News release
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND CANADIAN VINTNERS ASSOCIATION TO DEVELOP A FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM FOR THE WINE INDUSTRY
KELOWNA, British Columbia, October 19, 2007 - Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, today announced $312,000 for the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) to develop a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety program for the wine industry.
"The Government of Canada recognizes the efforts of our food and drink industries to implement and maintain the highest safety and quality standards for their products," said MP Cannan. "Our government is pleased to support the Canadian Vintners in the development of a program that will allow the industry to incorporate a food safety management system in the production of wine."
HACCP is an international protocol to identify and manage risks in the food supply chain. It is recognized as the primary food safety standard for many countries around the world. While wine is considered a low health risk, as most pathogens cannot survive in its high pH environment, concerns that compromise safety, quality integrity and production efficiency make having a food safety program an important part of any winery.
"The development of a wine industry specific HACCP plan will enhance Canada's reputation as a producer of safe, high-quality wine, and ensure grape and wine safety from the establishment and care of the vineyard to the storing of the finished product," said Dan Paszkowski, President of the Canadian Vintners Association.
To create a wine specific food safety model, the CVA established a HACCP Technical Committee in June 2007 to provide the product and industry specific information required during the development of the CVA food safety models. The CVA HACCP materials will be assessed through five winery pilot studies, with an anticipated completion date of February 2008, before being made available to wineries across Canada.
Funding for the CVA to develop a HACCP program is being provided under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Canadian Food Safety and Quality Program, Systems Development component. The goal of the Systems Development component is to facilitate industry momentum in developing and implementing government-recognized food safety and food quality process-control systems throughout the entire food chain.
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For more information, media may contact:
Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-759-7972
1-866-345-7972
Todd MacKay
Director of Communications
The Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-759-1059
Dan Paszkowski
President
Canadian Vintners Association
Ottawa, ON
613-782-2283
www.canadianvintners.com
BACKGROUNDER
HACCP is recognized as a worldwide standard for food safety and is acknowledged by regulatory bodies, trade organizations and retail groups.
HACCP was originally developed in the 1960s by Pillsbury, the U.S. Army and NASA as a means of guaranteeing the safety of foods for the U.S. space program. It is an approach to food safety that uses anticipatory and preventive actions throughout each stage of the production system rather than only inspecting and testing finished products.
There are multiple steps to be taken when setting up a HACCP plan for a winery. The first is to conduct a hazard analysis of the entire process. This will allow for the determination of the critical control points (CCP): points at which a control can be applied that will prevent or even eliminate a safety or quality risk.
Once the CCPs have been established, limits can be put into effect and monitoring procedures initiated. Plans for corrective actions and verification procedures are also important in creating a solid HACCP system. When the system has been put into place, the final stage focuses on proper record-keeping and ensuring that documentation processes are followed.
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