HACCP

For a number of years the quality of milk within the European Community was directed by Council Directive 92/46/EEC. By January 1 2006, new legislation came into force i.e.: Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament lays down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety.

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 lays down general food safety requirements, according to which food must not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. Food business operators have an obligation to withdraw unsafe food from the market. In order to contribute to the protection of public health and to prevent differing interpretations, it is appropriate to establish harmonised safety criteria on the acceptability of food, in particular regarding the presence of certain pathogenic micro-organisms. Microbiological criteria also give guidance on the acceptability of foodstuffs and their manufacturing, handling and distribution processes. The use of microbiological criteria should form an integral part of the implementation of HACCP-based procedures and other hygiene control measures.

On request of the Romanian Veterinary Department, a project consisting of 5-day training course (3 - 7 April 2006) at Vatra Dornei took place. In this training course 32 people participated (18 regional food safety inspectors from the veterinarian services, 14 experts from the milk processors and one specialist from the Veterinarian Service in Bucharest).

Based on the success of the HACCP training and the need for more information on food safety systems, the processor association APRIL requested the project to have an introduction workshop on food safety.

Therefore a two-day workshop was held on June 7th-8th, 2006, at Moeciu de Jos at which 25 experts from dairy plants participated.

Milk quality improvement

Experts of SC Friesian SRL have been engaged in designing and conduction various training programmes and courses related to milk quality. The following issues were handled in this program:
What is milk?
Milk quality
Preventing contamination of milk
Milk cooling
Milk collection
Milking systems

Courses can be made for farmers, extension workers and specialists and managers. Click here to download an example of a training and guidance programme SC Friesian SRL implemented.

HACCP training for veterinarians of ANSVA and Quality Assurance managers of milk processing plants - November 29th, 2007

The Friesian BV (Netherlands) and its Romanian counterpart SC Friesian SRL will conduct in co-operation with the Netherlands Controlling Authority for Milk and Milk products (COKZ) two trainings on HACCP, beginning December 3rd, 2007 in Sovata and Alba Iulia.

65 Romanian experts (veterinary inspectors and representatives of dairy processing plants) will take part in a one week training in which theoretical information is combined with case studies and factory visits. In short the participants will be trained in:

. Hygiene, GMP and the pre-requisites of HACCP
. Establishment of a HACCP team
. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
. Establishment a Monitoring system
. Establish documentation
. Audit checklist

The emphasis of the workshop will be strongly focused on case studies (exercises) to encourage the participants to discuss, to exchange their experiences and to actually learn about the methodology of HACCP.