A bulletin for the Australian Food Industry August 1998
Contents: Protozoan parasites in water and food | Infective dose of Salmonella in ice cream | Microbiological status of beef in Australia | Hygiene monitoring by ATP luminometry | Botulism associated with home preserved mushrooms | Quality system guidelines | Spoilage of low salt margarine
Quality system guidelines
Standards Australia released in June of this year their Guide to AS/NZS ISO 9001:1994 for the food processing industry.
The foreword states that the Guide has been prepared with the aim of providing assistance to food processors seeking to apply ISO 9000 principles. It provides interpretation on the quality management system elements given in ISO 9001 in terms of the food industry ... irrespective of the type of food processed, the methodology used and the scale of the business.
It is further stated that ISO 9000 and a food safety program incorporating HACCP principles are complementary and can be successfully integrated. It is not necessary to develop separate systems.
It is equally true that a perfectly satisfactory food safety plan incorporating HACCP principles can be developed without reference to the ISO 9000 series or any other quality management system.
There are a number of excellent publications available to guide food manufacturers who are in the process of developing food safety programs which will become subject to audit under proposed national food hygiene regulations. One of the best of these publications is Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association Technical Manual No. 38 - HACCP: A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. 1997. This Guide is based on the principles of the HACCP system adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
It is essential that the overriding importance of HACCP as an internationally accepted method of assuring the safety of foods is not diluted or confused by attempts to derive critical control points for such topics as product quality attributes. It is recommended that HACCP is targeted at product safety issues, but where quality issues are included a clear distinction between safety and quality must be shown.
Food Science Australia
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