not exist. For this reason, the application of hazard analysis is always a focus of high-quality training programs.

Determination of critical boundaries: Critical boundaries are the boundaries that distinguish a product from being acceptable or unacceptable. However, not all boundaries are drawn in numerical form that is easy to use in industry. In this case, the determination of this limit is necessary. A HACCP plan cannot ensure that food is safe without establishing critical boundaries to control hazards (such as pasteurization or cooking temperatures and times). This defined process is required to kill the target bacteria to an acceptable level. Because in some cases, the key points selected in scientific theory cannot be reached, or are not feasible under real processing conditions. Large factories usually have their own equipment and experienced professionals to set up this process, or hire other experts to conduct this research. But the determination of this limit is a big problem for those small processing plants, whose economic and human resources are very limited. Even if other research institutions conduct successful experiments, difficulties will remain if processing plants do not have a deep understanding of how to use the research results.

Discontinuity in the process of implementing HACCP: The implementation process of the HACCP system includes: monitoring, corrective measures and verification. Sometimes, it is discovered that the HACCP plan has not actually been applied to the production site and the monitoring measures have not been implemented as planned. No corrective measures were taken when deviations occurred. When a HACCP plan is too difficult to implement, many deviations will occur and will need to be corrected in daily operations. Worst of all, processing plants no longer pursue unrealistic HACCP plans because doing so increases product costs. This situation often occurs when a company asks an outside consultant to develop a HACCP plan for it, but no one within the company is involved in developing the plan. Therefore, once the original plan needs to be changed for some reason, the entire plan is often difficult to implement.

Incorrect validation procedures are another flaw in HACCP application. During monitoring, verification and validation methods, confusion can arise because some processing plants cannot distinguish between these three stages. Validation of factors throughout the system is often misguided and may be limited to the implementation of certain hygiene measures and GMP inspections, rather than compliance with the entire HACCP-related activities and review of documents and records. Verification is an important means to check whether the HACCP system is being implemented normally.

The absence of this activity will lead to incoherence in the implementation of the HACCP plan.

Another technical issue relevant to the industrial sector is the use of data obtained from monitoring and other HACCP-related activities. Many important records obtained during the application of HACCP are very useful for providing trend analysis and can make a great contribution to improving the HACCP system. However, to do these analyses, professionals are also needed. They must understand the trend analysis process and know how to evaluate and utilize the obtained data. However, it is difficult for small-scale processing plants to have such professionals.

4.2.2 Human Resources

The limited number of qualified professionals limits the successful implementation of HACCP. Large-scale processing plants and companies with good human resource management can minimize this limiting factor. However, the turnover rate of key employees in small processing plants is usually high, so they will encounter more difficulties in developing and maintaining HACCP systems.

In order to maintain the effectiveness of HACCP, the company must have at least one professional who understands HACCP and has experience in it. In many cases, employers do not consider the technical personnel needed to implement the HACCP system, but spend more energy looking for suitable candidates to meet daily production needs. This also includes personnel associated with HACCP activities, such as CCP inspectors. Lack of personnel or limited testing time may result in inconsistent hazard control.

4.2.3 Economic Capacity

Financial distress is particularly limiting for small businesses. Most food in many countries is still made by these small businesses. Because food hygiene standards are a prerequisite for HACCP, the basic environmental conditions for food processing must first be met. For some processing plants, implementing HACCP means a large capital injection, because they have to make considerable efforts to improve their original production sites. In addition, the HACCP plan also requires additional expenses, such as hiring new employees, adding paperwork, consulting fees, training fees, etc. For these reasons, many businesses would delay implementation of their HACCP plans if it were a voluntary program as long as there was still a market for their products.

After HACCP:

How can today’s food safety systems be improved in all aspects of the food chain?

To ensure food safety, HACCP principles need to be applied in all aspects of the food supply chain from raw material production to processing. HACCP is recognized as one of the risk management tools that can be applied by the food industry. However, it alone cannot solve food safety problems. Other control measures such as traceability methods, marking analysis methods, and experimental analysis methods are also needed. The latter should be used to monitor pesticides, contaminants and natural toxins, not just the final product.

Agenda 4.5 GF 02/8a

Second FAO/WHO Global Food Safety Managers Forum

October 12-14, 2004 , Bangkok, Thailand

Food Export Management and Verification

Ms. Shashi Sali

(Document prepared by Director, Export Inspection Council of India)

The establishment of the World Trade Organization allows countries to gain better access to world markets. World trade is developing rapidly. The main reasons include the growth of consumer demand brought about by the improvement of consumer education and awareness, the internationalization of tastes and habits, the development of science and technology, and the improvement of communication and transportation conditions. Coupled with the breakdown of tariff barriers and quantitative restrictions, quality and safety have become very important in international trade. Not only are consumers around the world concerned about quality issues, governments of various countries are also aware of their responsibility to protect the health and safety of their own people and have formulated more stringent regulations from the perspectives of health, safety and environmental protection.

The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) require countries to abide by various rules and ensure that the above standards and regulations do not create unnecessary barriers to trade. At the same time, countries are allowed to set standards to protect people's health and safety and ensure fair trade. The two agreements encourage member states to mutually recognize their respective conformity assessment systems based on international standards.

Therefore, through "equivalence" or "mutual recognition agreement", products verified in one country should be accepted without further inspection/testing when entering another country.

The need to establish a strong import management mechanism is obvious. It is an inevitable result of the importing country's relevant import management system that the importing country develops an export verification system that recognizes its trading partners on the basis of an equivalence agreement, and establishes an equally strong export management mechanism.

Recognizing that food quality and safety can be ensured through the implementation of appropriate and well-designed food control systems (import and export), the Committee for Food Import and Export Inspection and Verification (CCFICS) was established to establish relevant areas rules and guidelines.

As stipulated in the terms of reference of the committee and most of the documents produced, although food management should include imports and exports, most governments want to protect their own people and prevent inferior foreign products from being dumped into their countries. , attaches great importance to the establishment and strengthening of the import management system. India's approach is somewhat different from that of some other exporting countries, requiring some foods to undergo mandatory export inspection and verification.

This article highlights the importance of food export management and verification, introduces the broad concepts to be followed, explores experiences in implementing export management measures, including that of India, and concludes by elaborating on the export management systems of other countries. view.

2. The Importance of Food Export Management and Verification

The SPS Agreement allows member countries to develop measures to protect human, animal and plant life and health. Furthermore, the Agreement, through its provisions on compliance/enforcement of Codex Alimentarius Commission standards, also provides for the role of importing, official/government inspection/certification agencies and recognition of the inspection/certification agencies of the corresponding agencies of the exporting country on the basis of an equivalence agreement. It has established a legal framework that allows each member to establish a formal import management system to protect the interests of their respective peoples to an appropriate extent.

Through these agreements, both developed and developing countries have established strong import management systems for the food industry. Many countries have also developed export inspection systems, but they are very limited and basically involve the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary or health certificates when required by the importing country.

For major exporting countries, it is more important to establish a good food export quality management system. Some areas of advantage of the export quality management system are as follows:

(i) Reducing the importer’s inspection and testing time will hinder