Management commitment within an FBO

Management commitment within an FBO

Management commitment as defined by the FDA within any FBO, (Food Business Operator), is the framework which must be created whereby food safety can be seamlessly implemented at factory floor level. The following is how the FDA measure management commitment when undertaking food safety inspection audits.

The senior management of participating firms should provide a clear and visible commitment to the HACCP study. The firm may demonstrate this commitment by the following activities:
– Appointing a HACCP Administrator
– Providing adequate authority and resources to HACCP Team/Participants
– Implementing prerequisite programs
– Implement HACCP plan

HACCP Administrator
The HACCP Administrator should be trained in HACCP principles and acknowledged as responsible for oversight of the HACCP program. The HACCP administrator’s duties during a study include the following:
– Leading the HACCP team and ensuring all training requirements are identified / met
– Confirming that the prerequisite programs are in place
– Validating the HACCP system on behalf of the firm
– Performing periodic audits of the HACCP plan to confirm that the plan is being fully implemented. (verification)
– Ensuring that the HACCP system continues to be representative of actual operating conditions by making necessary changes to conform with alterations to the plant, process or product; (review)

Skills required by HACCP Administrator and HACCP Team
The HACCP Administrator/ HACCP Team needs to have a thorough understanding of:
– Performance of a hazard analysis and determination of critical control points;
– Requirements for prerequisite programs
– Preparation and implementation of a HACCP plan in the establishment; and
– Verification that the HACCP plan has been successfully implemented, including a timeframe for revalidation

Training of Line Employees
Line employees and floor staff should be trained such that they understand their specific functions and duties; and how these are to be performed under a HACCP system/plan. At a minimum
– The importance of the critical control points for which they are responsible
– The critical limits associated with a given CCP
– The procedures for monitoring these critical limits
– The corrective actions to be taken if there are deviations from the critical limits; and
– The records that are to be kept