Exploring Idiosyncrasies and Potentialities of HACCP Team Across the Sharjah Food Industry, UAE

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1 Exploring Idiosyncrasies and Potentialities of HACCP Team Across the Sharjah Food Industry, UAE Y. M.O. Almhi (a,b), A.E. Sulieman (c), A.M. Elhassan (a,b), H. Bouya (d), R. Salghi (d),* (a) Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences- University of Gezira, Sudan (b) Public Health Specialist and HACCP Consultant, UAE Abu Dhabi (c) Department of Biology Faculty of Science University of Hail Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (d) Laboratory of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, ENSA, University Ibn Zohr, Agadir, Morocco *Corresponding Author. Received 08 Nov 2014, Revised 03 Dec 2014, Accepted 16 Dec 2014 Abstract: HACCP team is a group of people selected to undertake food safety and tackle all its related issues. This study was based on standard interview in order to explore HACCP teams' idiosyncrasies and potentialities across Sharjah-UAE food industry, quantitative and qualitative techniques were of use to conduct the analysis. There were 61 accessible HACCP certified businesses from which 11 businesses were selected randomly in order to carry out the interviews. Most businesses have a reasonable and a sufficient number of HACCP team members ranged between 5-10 members. Generally, total of 10 (90.9%) businesses out of 11(the total sample), have either an ideal number of HACCP team or close to this number which is recommended or stipulated in the regulation. Regarding HACCP team qualifications and expertise, the study had discovered that most of the HACCP team members were qulifed, it noticed that 7(63.6%) HACCP team represents the elite in his disciplinary; who s the majority of their members got a higher education degree (M.Sc. and B.Sc.). And almost 3 (27%) HACCP team, whom they were completely education with B.Sc., expects one HACCP team that was trained by formal training. HACCP teams were with various disciplines and multidisciplinary approach existing to a certain extent in some HACCP teams whereas inter-hierarchical approach was not being known but surprisingly it appeared to exist in some HACCP teams. Finally study recommended as the HACCP team should be multidisciplinary; it also needs to be inter-hierarchical. Multidisciplinary represents the breadth/horizontal aspect of the organization, which mainly refers to differing knowledge and expertise, while inter-hierarchical refers to the length/vertical side of the organization represented by all levels within the organization. Keyword: HACCP an abbreviation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. 1. Introduction Rapid urbanization and reform in developing countries have changed the market for food commodities. Countries like UAE that they found themselves participating in a global trade dealing in a wide range of food

2 products. Even perishable products such as raw seafood and fresh vegetables can be transported over long distances and producers increasingly experience competition from faraway competitors. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations support the continual development of national policies for protecting consumer s health and furthering economic development [1]. Although food-borne illness is a common occurrence, there is no effective surveillance mechanism in place. Thus in the absence of such data, realistic risk assessment is difficult to carry out and also consumer perception of the risk of food-borne illness is very low indeed. Unless this is corrected, there will never be complete acceptance of any food safety management system [2]. On the same path of trying to lay hands on a system that could assure practical assurance for food to be safe enough for human consumption, and since early days of hazard analysis and critical control points concept which was adopted in the late 1960s when the Pillsloury company in cooperation with the National Aeronautic and Space Army (NASA) came together to work out a safety system to protect astronaut from food poisoning and food-borne infections [3]. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) was initially developed as a mean of obtaining increased confidence over the microbiological safety of the foods used in the space program [4]. HACCP is a proven system which, if properly applied, will give confidence that food safety is being managed effectively. It will enable you to focus on product safety as the top priority, and all for planning to prevent things going wrong, rather than waiting for problems to occur before deciding how to control them [5].In summary, it is clear that international legislation is moving more and more towards making HACCP a mandatory requirement in the food industry. This will lead to greater regulatory assessment of HACCP system as governments take up their responsibility with regards to confirming that the business operators are properly complying with requirements [6]. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study of population and sampling Eleven companies were selected randomly from a sample universe of 61 companies, which were, obtained from Food Control Section of Sharjah Municipality database. Before the selection; the entire sample had to be grouped into different categories based on their business activities as follows, 1.Dairies, 2.Juices & Beverages, 3.Bakeries, 4.Meat & Sea Foods, 5.Cereals 6.Mineral Water, 7.Oil, Sugar & flour 8.Seafood, 9.Meat. 10. Chocolates and 11. Miscellaneous, following that and by using the electronic randomizer [7], the researcher had to select randomly one company from each group. These businesses are all HACCP certified companies and based in Sharjah Emirate, some of these companies are based within the city and some are in the Sharjah industrial area. The research method employed in this work was standard interview. Standardized open interview: It is usually made of a questionnaire that contains questions to be asked in the same formulation to all the interviewees. It serves to make comparisons of answers by different people [8-10]. 3. Results and Discussion Eleven food businesses were actively involved in the process, some of the key milestones and discussed briefly below: Table 1 presents the business activity, number of employee and number of HACCP team members of 11 selected food businesses (firms) in Sharjah.

