Advantage Profile: Domingos Meat Packers Ltd.Rigorous food safety program gives customers added confidenceThere's no such thing as a slow day at Domingos Meat Packers. Since Horacio Domingos opened the pork plant north of Guelph in 1994, business hasn't stopped booming. "Over the past 15 years, we've just expanded and expanded," says his daughter Nancy Vieira, the company's quality control manager. Today, the Arthur-based plant processes hundreds of hogs a day. It employs nearly 50 people, occupies 20,000 square feet and serves customers across southern Ontario. Retail chains, wholesalers, processors and independent butcher stores all rely on Domingos to deliver fresh, lean, quality pork. "Domingos Meat Packers was one of the first meat processors in the province to achieve Advantage HACCP certification." Nancy Vieira, Quality Assurance Manager 
Figure 1: Nancy Vieira,
Quality Assurance Manager, Domingos Meat Packers Inc.
The secret behind the success? Dedication, says Vieira. "Once my father puts his mind to something, it's go, go, go," she explains. So it's not surprising that two years after Domingos decided to pursue Advantage HACCP certification, the plant passed the rigorous food safety audit with flying colours. Advantage HACCP is a food safety program developed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Foods and Rural Affairs. It's tailored specifically for small and medium-sized food processors and based on internationally recognized Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. Under this program, food processors analyze every step of their operations, looking for critical points where hazards could occur. Next, they must eliminate, reduce or control these hazards, whether it's biological, physical or chemical. To get certified under Advantage HACCP, food processors must pass a third-party independent audit conducted by the Canadian General Standards Board, an agency of the federal government, while annual audits ensure that the plant's standards don't slip. In the case of Domingos Meat Packers, food safety begins with the incoming animals. Each one is carefully checked, both by a Domingos receiver and a government meat inspector. Any pig that fails to measure up doesn't make it through the plant doors. Inside, Vieira insists on strict measures to prevent cross-contamination. Her foremen make sure the meat stays cold enough to reduce microbial growth, while all the employees practice good hygiene: wearing hairnets, washing their hands frequently and regularly sanitizing their equipment. Annual GMP and HACCP refresher courses help to keep food safety front of mind. Most days you'll find Vieira herself at the end of the production line, verifying that each cut gets properly packaged and labeled, ready to be shipped out fresh that morning. Certification has brought the plant a major step closer to the federal license that would allow them to export products beyond Ontario's borders - another goal Vieira's father has set his mind to. But there have been other benefits, too. If the company ever receives a complaint about its meat, Vieira can track down the origin of the problem, thanks to the extensive documentation required by Advantage HACCP. "It's something that can be resolved very quickly," she says. Perhaps most importantly, Advantage HACCP certification assures Vieira's customers that Domingos products meet stringent standards - an assurance that has translated into increased sales. "People feel more comfortable buying my meat," she explains. "They know we're doing everything in our power to make sure it's safe." Contact Information:Nancy Vieira, Quality Assurance Manager, Domingos
Meat Packers Inc. "People feel more comfortable buying my meat,"
says Vieira. "They know we're doing everything in our power to make sure
it's safe."
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