Minutes of HACCP Steering Committee Meeting April 2004

DATE: 1st April 2004

TIME: 11.00am

LOCATION: FSAI Seminar Room

ATTENDEES: 
Lisa O'Connor (LOC) [CHAIR]
Anne Marie Kierans, FSAI (AMK)
Dorothy Guina-Dornan, FSAI (DGD)
Annabel Finnegan, FSAI (AF)
Peter Whelan, FSAI (PW)
Ray Ellard, FSAI (RE)
Teresa McCusker, DoHC (TMcC)
John Moynihan, SHB (JM)
Al Donnelly, NEHB (AD)
Anne-Marie Part, SWAHB (A-MP)
Ray Parle, SEHB (RP)
John Hanily, WHB (JH)
Marie Greene, MHB (MG)
Gwen Neary, ECAHB (GN)
Richard Fitzgerald, MWHB (RF)
Noel Donnelly, NAHB (ND)

SECRETARY: 
Alison Bradshaw

APOLOGIES:
Wayne Anderson, FSAI
Rita O'Grady, NWHB

AGENDA ITEMS 

1. Minutes and Matters Arising

Some amendments were suggested to the minutes 14 th January 2004 and were subsequently agreed. 

2. 2004 Targets

Butchers:

There was a long discussion about the pro's and con's of continuing with the original selection of high risk butcher shops. It was suggested that this target group may prove difficult with the new hygiene regulations coming into force in January 2006 and also the extra training that will be needed by EHO's on various new and existing pieces of legislation e.g. SRM, beef labelling etc. As against this, a number of health board representatives felt that butchers have been legally obliged to have HACCP in place for some time but not all are meeting this obligation.

Noted: Training of EHO's needs to be addressed

Noted: Some high risk butchers are registered as delicatessens

After much deliberation the SC agreed the following:

•  High Risk Butchers will remain the target group for 2004

•  High Risk Butchers must be defined

•  A booklet will be designed for this target group which will replace the catering booklet on the suit of HACCP leaflets

•  The booklet will address the following issues:

•  SRM examples

•  Flag the changes due in hygiene regulations

•  The booklet will be produced by a working group (see agenda item 3b)

•  The booklet will be sent to SC for wider comment

Noted: LOC thanked PW and RE for their input into the debate on the target groups

PW and RE left the meeting at this point

Noted: LOC noted the changes in the work plan due to the delay in agreeing the 2004 targets

Action: LOC to update the work plan and circulate

Action: LOC to contact the Craft Butchers Association and the Retail Forum to advise of the 2004 target group

Action: LOC to draft assessment form and circulate

Noted: Assessments can now start on butchers

Restaurants:

There was some discussion on the next group to be targeted.

Agreed: The next target group will be a sub-group of restaurants

Note: Preliminary work e.g. production of documentation, will begin on this target group in 2004, however assessments etc. will take place until 2005

Action: LOC to summarise discussion on sub categorisation of restaurants and forward to members

Action: Members to contact LOC or AB with proposed sub-groups of restaurants

3. Steering Committee Working Groups

In order to speed up the work of this SC it was suggested at the last meeting that smaller working groups could be convened. It was agreed to set-up 2 working groups:

•  Working group to develop a guide for butchers (as outlined in more detail under agenda item 2)

Agreed: Noel Donnelly to be on this working group

Action: LOC to contact other experts.

•  Working Group to develop a simplified HACCP Guide for caterers (as outlined in more detail under agenda item 4)

Agreed: The following would make up the working group

•  Noel Donnelly

•  Gwen Neary

•  Lisa O'Connor

•  Anne-Maire Kierans

•  Patricia Moran (MHB nominated rep)

•  EHOA representative

•  Industry representative

•  Audrey McClune (representative from Southern Group Environmental Health Committee)

4. FSAI Update

LOC outlined details of her meeting with Southern Group Environmental Health Committee (SGEHC), Northern Ireland to discuss use of their guide in the Republic.

Noted: There was general support from SC for this document, however there were some concerns regarding resources available to provide training. It was suggested that a train the trainer approach, as taken with the FSAI 'Food Safety and You' basic food safety training programme, might be a possible solution. This would mean that both consultants and EHOs (in health boards with the people resource) could deliver this guide.

Agreed: The FSAI will continue to liaise with the SGEHC regarding copyright and adaptation of their catering guide

Agreed: FSAI to explore dissemination options  

5. Health Board Update

Action: LOC reminded members to furnish TMcK with details on how money was spent that was provided by the food unit (see minutes 8 th January 2004 ).

There was some discussion on the difficulties with HACCP systems developed by consultants (e.g. too many CCPs)

Agreed: A seminar might be a useful way to try to introduce standardisation among Irish consultants

6. AOB

•  GN11 (Compliance Document)

LOC circulated a document on verification with a view to improving the verification section of GN11

Action: LOC to re-write section C of GN11 incorporating information from the document circulated

Agreed: A final decision on GN11 will be made after Easter

•  CCP's

It was suggested that there is difficulty in distinguishing between CPs and CCPs It was proposed a working group be set up to develop guidance on this issue

Agreed: This will be discussed at the next meeting

 

Last reviewed: 11/5/2011