30 years of profession
At present, there are about 100 seafood paste manufacturers and thousands of small household-scale seafood paste establishments. Annual output is about 2,500 tons. Cô Ri food processing manufacturer is one of the famous businesses in Thua Thien Hue with all kinds of seafood paste products.
Certificate of HACCP (international standard)
To achieve today results was a long way to Ms. Tran Thi Thai Phuong - the business owner, starting from a small business of about 100m2.
Ms. Phuong’s initial business was established in 1990 and located at Tang Bat Ho Street (Phu Thuan Ward, Hue City). Such a long period of profession practicing has brought a “lifetime” experience to Ms. Phuong and her dozens of workers.
In 2018, Ms. Phuong invested nearly 2 billion dongs to build a new plant in La Y village (Phu Thuong commune, Phu Vang district) with an area of 400m2. The business now creates regular jobs for 50 employees. Each year, about 350 tons of seafood paste products are sold to the market.
“In the past, the business produced completely by hand. To meet a large demand of the market, we invested more in machines and equipment. Our products were pasteurized to ensure food safety and hygiene. Although our manufacture was not 100% automated yet, our product quality has been improved for market competitiveness,” said Ms. Phuong.
Food safety and hygiene is ensured
In addition to the economic efficiency, Cô Ri seafood paste manufacturer in particular and all seafood paste production and processing businesses in the province were still consumed under the traditional form. Especially, they have not yet applied advanced quality management programs such as HACCP and ISO. Therefore, their seafood paste products still faced difficulties in exporting and market developing.
Bringing seafood paste abroad
"Several decades following the profession, there are workers working with me right from the first days, now they love their jobs more than the owner does. I want to bring our products “abroad” to create more jobs for workers and introduce traditional products of the homeland to foreign countries," continued Ms. Phuong.
Diverse types of seafood pastes
During a research and survey, the Provincial Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Sub-department has selected Cô Ri food processing factory to support the construction of the model "Manufacturing and applying the HACCP Quality Management program” for products of fermented shrimp, anchovy paste, shrimp paste, and eggplant paste.
Mr. Ho Dang Khoa, Head of the Provincial Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Sub-department informed that: “HACCP is an international standard for quality management system that helps businesses control limits of hazards during their food manufacturing and processing. Building a model to apply the quality management program according to HACCP standards at Cô Ri food processing factory is considered a pilot model to promote, support and develop small and medium manufacturers and businesses in the province”.
Accordingly, the model was implemented from mid-2018, with such main activities as trainings for technicians and workers at the factory, consulting and instructing to develop quality management programs, sampling for analysis of microbiological and heavy metal criteria, providing labor protection equipment...
The total implementation budget was nearly 145 million dongs. The program was consulted and developed by Tin Viet Consulting and Training Joint Stock Company. Globacert Certification Joint Stock Company certified the HACCP standards.
Particularly, Tin Viet Consulting and Training Joint Stock Company organized 2 training courses on HACCP quality management program and on-site inspection skills, and granted certifications to 30 employees of Cô Ri manufacturer and Binh Yen company (material supplier). Thereby, trainees have grasped basic knowledge of food safety and hygiene, developed and recorded quality management profiles. The manufacturer also acquired and corrected some errors in its arrangements such as separating the production area and resting area, arranging a reasonable area for changing labor protective clothing...
"Initially, the manufacturer had a clear understanding of quality assurance and food safety and hygiene, invested better production facilities, and managed the quality of products. The model is a foundation for food safety and hygiene production and is the basis for advertising and promoting seafood paste products at this manufacturer, ” added Mr. Khoa.
Granting HACCP certificate to Cô Ri Food Processing and Manufacturing business was also an initial support to build a perfect model, from production to preliminary processing and consumption, to facilitate the development of the "safety chain of agricultural products”. The successful model will create trust for consumers and help businesses orient their expansion scale as well as develop their markets abroad.
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Model replication
In the coming time, the Provincial Sub-Department of Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance will continue to inspect and supervise the establishment in its production process and implementation of the management program, introduce and replicate models to small and medium-scale seafood paste manufacturers and businesses in the area. The establishment will continue to monitor, record and implement the program, upgrade and expand its production scale and equipment to increase both product quantity and quality, and make plan to develop a safe food chain from production to consumption.
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By HA NGUYEN