3 HACCP team members Almhi & al. / Mor. J. Chem. 3 N 1 (2015) Table 1. Businesses interviewed profile No. Company Name Business Activity No.of Employees No.of HACCP team members 1 Company A Poultry products Company B Dairy products Company C Bakery and sweets Company D Seafood Company E Mineral water Company F Biscuits and cakes Company G Ready meals Company H Juices and fresh fruits Company I Meat and poultry products Company J Meat products Company K Chocolates Number of HACCP team members against total Number of Employees Total Number of employees Series1 Fig 1: HACCP team members against number of employees All these businesses had their HACCP implemented either by themselves or through approved institutions and HACCP implementation remains subject to be accredited and renewed annually by Food Control Section of Sharjah Municipality through the final reports of audits [11-14]. These businesses have employees from 60 to 450 employees, in fact, 8 (72.7%) businesses have more than 200 employees and three (27.2%) businesses only were run with 60, 85 and 90 employees as illustrated in (Table 1). Number of HACCP team should not be taken against the number of employees but rather to the number of different activities and processes carried out on the factory floor; therefore the number of employees given in (Table 1) is just for illustrating the size of businesses which the research had been carried out at. Figure 1 shows the number of HACCP team members for the entire sample was within 10 members, but one company only had more and it is again the same company that had more employees than the rest. Ideally the team should not be larger than six, although for some stages of the

4 study it may be necessary to enlarge the team temporarily with personnel from other departments, e.g. marketing, research and development or purchasing and finance [15]. Table 2. Businesses' HACCP teams compared to the regulation HACCP team in businesses Total of businesses No. of businesses that their HACCP team is matching the regulation 5 (45.4 %) No. of businesses that have more members of HACCP team than in the regulation 6 (54.5 %) No. of businesses that have HACCP team close to the number stipulated in the regulation 5 (45.4%) No. of businesses have huge number of HACCP team. 1 (9.1%) HACCP is best done as a team (five or six people at the maximum) [4, 16-18]. The findings in Table 2 discover that there are 5 (45.4 %) businesses that their HACCP teams have 5 to 6 members in number which is as same as recommended or stipulated in the regulation [18]. On the other hand, there are 6 (54.5 %) businesses as illustrated in the Table 2 that had more members of their HACCP teams than the stipulated in the regulation. Only one business (9.1 %) that had an extremely large number of HACCP team than usual. Total of 10 (90.9%) businesses out of 11, have either an ideal number of HACCP team (5 to 6 members) or close to this number which was recommended by FAO [4, 15]. and other HACCP theorists Qualifications of HACCP team members Table 3 Qualifications of HACCP team members of 11 selected food businesses (firms) in Sharjah. No Company Qualification % Ph.D. M.Sc. B.Sc. Dip. Formal training Experience 1 Company A 100% 2 Company B 100% 3 Company C 33% 38% 29% 4 Company D 33% 22% 22% 22% 5 Company E 100% 6 Company F 22.2% 55.6% 22.2% 7 Company G 33.3% 16.7% 33.3% 16.7% 8 Company H 80% 20% 9 Company I 28.6% 28.6% 42.9% 10 Company J 20% 60% 20% 11 Company K 14.3% 71.4% 14.3% Table 3 illustrates how HACCP teams are qualified, it is noticed that 7 (63.6 %) HACCP teams, among their members there are members who have got high educational degrees (M.Sc. and B.Sc.) And almost 3 (27%)

