FAO/WHO Guidance to Governments on the Application of HACCP in Small and/or Less-Developed Food Businesses

FAO and WHO support the continual development of national policies to improve food safety and quality with the overall objective of protecting consumer's health and furthering economic development. This document has been developed by FAO and WHO following a request from the Thirty-fifth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) for guidance on HACCP in small and less-developed businesses (SLDBs), to address obstacles, identified by member countries, facing the small food business sector. This document will assist national authorities in the development of national policy, strategies and action plans aimed at improving food safety and trade through the application of HACCP in SLDBs. It provides a historical background and a summary of the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on HACCP. It identifies the challenges facing small food businesses in the application of HACCP, outlines the steps for the development of a HACCP strategy and describes a number of strategic activities based on the collective experience of experts. Wherever possible, examples of national approaches are provided. The guidance document is for use by governments in developing national policy aimed at the application of HACCP in SLDBs, and by professionals advising on national policy development (e.g. government officials, food industry associations, consultants, auditors, trainers/education specialists). It promotes full interaction between governments and the small business sector.