1. Introduction
In today's competitive business environment,
the food and beverage industry is faced with
the challenge of achieving economic
sustainability while ensuring the quality
and safety of products. There is increasing
pressure and growing demand from regulators,
industry buyers and consumers for food that
is safe and of the highest quality. It is
becoming more widely recognized that meeting
this challenge through a proactive and
preventive approach of implementing quality
and safety management systems may be more
effective and less costly than simply
responding to concerns as they arise.
From a business standpoint, the losses
associated with food poisoning, public
health scares and product recalls are
enormous and can do irreparable damage to
the brand name and the company's image, and
may lead to the complete loss of the
business and criminal prosecution. The
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
System helps to prevent such unnecessary
losses, thereby protecting companies' bottom
lines. As a food safety management tool,
HACCP provides a framework for companies to
effectively manage their processes to
prevent and control food hazards.
2.
The PSB HACCP Certification Scheme
This scheme is most suitable for companies
which require a stand alone HACCP system
certification. Developed as a national
scheme, this scheme is recognized and
supported by the Food Control Department,
Ministry of the Environment and the Agri-food
Veterinary Authority (AVA). With the
increasing international interest in HACCP
and adoption of HACCP worldwide by industry
buyers and regulators, the objective of this
scheme is to assist local food companies
which are export oriented to meet overseas
market access requirements, thereby
enhancing their competitiveness.
Certification is based on the
internationally recognized Codex
Alimentarius Commission's standards on
"Recommended International Code of Practice
-General Principles of Food Hygiene" and
"Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) System Guidelines for Its
Application", as well as the Singapore
Standard 444 : 1998 (which is based on the
Codex HACCP standard).
3.
World-Class Standard and Global Recognition
for PSB HACCP Certified Companies
PSB
Certification has been admitted as a member
in the International Network for National
Certification Bodies (IQNet) since 31
January 1997. This would allow PSB
Certification to leverage on members'
resources to conduct audits on its behalf in
other countries. In other words, the company
would cut down on certification costs if the
company has sites in various countries.
4.
The Professionalism, Credibility and
Competency of PSB Certification Auditors
PSB
Certification has a pool of full-time
qualified lead auditors/auditors who are
food professionals in food science and
technology with may years of food industry
experience.
5. Benefits of HACCP Certification
-
Internal process improvement;
maintenance of the system through
regular audits to prevent system
breakdown; confidence of compliance with
regulatory requirements; certified
companies are less likely to encounter
problems with regulators.
-
Reduced liability exposure;
certification can be used as evidence of
due diligence
-
Improved export opportunities and access
to markets that require certification as
a condition of entry
-
Enhanced buyers' confidence
-
Reduced frequency of customer audits
-
Competitive advantage over non-certified
companies
-
Enhanced company image
