Developing and implementing HACCP in the USA

Progress in the United States on developing and implementing HACCP has been primarily through voluntary adoption of the concept by food firms to meet their own food safety objectives and to enhance their market potential and customer satisfaction. However; the current outlook is dominated fly industry efforts to comply with government mandates by the US, Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US, Department of Agriculture. These agencies are requiring food firms to develop and implement HA CCP plans for major portions of those foods produced or sold in the US, before February of 1998. Pressures to meet these requirements will alter many food firms approach to HACCP This paper reviews many of the new US, government requirements, attempts to determine how they may affect our understanding of HACCP: and examines some challenges that mandatory HACCP will bring. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.