Haccp: An Integrated Approach to Assuring Safety in Micrbiolgic

From the Preface The microbiological safety of the food supply, particularly meat, has become an increasingly important concern to the public, and is a factor affecting international trade. One of the systems for the control of foodborne pathogens that is being recommended is the implementation of hazard analysis of critical control points (HACCP). This is a practical approach to ensuring the safety and quality of meat and poultry which is being adopted by the food industry worldwide. The application of HACCP also has the approval of government institutions in the United States and within the European Union which are involved in the development and implementation of safety controls within the food industry. Both industry and governments view HACCP as the most practicable and cost effective way of controlling food safety. This publication contains papers presented at a conference held in Dublin on March 23-24, 1994. The objective of this conference was two-fold. The first was to provide a "farm to fork" overview of how HACCP techniques can be used throughout the entire food production-manufacturing-distribution-consumption chain to help control foodborne pathogens of public concern in meat and poultry. The second was to use these presentations as the basis for identifying the knowledge and research that will be needed in the future to use HACCP to develop practical food safety systems.