Codex

Case study
THAILAND

© unsplash.com/Jonathan Borba
Hygienic food,
healthy sales HACCP is the Hazard Hygiene CXC 1-1969,
HACCP implementation Analysis Critical Control
Points system for identifying
that it has become an
internationally recognized
and controlling foodborne part of global food safety
hazards all along the food management systems and
The aroma in the machine smells that are making chain. Developed in the a cornerstone in food trade.
room at Udonkijpaisarn factory manager, Thanyarat 1950s for the US space HACCP is now a key part
foods is mouth-watering. Charoenchitsawat, smile. program, HACCP then of the Thai government’s
Employees wearing hair “Sales have increased became an American push to improve food safety
nets and rubber gloves by 20-30 percent,” she domestic standard by domestically and to raise
operate pristine packing and reveals, “and complaints which the safety of food the profile of the Thai food
labelling machines as the have halved.” This has chains could be assured. export industry. And now,
latest batch of spices gets all happened since the Today, it is thanks to Codex the investment into years of
measured and sealed into company started to Alimentarius’s inclusion of work dedicated to improving
sterile packaging, ready to implement the HACCP HACCP in global standards, food safety in this Southeast
be shipped to Europe. And system. in particular in the key Asian country is beginning
it’s not just the delicious General Principles of Food to pay dividends.
© Photo credit - Agro chemicals or MRLs
©FAO/Declan McCormack

The statistics coming HACCP was becoming well “and the food trade is Siriwan Saowapichart is the
out of Udonkijpaisarn are established worldwide, only very competitive, so Quality Assurance Director
welcome news to Virachnee the larger Thai companies even though HACCP at Prime Foods, a pineapple
Lohachoompol, Standards had invested in applying implementation does processing company. She
Officer at the National the system. Introducing it involve a serious explains: “HACCP is used
Bureau of Agricultural to the 10 000 food and feed investment in time, to ensure that a hazard
Commodity and Food businesses and 6.5 million training and money, the analysis has been carried
Standards. The National farms across Thailand investment is definitely out for every step in the
Bureau has reported a was a daunting task for worthwhile." Yaowaluk production process,” she
150 percent increase in the the government. The work Krutta, Quality Control says, “and the likelihood
number of food businesses began with assistance from Manager at Suree foods, and severity of each hazard
adopting the HACCP system the Food and Agriculture a company that produces is evaluated.” From farm
in the last four years alone, Organization of the United and exports authentic to factory, critical control
which has in turn led to Nations (FAO), which Thai sauces, agrees: points are identified, and
a significant increase in stepped in to start a training- “HACCP is fundamental preventive and hygiene
trade. “The export value of-trainers programme for food manufacturers,” monitoring measures are
of our food commodities based on the Codex General she says, “customers put in place to ensure food
increased by almost Principles of Food Hygiene demand HACCP and other moves along the supply
25 percent in the three and the HACCP guidelines. certification.” chain as safely as possible.
years to 2018,” she says,
The following 15 years Thailand’s 2007 food Implementing food safety
“to USD 35 478 billion.”
saw the training of private law, the Thai Agricultural measures like HACCP does
The year 2020 marked the companies, government Standard (TAS) saw the not only involve training and
25th anniversary of the officials and academics. translation into Thai of awareness-raising. For many
introduction of the HACCP Certification bodies were the Codex Alimentarius food companies, compliance
system in Thailand. Its established, and many General Principles of Food with both the TAS 9023-2007
adoption began in 1995 hundreds of food businesses Hygiene CXC 1-1969, and law and HACCP can involve
following governmental were brought on board. this was directly adopted investment into hygiene and
concerns about the impact into law TAS 9023-2007. The safety equipment from hair
“The HACCP system
of foreign competition on implementation of HACCP nets and gloves to factory
helps us to compete,
the country’s exports, as was made non-mandatory, infrastructures and even
to ensure product
international importers but certification was highly machinery. For smaller
safety and to reduce
of Thai products were recommended, under law companies, this can prove
the cost of production
refusing to trade in food that TAS 9024-2007. prohibitive. Not only is it
in the long term” says
did not carry food safety expensive, but Small and
Charoenchitsawat,
certification. Although Less Developed Businesses

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS / Case study / THAILAND

 HACCP is a 12-step process that
involves 7 principles, as follows:

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Assemble
HACCP team and Describe Identify intended Construct
identify scope product use and users flow diagram

Step 5 Step 6 / Principle 1 Step 7 / Principle 2 Step 8 / Principle 3

Conduct a hazard
On-site analysis and consider Determine the Establish validated
confirmation of any measures to control Critical Control critical limits for
flow diagram identified hazards Points (CCPs) each CCP

