Every food business is legally and morally bound to protect its consumer’s rights and safety. If you intend to start a food business of your own, then you might have heard about HACCP certification. In this article, you’ll learn about what is HACCP certification and what is the importance of HACCP Certification in food businesses.
What is HACCP certification?
HACCP is the acronym of ‘Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points’. This internationally recognised food management system aims at protecting food safety and reducing food-related health hazards. It helps the business to identify and control the risks that cause health hazards. HACCP certification demonstrates the excellence of a food business and recognises that the business has developed a food management system in compliance with HACCP principles.
An external certification authority having the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake an evaluation of the HACCP system or HACCP plan authorize the HACCP certification for a food business.
Why have HACCP certification?
Since food is a sensitive thing and many health hazards can happen if foods aren’t produced and handled properly, so many countries impose legal requirements to start a food business. In the UK, you have to run your business in compliance with HACCP principles and it is a legal requirement by the European Union Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. So, you need the HACCP certification to meet the legal requirements. Besides, HACCP certification shows your customers that you have implemented the management system to serve hygienic foods.
What does it cost to gain HACCP certification?
The cost to gain HACCP certification depends on several factors such as the size and location of your business, the development, implementation and maintenance cost of the food management system, the fees of the third-party certification authority etc. All these factors sum up the total cost to gain a HACCP certification and it varies with the dimension and complexity of your business.
How it helps a food business?
HACCP certification helps a food business in many ways from meeting the legal requirements to achieving customer satisfaction. Though HACCP certification isn’t mandatory for all food business, every business needs to develop its management in accordance with HACCP principles. However, the HACCP certification helps you to avoid unnecessary legal hassles. Besides, it helps you to maintain food hygiene and serve safe foods to the customers.
In the food business, customer satisfaction is a must and it increases your business reputation. If you serve safe, hygiene and pleasant foods to your customers, it will ensure customer satisfaction and your reputation will be stronger which will help your business to make a strong position in the competitive market. This certification creates trust and positive impressions among your customers about your business. Thus, HACCP certification impacts the overall profitability of your business.
How to obtain HACCP certificate
You have to learn the principles and procedure of HACCP to develop and implement a HACCP plan for your food business. That’s why you should take training on HACCP. You can obtain your certificate by doing an online course from Online Training Academy. This Level 3 HACCP Training is accredited by CPD and Approved by RoSPA. In this course, you’ll learn about the HACCP responsibilities and how to plan a HACCP system and implement it within your food business.
Related: Starting a Food Business: An Ultimate Guide for Startups
Conclusion
For every food business, it is imperative to have food safety management procedures that are appropriate for the business. You can check the Food Standards Agency’s guidelines on HACCP for further clarifications.
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