HACCP in small companies: benefit or burden?

This paper acknowledges the importance of small companies across the food chain and identifies the slow uptake of HACCP in these companies as an area of concern for the production of safe food. This sets the scene for an analysis of the barriers to HACCP implementation which include availability of appropriate training in HACCP methodology, access to technical expertise and the general resource problems of time and money. The burden that this places on the small business, particularly in terms of documentation, validation and verification, are then discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of the burdens and benefits that this sector faces as it moves towards compliance with food safety legislation.