Quality Management Program
The Quality Management Program (QMP) is a regulatory-based system that
requires all federally registered fish processing plants in Canada to develop and
implement an in-plant quality control program. As set out in the Fish Inspection
Regulations, all establishments in Canada that process fish and seafood for
export or inter-provincial trade must be registered with the Government of Canada. To
become federally registered, a fish processor is legally required to develop a QMP plan of
their own, following the "QMP Reference Standard";
submit it to the CFIA for review and acceptance; and apply it to their processing
operations. [more...]
Reference Material
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Related Sites
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The QMP uses the principles of "HACCP" (Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Point), an internationally recognized system for ensuring safe food
production, to provide a high level of assurance that fish and seafood products produced
in Canada are safe and wholesome to eat. However, the QMP also deals with non-safety
issues, including fish quality and federal regulatory requirements such as labelling.
The QMP was established as a mandatory program in 1992, making it the first mandatory
food inspection program in the world based on HACCP principles. Prior to this, fish
inspection was conducted as a traditional food inspection program, with federal inspectors
inspecting fish plants and testing their products. The QMP was extensively re-engineered
between 1996 and 2000, with the active participation of the fish processing industry.
Along with promoting the production of safe and wholesome fish and seafood products and
thereby protecting Canadian consumers, the QMP benefits fish processors in a number of
ways. These include a streamlined process for the certification of final products for
export; the privilege of using the "Canada Inspected" logo on their products;
and a minimization of government intrusion and intervention in their day-to-day
operations. Also, because it incorporates the application of HACCP principles, the QMP has
been effective in maintaining access to international markets, at a time when many
countries are introducing HACCP requirements for imported fish and seafood. This is
important for Canada's fish processing industry, which is heavily export-oriented:
almost 90 per cent of the fish and seafood products produced in Canada are exported to
foreign countries.
For more information on the QMP, click on one of the sites listed above, or contact one
of the QMP Program officers listed on the "Contacts"
page. To access a current
list of Canadian fish processors that are in compliance with QMP requirements, click here.
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