The current situation of the industry coverage of HACCP certification in line with international standards
As of now, the number of valid HACCP certification certificates in China has reached 14,100, covering more than 8,500 food production enterprises. This scale means that from large food groups to regional specialty food enterprises (such as local cured meat product factories and small juice factories), more and more market players are building food safety defenses through systematic management. In the export field, 5,500 export food production enterprises have established and implemented the HACCP system and passed the official verification of inspection and quarantine agencies. Among them, 6,200 enterprise times have obtained foreign registration. This data directly reflects the "international universality" of the HACCP system: it helps export enterprises meet the food safety requirements of countries such as the EU, the United States, and Japan, and has become a "pass" for Chinese food to enter overseas markets. For example, an aquatic product processing enterprise controlled the heavy metal content of raw materials through the HACCP system and successfully obtained registration in Japan, allowing its frozen shrimp to enter Japanese supermarkets.
HACCP: A full-chain food safety control system with "prevention first" principle
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a preventive system different from traditional quality control. The traditional model mostly relies on "final product inspection" (such as spot - checking whether the finished products contain pathogenic bacteria), while the core of HACCP is "cutting off risks from the source":
1. Hazard analysis: Disassemble the entire food processing process (raw material procurement → pre - treatment → production → packaging → storage and transportation) one by one, and identify three types of potential risks: biological (such as Salmonella in raw materials), chemical (such as pesticide residues and excessive additives), and physical (such as the mixing of metal fragments and glass slag).
2. Preventive measures: Develop targeted control requirements for each risk point (for example, require raw material suppliers to provide pesticide residue test reports, or regularly clean and disinfect production equipment);
3. Critical Control Points (CCPs): Screen the links that play a decisive role in risk control (such as "high - temperature sterilization" in dairy product production and "rapid freezing" in frozen foods), and clarify the monitoring standards (e.g., the sterilization temperature should reach 121°C and the freezing time should not exceed 30 minutes).
4. Monitoring and correction: Establish a standardized monitoring process (e.g., record the sterilization temperature every hour). If it exceeds the early - warning threshold (e.g., the temperature is lower than 121°C), immediately take corrective measures (e.g., re - sterilize or destroy the batch of products).
In short, HACCP transforms "problem detection after the event" into "problem prevention before the event", and uses systematic management to "eliminate risks or reduce them to an acceptable level for consumers". For example, a cake factory sets "microbial control in the cake decorating process" as a critical control point through the HACCP system, requiring operators to wash their hands and disinfect every 2 hours. Eventually, the rate of microbial over - standard in the finished products is reduced from 1.2% to 0.1%.
The practice of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China in promoting the application of HACCP: From policy guidance to problem - solving
To ensure the actual implementation of the HACCP system, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA) has been organizing the National Symposium on HACCP Application and Certification for 10 consecutive sessions since 2002. The core of this platform is to "connect policies, enterprises, and supervision".
Policy guidance: Convey the concept of "primary responsibility for quality and safety" through seminars to encourage enterprises to shift from "being required to do" to "wanting to do". (For example, a small beverage company originally thought that "HACCP is for large enterprises". After learning through the seminar that the "simplified system" can be adapted to small production capacities, it then took the initiative to establish the system.)
Problem-solving: Focus on the actual pain points of enterprises - for example, how can small and medium-sized enterprises maintain the effectiveness of the system while controlling costs? How can dynamic risks (such as the impact of the novel coronavirus on cold-chain foods) be incorporated into the system? How can the HACCP parameters for different food categories (such as infant formula and plant protein drinks) be adjusted?
Experience sharing: The 10th seminar (recently held in Shanghai) not only shared the latest domestic and international research (such as the application of artificial intelligence in risk prediction - using algorithms to analyze the climate data of raw material origins to give early warnings of mycotoxin contamination), but also summarized the experience in certification and supervision: How can certification bodies verify the authenticity of enterprises' monitoring records (such as checking production logs against equipment sensor data)? How can supervision departments conduct dynamic inspections (such as making surprise checks to see if enterprises record freezing temperatures as required by HACCP)?
These contents are not "theoretical preaching" but directly provide "operable guidelines" for enterprises. For example, a nut enterprise learned through a seminar that "humidity control in raw material storage" is a critical control point, and then installed an automatic humidity sensor, which solved the problem of nut mildew. A regulatory department borrowed the experience from the meeting and included the "operation status of the HACCP system" in the key points of the annual inspection, thus enhancing the pertinence of supervision.
Overall, from data growth to system implementation, and from policy guidance to problem - solving, HACCP has evolved from an "imported concept" to a "basic tool" in China's food industry. It is not only a "safety shield" for enterprises but also a "booster" for improving the overall level of food safety in China.