Minutes of HACCP Steering Committee Meeting November 2002

DATE: 14th November 2002

TIME: 11.00am

LOCATION: Boardroom

ATTENDEES: 
Dr Lisa O'Connor, Senior Executive Industrial Liaison, FSAI (CHAIR) (LO'C)
Dr Wayne Anderson, FSAI (WA)
Dorothy Guina-Dornan, FSAI (DG-D)
Cliona O'Reilly, FSAI (CO'R)
Rita O'Grady, NEHB (RO'G)
Gwen Neary, ECAHB (GN)
Anne-Marie Part, SWAHB (AMP)
John Hanily, WHB (JH)
Ray Parle, SEHB (RP)
Al Donnelly, NEHB (AD)
Richard Fitzgerald, MWHB (RF)
John Moynihan, SHB (JM)

SECRETARY 
Ms Alison Bradshaw, FSAI (AB)

APOLOGIES:
Noel Donnelly, NAHB
Mari Greene, MHB
Jeff Moon, FSAI

AGENDA ITEMS

1. Minutes and Matters Arising

Noted: There was 1 change to the minutes. Compliance targets were added to agenda item 3.

2. Compliance Targets

• i. LO'C informed the Committee that she had spoken to Donal O'Meara, Irish Hotels Federation and advised him of the HACCP strategy. Donal advised he has prepared a letter which will be sent to all members advising them of the strategy. Donal also suggested a HACCP flyer/fact sheet should be inserted into Insight (the IHF magazine).

• ii. LO'C read a letter from Patrick Wall which will be sent to all CEO's in the Health Boards advising them of the HACCP strategy. There was some discussion on the content of the letter and some minor amendments were suggested.

Agreed: LO'C will make changes to the letter and return it to Patrick Wall for distribution to the CEO's. (sent 19.11.02)

Agreed: LO'C will circulate a copy of the letter to all PEHO's.

Agreed: LO'C to draft a standard letter for the 2 different 2003 target groups.

• iii. LO'C advised the FSAI will produce a suite of HACCP booklets as follows:

• What is HACCP?
• HACCP Terminology Explained
• Choosing an External Advisor
• HACCP for Manufacturers
• HACCP for Caterers
• HACCP for Retailers

Noted : AD suggested the FSAI produce the booklets for specific areas of industry e.g. hotels, deli's, restaurants etc.

Noted: The NWHB have already produced a generic HACCP guide for care institutes.

Agreed: All such documents to be forwarded to LO'C

3. 'HACCP Terms Explained' Document

The following 3 documents were circulated to the group:

•  Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (Incorporating Food Safety and Hygiene), Terminology and Definitions
•  Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, Terminology and Definitions
•  Food Safety and Hygiene, Terminology and Definitions

Note: Document (a) comprises of both documents (b) and (c). The group were to decide which of the formats was of more benefit to industry.

Agreed:

•  Document (a) will be used.
•  The title will be changed to 'Food Safety and Hygiene (incorporating Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), Terminology Explained.
•  The index page should be alphabetically tabulated for ease of use and the text of the document should be more evenly distributed throughout.

Agreed: FSAI to make modifications and send to the group for comment.

Noted: There was great praise received for the document.

Note: CO'R left the meeting at this point.

4. FSAI Update

• i. WA updated the group on the FSAI Catering Forum. There was some discussion on the current members of the Catering Forum and its' function. The group suggested a number of other organisations which they deemed appropriate for inclusion in the Catering Forum.

Agreed: AD to forward contact details to LO'C for Mr George Smullen. (received 14.11.02)

Agreed: A representative of the Catering Forum may be invited to attend future meetings of the HACCP Steering Committee where considered necessary.

• ii. LO'C updated the group on the proposed HACCP advertising campaign.

• iii. LO'C advised the group on a new system for pasteurisation of wholesale eggs called Pollux and a holding unit for boiled eggs called Caster.

Agreed: LO'C to forward information on Caster and Pollux to the group by e-mail.

5. Health Board Updates

RP circulated interim results of a survey of 68 randomly chosen food businesses carried out by the Waterford Community Care Area, SEHB. The survey concentrated on pre-requisites and HACCP implementation by the food business.

Noted: WA thanked RP for sharing the information in the survey and proposed a similar style survey be used for assessment of HACCP compliance for the 2003 target groups.

Agreed: LO'C to draft the questionnaire.  

6. AOB

• i. There was some discussion on whether ' Guidance Note on Compliance with Regulation 4.2 of the European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 165 of 2000)' should be published by the FSAI.

Agreed: More time was needed for the health boards to decide whether the document needs to be revised therefore the FSAI will not publish this document in the red format until further notice.

Agreed: The enforcement aspect of the guidance note should be discussed in early 2003.

• ii. GN asked whether the 1991 Dept of Health Cook-chill guidelines could still be used.

Noted: WA advised these guidelines were not to be used and if any EHO's needed risk assessment guidance to contact him.

Noted: The FSAI are currently updating the Cook-Chill guidelines which will be published as 2 guides, 1 for caterers and 1 for manufacturers.

• iii. LO'C advised the FSAI will be removing 'Selecting an External Consultant Fact Sheet' (as a stand-alone document) from the website. However, this document will be available with the Training database.

Noted: LO'C welcomed any comments EHO's may have on the fact sheet.

The date for the next meeting is the 9th January 2003.

 

Last reviewed: 11/5/2011