If I am operating a business in the food industry, should I invest in HACCP or ISO (

International Organization for Standardisation / International Standards Organization

) certification?

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and ISO certifications serve different purposes, but are also complementary. HACCP focuses on the sanitation of facilities, equipment and products, all of which must meet government and municipal standards. ISO is a quality control method. Both standards can be implemented either individually or simultaneously. In our opinion, HACCP certification is more of a priority for companies in the food industry. While HACCP focuses primarily on control within the production processes, ISO is broader in nature and takes into account all of the supporting processes as well. Both systems require formal documented processes. HACCP is built on seven key principles.

1. Conduct a hazard analysis. Potential hazards may be biological, such as a microbe; chemical, such as mercury or a toxin; or physical, such as ground glass.

2. Identify the critical control points (CCPs) where the elimination or prevention of any contaminates would occur.

3. Establish critical limits for preventive measures associated with each identified CCP.

4. Establish monitoring requirements and procedures for using the results of monitoring to adjust the process and maintain control.

5. Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates a deviation from an established critical limit.

6. Establish effective record-keeping procedures that document the HACCP system.

7. Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working correctly.

HACCP has become a mandated system for processors of seafood, meat, dairy, honey, maple syrup, processed fruits and vegetables, shell eggs, and for the processed egg and poultry hatchery sectors of the food industry. It is relatively easy to combine HACCP and ISO into one overall management system that meets both the requirements for ISO 9000 and the requirements for HACCP. In fact, ISO 22000 is a new standard that specifies the requirements for a food safety management system. ISO 22000 incorporates all the elements of HACCP and of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Engineering Manager Job Description

Summary

Responsible for leading and supervising a team of engineers as they develop, test, modify, and

create solutions to technical problems.

Primary responsibilities

Supervise and lead engineers, scientists and technicians who design machinery, plan and

develop civil projects, and oversee production and quality control.

Direct and coordinate production, operations, quality assurance, testing, or maintenance

in industrial plants.

Oversee the research and development of new products and procedures.

Hire, train, and mentor other engineers and supporting staff.

Write performance reviews and solve internal issues.

Discuss and lay out project specifications.

Make detailed plans to accomplish goals.

Analyze market demand and available resources.

Review, approve, or modify product designs.

Prepare budgets, bids, and contracts.

Negotiate research contracts.

Approve expenditures.

Review and recommend contracts.

Develop cost estimates.

Draft proposals and reports for clients.

Improve manufacturing processes and advance scientific research.

Develop overall concepts for a new product.

Check technical accuracy of work.

Establish administrative policies, procedures, and standards.

Coordinate activities of unit with other units or organizations.

Confer with higher levels of management.

MANAGEMENT ENGINEER

Gardenia Bakeries (Philippines), Inc.