This article originally ran in the April 2013 issue of Food Manufacturing.
The Food Safety Update section of Food Manufacturing is designed to offer our readers insight into the state of food safety concerns across the industry. We received hundreds of responses to this month’s survey on developing a HACCP plan.
With the passage of 2011’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), HACCP planning is now required in all food processing facilities. Though the majority of manufacturers already had plans in place — and some industry segments were already required to participate in HACCP planning before the FSMA — these new requirements are having an impact on the industry.
Most food manufacturers report no change in HACCP planning due to these new regulations, but 41.2 percent of survey respondents said the FSMA prompted changes or updates to HACCP plans. Regulatory requirements are just one of several factors impacting HACCP plans across the food industry. Food Manufacturing readers reported the following factors as having an impact on the development of their HACCP plans:
- Commitment to food safety—80.8%
- Regulatory requirements—56.4%
- Customer demands— 41.0%
