Exploring costs and benefits of compliance with HACCP regulation in the European meat and dairy sectors.

摘要

A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Program was introduced as a mandatory measure in the EU in the 1990s. Despite its impact on the food industry, only limited literature addresses the issue of cost and benefits of HACCP at the firm level in Europe. This paper illustrates the results of a pilot study of cases in Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands, providing a first assessment of the order of magnitude of costs of compliance and a qualitative illustration of the main benefits perceived by producers. Altogether, 11 plants (6 for the meat sector and 5 for the dairy sector) were investigated. In these plants, observed costs of compliance for the HACCP regulation roughly range from 0.7-3% of turnover, following sector specific patterns. Benefits reported include: higher-value market shares; improvement of staff skills; and reduced costs of failure..