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Re: HACCP "Rules"
Title: Message
IMHO
as a grower and eater of organic food. If in doubt I leave it out.
that goes for anything they say don't pick for 90 to 120 days or it might kill u
or make u sick. why would I want to spray something on the food I grow and
eat that if u pick it before the 90 days u get real sick. come-on now this
is getting to sound more like conventional growing every day. when I
started growing organic and eating organic I did it because I was looking for
safer food. The USDA better keep organic safe if nothing else. I
don't use any shit any more and I don't use anything that says you have to wait
so long before the food is safe to eat. what about the grower spraying the
stuff can he get sick if he is spraying something that takes 80 days to be
safe. if one USDA organic grower grows food that makes folks sick all
organic growers will suffer .. If folks can say organic is not safer than
conventional food because the USDA lets organic growers use stuff that will make
u sick then all organic growers will suffer. . now I use no shit
still folks say organic food is not safer because the organic stuff they use on
the plants is not safe. well I don't use that stuff but still I have to
suffer because someone is bum raping all organic growers because the
USDA is letting organic growers use unsafe stuff. If one grower made folks
sick with a USDA organic materials list approve product forget about it
it. maybe to u folks that want to grow organic just for the
big bucks its ok but if u want to grow safer food for all that eat it why take
the chance with HACCP or whatever. if in doubt leave it out. how can
u sleep because the USDA says leave it 120 days and it will be safe.
they say that about a lot of stuff. If the USDA lets stuff be used in
the USDA organic movement that is not safe I will run from the word
organic. RUN and so will all those that buy organic. Keep
organic safe plus keep organic organic . that is what the USDA should be
doing. Most folks that buy organic feel it is safer no matter what the
USDA says so let us not betray their trust in organic food.
-----Original Message-----
From:
Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group
[mailto:SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU] On Behalf Of
Aquatfs@AOL.COM
Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 7:56
AM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Subject: HACCP
"Rules"
I think that it is important to realize
that HACCP, just like Organic, can be a double edged sword. Buyers and
consumers want to know that the food they are buying is of a certain quality.
The problem is in defining:
1. What is quality?
2. What can and
can't producers do and use in order to achieve this quality?
3. Who decides
on all of the definitions and standards?
Even though you may create and
implement a HACCP program to ensure the quality and safety of raw dairy
products, you will have a difficult time selling these products (in the US).
The crux of the matter is that I would trust a knowledgeable and ethical
farmer to set his/her own standards and methods of operation. But what about
the not so enlightened farmer or the unscrupulous farmer? This is where third
party standards may be required.
One side note on whether food
producers are allowed to convert poor quality product into a "safe" product.
HACCP is primarily focused on product safety and not necessarily product
quality. As long as you have an adequate kill step that results in the
mandated log reductions in pathogens, you are considered to be producing a
suitable product. Douglas, I respect your view that safety and quality go hand
in hand, but I think that you will find that the majority of the food
production system has separated these attributes. The government imposed HACCP
standards in response to food safety concerns. Your suggestion to create a new
acronym if HACCP does not address quality and safety could face the same
problems encountered in setting the "new organic" standards. In the end.
consumers will need to get closer to the producers of their food and place
their trust in the individual and not the piece of paper or the
certification.
Alan Ismond, P.Eng.
Aqua-Terra Consultants