Magazines Archives - 2009 May

Cleanliness, safety the be-all & end-all in the Philippines
Story 6 - Focus

It takes years to build consumer trust in a brand but just one momentary lapse in judgment and operations to lose it forever, as the manufacturer of the popular Ludy’s and Yummy’s peanut butter painfully realises after its products were recalled from supermarket shelves due to salmonella contamination.

Although the company tried to assure the public that the damage was limited to peanut-butter products, consumers continue to avoid everything — from coconut jam to noodles — that carries the brand. Chances to recapture the sizeable market it has lost due to the poisoning, which left many Filipinos sick are slim.

Leading food manufacturers in the country know they cannot afford any misstep and are taking great pains to ensure the integrity of manufacturing processes to make customers feel secure about buying their products. This is especially critical after consumers were spooked by reports of food poisoning at home — and abroad, as in the case of China’s milk scandal and salmonellacontaminated pistachios in the US.

The Philippines’ biggest snack manufacturer, Universal Robina Corp (URC) of the Gokongwei group of companies, assures the public of the quality of its products through its Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and food- safety management system certifications, required for selling its products overseas.

The HACCP system, which identifies, evaluates and controls biological, chemical and physical hazards, is significant to ensure consumption safety. “With the recent spate of [contamination] issues and consumers’ growing awareness of food safety, the certifications serve to assure customers that our products are safe,” maintains URC’s senior vice-president, Bienvenido Bautista.

He explains that ensuring good manufac tur ing proces ses (GMP) requires the training of personnel involved in food safety; assessment of materials, equipment and environment; testing of materials and products for hazards; and control systems and measures for strict implementation.

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