Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Development of a model HACCP quality for the fish smoking industry in Cameroon

21^st Global Summit on Food Processing, Safety & Technology

September 28-29, 2018 | Chicago, USA

Enow Canicia Efundem

University of Yaounde, Cameroon

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

The quality and safety of fish is of major concern to producers, processors, quality control authorities and consumers. In addition to the economic losses incurred because of fish spoilage, fish-borne illnesses cost billions of dollars to the community because of their costly adverse health effects, the loss of productivity and medical expenses. Additional costs in international trade include the cost of rejections, detention of products, recalls and the resulting adverse publicity for the industry and even for the country. Although naturally blessed with substantial fish supply, Low and middle income countries like Cameroon fish processors are not keen at implementing HACCP in their production and processing steps which limits the enormous market size and potential. This work is aimed at assessing the hygienic and sanitation standards of industrial layout in the fish smoking industry, (GMP, GHP) and to reduce food borne illnesses caused by smoked fish and by the implementation of a quality HACCP model to the smoked fish industries to enable them meet up with and scale up exportation of smoked fish product to Europe and America. Structured questionnaire and semi-interview were administered. Our results showed that, GHP, (GMP), and the industrial layout does not conform with the standards as demanded by the Codex Alimentarius for fish and fishery product 2013 and (CAC/RCP 52-2003). The survey showed that all the fish processors were women with 50% of them aged (31-46), 34% from (15-30), 27% from (47-62), and 4% from (63-78). Majority (58.9%) of the processors had no toilets. About 45.5% of the women have no formal education, 36% attended Primary School and minimal percentage in high school and University. The survey showed that 36% of the fish processors don???t wash fish before smoking and 64% washed with various sources of water. It was also seen that the floors and walls of the fishing plants are made up of mud and wood respectively. The conditions (sanitation/hygiene and environmental) under which fish is processed and smoked in Cameroon are poor. This provides wealth of opportunity to the development and suggestion of Model HACCP to be implemented by the processors in other to meet up with exportation requirements and better living standard.

Biography :

Enow Canicia Efundem is a holder of a Professional Masters in Food Safety from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon. She has Witten a Policy guideline document on the implementation of HACCP in the dry smoked Fish Industrie in Cameroun unpublish

E-mail: caniciaearthlink@yahoo.com