Farm first to meet international food safety standard

THE 9-Mile Farm outside Port Moresby is the first commercial farm in the country to meet international food safety standards in production.
The farm was accredited the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification by the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT) in Port Moresby yesterday.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is a systematic approach to food safety and endures that production at the farm prioritises and controls potential hazards in food production.
Ilan Weiss, executive director for Innovative Agro Industry (IAI) which manages 9-Mile Farm, said accreditation was vital as food safety was the core of their business.
“We need to make sure that the food we provide, whether vegetables, dairy, or poultry products, are safe for our consumers,” he said.
“It is important that we comply with these standards.
“We don’t want PNG to be perceived as second or third-rate produce.
“We want PNG to be perceived as world-class.”
NISIT acting director-general Victor Gabi said IAI had submitted three requests to NISIT last July to be certified the HACCP.
It took them 12 months to go through the auditing process.