7 - Good agricultural practice and HACCP in fruit and vegetable cultivation

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the food safety management and the application of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems approach to food safety management in relation to the production of fruit and vegetables. It outlines the concept of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and establishes its role as a prerequisite for the development and operation of HACCP systems and describes the process by which HACCP systems may be developed for managing food safety in the production of fruit and vegetables. It provides an understanding of GAP and HACCP to see how they are applied in the production of safe fruit and vegetables. The safety of such products is paramount. They may constitute raw materials for further processing, for example, in the production of minimally processed bagged salads and manufactured and formulated foods or they may be released directly into the food marketplace for immediate consumption and the domestic preparation of meals. At no time during production, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and processing can fruit and vegetables be allowed to represent a source of hazard for consumers and any hazards that may arise must be controlled effectively. The chapter explains how this can be achieved.