Step 9 / Principle 4 Step 10 / Principle 5 Step 11 / Principle 6 Step 12 / Principle 7

Validate the HACCP Establish documentation

Establish the corrective plan and then establish concerning all
action to be taken when procedures for procedures and records
Establish monitoring indicates that verification to confirm appropriate to these
a monitoring system for a particular CCP is not that the HACCP system principles and their
each CCP under control is working as intended application

(SLDBs) are not likely to regulations under the seemed complicated,” says operators. But training
have the necessary food Ministry of Public Health.” Charoenchitsawat, “they soon helped.”
safety personnel, knowledge The service is free, and the thought it was a burden.
or technical information In 2015, Thailand and
government hopes that this They had to learn about
necessary, which puts France led an electronic
will help to include even forms and records. More
them at a disadvantage. working group established
the smallest producers like attention was needed
“A large number of by the Codex Committee
community enterprises and during production.” But
SLDBs cannot afford on Food Hygiene, to review
farmer groups. the advantages of the
an external consultant and recommend updates
system soon became clear:
to help implement the Cost has not been the only for CXC 1-1969. This
“When they understood
documentation system challenge. At Udonkijpaisarn, review led to new work
the reason for the HACCP
under HACCP,” explains getting the message to revise the guidelines,
system, they became more
Lohachoompol, “so local through to employees which was successfully
cooperative and helpful.”
competent authorities initially proved to be completed in November
Saowapichart tells a similar
oversee safety of their difficult. “At the beginning, 2019. “Thailand’s
story from Prime Foods:
products based on our GHP most operators felt that active contribution
“At the beginning, it was
(Good Hygiene Practices) the HACCP processes to the revision of the
difficult to motivate all

Case study / THAILAND

General Principles of growing awareness across will eventually be a rare
Food Hygiene and its the whole agri-food sector occurrence.”
HACCP annex was highly in the country, food safety
is becoming an important With the revision of the
appreciated,” says Verna
General Principles of Food
Carolissen, Food Standards factor both at home and
Hygiene CXC 1-1969 by +150%
Officer with the Codex abroad. These successes
do much to bring the Thai the Codex Alimentarius in the increase of number of
Alimentarius. “Thailand
food sector into alignment 2020, there will be a need food businesses adopting
brought to the table its
with the Codex mandate to for Thailand to update the HACCP system in the
immense experience in
protect consumer health their legislation. However, last four years alone
the application of GHPs
and promote fair practices in given their experience in
and the HACCP system,
the food trade. “Gradually, the implementation of
not only in larger food
we hope to see increasing HACCP and their strong
producers, but also how
HACCP-certified products engagement in the work
it could be made more
in both export and of Codex, they are well
relevant and applicable
positioned to continue

© unsplash.com/Bradley Prentice
also for small or less domestic markets,” says
Lohachoompol. “As a result, to strengthen their
developed industries.”
recall and rejection of food implementation of HACCP in
Thai food export companies products from import line with the updated Codex
are directly attributing countries will reduce standards and continue to
sales growth to HACCP even more and foodborne benefit from improved food
certification and with disease across the country safety and market access.

The history of HACCP

Developed in the 1950s In the mid-1980s, HACCP In 1987, HACCP was added In 2003 Codex Alimentarius
by NASA and the Pillsbury became the predominant to Codex’s universal General adopted revisions to the
Company to ensure the food safety system in the Principles of Food Hygiene General Principles of Food
safety of food used in US and in 1989, the National CXC 1-1969 as an annex Hygiene CXC 1-1969 to take
the US manned space Advisory Committee on and was recommended for into consideration the needs
program, HACCP was a food Microbiological Criteria for use internationally as the of small and less developed
safety system involving Foods (NACMCF) codified primary food safety control businesses.
Critical Control Points and HACCP, which was now system across all food
consisting of three key composed of 7 principles. industries from the farm In 2020 Codex Alimentarius
principles1. through to consumption. adopted a further revision
At the same time, a period of the General Principles of
In the early 1970s, Pillsbury of rich discussion made way In 1993, NACMCF added Food Hygiene CXC 1-1969
applied HACCP principles for the Codex Alimentarius 5 steps to the 7 principles of to ensure this important
to the management of a Commission to start the HACCP process. standard remained up to
food contamination incident introducing HACCP into its date and relevant for current
involving infant food2. The codes of practice. risk management.
successful application
of HACCP in managing
that issue led to the wider
application of HACCP within
the food canning sector.

Contact
codex@fao.org
© FAO and WHO, 2022

Codex Alimentarius Commission codexalimentarius.org

CB8770EN/1/02.22

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Rome, Italy twitter.com/FAOWHOCodex