However, not
all HACCP programs are created equal. Delmare chose the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs' Advantage HACCP program partly because it can be
audited and certified by an independent third-party. In the case of Advantage
HACCP, certification is provided by the Canadian General Standards Board,
an agency of the federal government.
There certainly is greater peace of
mind when you develop a relationship with an Advantage HACCP certified
business. Once certification has been achieved the buyer can be confident that
everything possible has been done by the plant to produce safe food.
"The
Advantage HACCP system distinguishes a quality plant run by someone who
cares deeply about what they're doing from someone else who cares but doesn't
have any proof that they're doing a good job," says Bob Kowall, Chief Financial
Officer at Delmare.
A HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) program
addresses food safety hazards associated with the plant and its personnel and
then identifies critical control points where food safety hazards can be controlled
or eliminated during processing. That means analyzing every phase of the business
and finding points where steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate food safety
hazards which results in improved food safety.
Take ginger as an example.
It's a root crop, so when it arrives at Delmare from the farm, there may still
be some soil on the plant. While developing their own HACCP program, staff at
Delmare saw an opportunity to reduce the risk of pathogens making their way into
the facility.
Now, when ginger arrives at the loading dock, it's taken out
of the boxes in which it arrived and placed in stainless steel bins where it gets
thoroughly washed - all before it even enters the food processing facility.
Delmare
was HACCP-certified in 2006, but their commitment to food safety hasn't let up.
An Advantage HACCP certification demands an ongoing commitment to product
safety and risk reduction.
Delmare regularly sends samples off to a third-party
laboratory for testing. "Through our traceability protocols we can find out
what might have caused higher counts and trace it right back to the supplier,"
Kowall says.
At Delmare, the documentation required for the Advantage
HACCP program includes detailed descriptions of products, forms that track
ingredients and incoming materials, flow diagrams, and notes about possible hazards
and critical control points that are identified and monitored.
The Advantage
HACCP program is a fundamental piece of the formula for success for this booming
company. "It helps with our own internal controls to find efficiencies and
to make sure we're doing things right." says Kowall. "We're growing
fast and we want controls in place to make sure we don't have any food safety
problems."
Since starting in 1995, Delmare has gone from selling to
other food product manufacturers to carving out a share of the pie at the food
distributor and food service level. Their newer products, like roasted and chopped
vegetables, along with pesto, spreads and dips, are being served at major restaurant
chains and are used by large multi-national food companies.
Being Advantage
HACCP certified has done more than help them manage their growth and increase
efficiencies in the plant. At times, it's also helped drive sales and market access.
More customers are demanding HACCP programs.
"I can't make it more
simple than to say it opens doors," says Kowall. He says that buyers from
pizza chains and the supermarkets will often say, "Oh, you have HACCP. Okay,
let's talk."
The staff at Delmare knows the procedures to maximize
food safety after going through the Advantage HACCP certification. The
management can also replicate what they learned through Advantage HACCP
for other products they choose to add to their line.
"We have a great
niche," says Kowall. "We can compete with bigger processors because
we can move quickly".
Delmare will continue to thrive in a competitive
market thanks in part to their commitment to Advantage HACCP, a program
which assures customers they are purchasing products from a company dedicated
to food safety.
Contact Information:
Bob Kowall, CFO, Delmare
Quality Foods
Tel: 1-888-335-4133
Email: b.kowall@delmare.on.ca
Website : www.delmare.on.ca
"The
Advantage HACCP system distinguishes a quality plant run by someone who
cares deeply about what they're doing from someone else who cares but doesn't
have any proof that they're doing a good job"
-
Bob Kowall, CFO, Delmare Quality Foods
Figure 1: Bob Kowall, CFO,
Delmare Quality Foods 
