Who Requires HACCP?
FDA currently has HACCP food safety requirements for the low-acid canned food industry. In December 1995, FDA issued a final rule establishing HACCP requirements for the seafood industry. Those regulations took effect on Dec. 18, 1997. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts a voluntary HACCP-based seafood inspection program on a fee-for-service basis. The NOAA Program also provides services that go beyond mandatory HACCP requirements. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has established HACCP requirements for the meat and poultry industry. Larger establishments were required to start using HACCP by Jan. 26, 1998. Smaller companies had until Jan. 25, 1999, and very small plants have until Jan. 25, 2000. The system is also in use in other countries, including Canada. HACCP has been endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (an international food standard-setting organization), and the National