5 HACCP teams whom they were completely educated with B.Sc. Except one HACCP team that was trained by formal training [20-22]. 4. Conclusions The primary purpose of this study was to explore the idiosyncrasies and potentialities of HACCP teams and to which extent they have been built up multidisciplinary and inter-hierarchical taking into consideration the outmost and ultimate goal of how could that be beneficial and invaluable for HACCP implementation and maintenance so as to produce safe food. From the results obtained and from the interviewees' responses the research had revealed the most positive experiences being with HACCP team, and the difficulties encountered by the HACCP teams as in the following Findings: 1. Positive experiences that relate specifically to teams: Members' knowledge improved. Members' awareness and commitment increased. Employees performance improved. 2. Other positive findings about HACCP in general. Business improved. Business secured. Management improved. Compliance with the legislation. Healthy working environment emerged. 3. Negative experiences that relate specifically to teams: The starting steps were a challenge. Lack of time. Lack of space is an obstacle for conducting HACCP. 4. Negative experiences that relate to HACCP Financial difficulties. HACCP as distortion. HACCP as a controversy. References [1] FAO & WHO, 2004 'FAO/WHO guidance to governments on the application of HACCP in small and/or less developed food businesses', Food and Nutrition Paper, accessed on , accessed via WHO, [2] B. Marthi, Food Control., 10(4-5) (1999) [3] D. Engel, HACCP in training Food Safety principles made easy, Chadwick House Group Limited, London, (2000). [4] T. Mayes, S. Mortimore, making the most of HACCP, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge., (2003). [5] S. Mortimore, C. Wallace, HACCP A practical approach. Chapman & Hall, London, (1998) 3-4. [6] WHO Strategies for implementing a HACCP in small and/or less developed businesses. Geneva: World Health organization. (1999) 641

6 [7] [8] A. Amann, B. Reiterer, frame of reference for the research instruments, University of Vienna, Institute of Sociology Vienna, Austria (2003). [9] Codex Alimentarius. (2003). Hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system and guidelines for its application. ANNEX to Recommended International Code of Practice/General Principles of Food Hygiene. CAC/ RCP , Rev 4. FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. [10] Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Fish and fishery products. Code of Federal Regulations, (1995) Title 21, Part 123. [11] John M.Ryan, Academy Press., (2014) [12] S. M. Anders, J. A. Caswell, American Journal of Agricultural Economics., 91 (2009) [13] C.H. Hsu, S.Y. Hsia, W.C. Cheng, Ann Rep Food Drug Res., (2014) [14] M. Bertolini, A. Rizzi, M. Bevilacqua, Journal of food Engineering., 79 (2007) [15] FAO, Publishing Management Group, FAO Information Division, Rome, (1998). [16] L. Meredith, H. Perkins, Environmental Health., 103(6) (1995) [17] S. E. Mortimore, R. A. Smith, Food Control., 9(2-3) (1998) [18] M. P. Mortlock, A. Peters, C. J. Griffith, Journal of Food Protection., 62(7) (2000) [19] W.C. Hurst, Publishing Series in Food Science., (2013) [20] Gordon Welty, Woodhead Publishing., (2013) [21] M. P. Mortlock, A. Peters, C. J. Griffith, Journal of Food Protection., 62 (2000) [22] C. Pritchard, E. Walker, Food Control., 9 (1998)