The International Dairy Federation is working towards an system for safety and hygiene management for the whole production chain, its director general has told a conference held by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
“To produce safe and wholesome dairy products, it is imperative to control all factors in every step of the production chain that might have a negative effect on safety and suitability of the final product,” said Christian Robert, IDF director general, speaking at a meeting on feed and food of animal origin safety. “Our programme of work is designed towards an integrated chain management approach to dairy safety and hygiene.”
“Providing scientific and technical expertise to develop regulatory texts and supplying practical guidance to the dairy sector and other stakeholders on how to achieve the required safety and suitability of dairy products is a key role for IDF,” he said.
IDF is currently developing guidance for the dairy sector on how to apply the new concepts of Food Safety Objective and Performance Objective in order to achieve a continuum of food safety control measures throughout the dairy production chain.
Traceability will also prove essential in contributing to both product safety and consumer confidence in food labelling. IDF is currently involved in the establishment of internationally recognized sound principles and guidelines for the application of traceability in food/dairy products.
