In the case of signing the Agreement on Free Trade Zone with EU countries, Ukrainian food producers will be able to maximally use the benefits reached during long negotiation process only in the case of their accordance to the requirements of safety and quality, adopted on the territory of European Union. The System of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is the basis of food safety of all developed countries of the world; allows to control and minimize the influence of dangerous factors, which may result into production of unhealthy food, not only at the end of production line, but throughout all production stages.

According to the data by International Finance Corporation (IFC), out of more than 20 thousand registered in Ukraine food-processing enterprises, only approximately two per cent have implemented and certified HACCP. “Only companies with sound food safety management systems will have the opportunity to export. The planned reform of the Ukrainian national legislation, including proposed amendments to the law on Food Safety and Quality will definitely lead to increased consumer confidence in food safety and open new markets for Ukrainian food producers, - said Sarah Ockman, Project Manager for IFC Ukraine Food Safety Project. - Only in this case they’ll have an opportunity to use in full extent the export potential of Ukraine. Planned increase of the requirements to the producers from the side of Ukrainian national legislation looks very logic – the corresponding changes are being prepared to the Law of Ukraine “On Safety and Quality of Food Products”, which will definitely positively influence the confidence of consumers in the safety of food products.”

“The approach based on traceability of all production steps is obviously better, - Oleksandr Verzhykhovskyi, adviser on quality and safety of agricultural products of the Association “Ukrainian Agribusiness Club” (UCAB) stated. – But the majority of our food-processing enterprises got used to “old-school” work, using out of date, soviet principles. Of course lots of them are deterred with high costs needed for HACCP implementation, which may vary up to several hundred thousand UAH. But such investments are normally compensated quite rapidly, first of all due to large decrease of rejections and also reclamations from the purchasers and related costs”.

Issues mentioned above and other relevant themes will be discussed during International Food Safety Forum, organized by IFC Ukraine Food Safety Project together with UCAB, which will be held in Kyiv on November, 30, 2011.