What is the Canadian On-Farm Food Safety Program?
The Canadian On-Farm Food Safety Program (COFFS) is a producer-driven partnership between industry and government that helps national commodity organizations develop and implement on-farm food safety programs based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) definitions and principles. What is HACCP? HACCP is an internationally recognized system of quality assurance endorsed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The HACCP system is effective mainly because it is a scientific, “preventative approach [which] focuses first on identifying and then on reducing or eliminating potential food safety hazards” (An introduction to On-Farm Food Safety Practices, 2). Why was the COFFS Program Established? The COFFS Program was established in May 1997 to respond to increasing consumer concerns about the safety of their food. Now, through the success of the COFFS program, Canada is becoming recognized as a leader in food safety. The program demonstrates to consumers and processors, both nat
