Omani Tuna Firms Embrace HACCP Systemff

There are 24 Omani fish processing companies presently listed to adhere to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, according to a senior official of the Omani Ministry. Several of these companies are involved in the production of fresh and frozen yellowfin tuna loins for the European market.

The HACCP food safety control system is an important precondition for the export of fish to the European Union (EU) market. It relies on first identifying and then resolving potential food hazards and faulty practices that occur anytime during the production, processing, packaging, or food preparation processes.

Oman adopted the HACCP system in 1998 after the EU banned the import of its fish products for not abiding by its Food Hygiene Directive implemented among Member States in June 1993.

The director of the Ministry’s Fisheries Quality Control Center at Al Bustan, Mr. Nashwa al Mazrooie, indicated that there are another 29 fish processing firms currently implementing HACCP certification measures, which are mandatory for acquiring export licenses to the EU and other restrictive, including the United States and Japan. Some, however, are carrying out a complete infrastructure overhaul while others are on the verge of securing HACCP certification, she said.

“We have a section at the Quality Control Center that helps companies qualify for HACCP certification,” said Nashwa. “We help them in implementing HACCP and we check the architecture of the plants and their facilities as well… once they qualify we give them a quality control number which permits them to export their fisheries products to the EU.”

As the main enforcer of export quality standards, the center relies on its multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art facilities to analyze samples collected from routine inspections of processing plants. The center maintains, among other things, sample preparation rooms, an organoleptic lab, a physical property lab, a microbiology lab, a chemistry lab, analysis equipment facilities, a data management room, and cold storage services.