Summary of the first year of the Erasmus+ project “European Experience in Food Safety Management System (HACCP) Implementation”

On 22 December 2021, a summary session of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project “European Experience in the Implementation of the Food Safety Management System (HACCP)” took place. The project is implemented by Poltava University of Economics and Trade from 2020.

32 participants – food market operators from all over Ukraine were trained under the program. Participants include representatives of various areas of the food market, including producers, restaurateurs, agri-food markets and product suppliers. It should be noted that the use of the HACCP system is mandatory under Ukrainian law for all food market operators. This requirement is dictated by the provisions of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.

The course “European experience in implementing a food safety management system (HACCP)” consisted of four content modules:

-Study of European legislation in the field of food safety – this module covered the basic directives and regulations of the EU on food safety, as well as sections of the normative document Codex Alimentarius.

-Basic concepts of the HACCP system. The module focuses on the best European practices of the system implementation, as well as the requirements for the HACCP system in the context of reforming the Ukrainian food legislation.

-Prerequisite programs of the HACCP system are practically considered basic prerequisite programs, the observance of which is regulated by law.

-Practical aspects of HACCP implementation by food market operators – European experience – 12 steps and 7 principles of the HACCP system are considered in detail.

In addition to online classes, students had the opportunity to take a distance course, which was aimed at the practical development of the HACCP system. As a result, the participants were able to prepare a package of documents for the implementation of a security management system at their own enterprises.

The project trainers were teachers of the HACCP School of Poltava University of Economics and Trade: Alina Tkachenko, Olena Goryacheva, Yulia Basova, Lyudmyla Guba and Natalia Katerenchuk, Chief Specialist of the Food Safety Department of the Main Department of the State Food and Consumer Service in Poltava Region.

In general, the project will last for 3 years. The objectives of the project are to disseminate European experience in food safety management based on HACCP principles and to train food producers on European experience and European requirements in food legislation.