Risks and Benefits

As with any food safety requirement risks and benefits can take on a variety of forms.  The benefits of HARPC compliance include:

• Reduced risk of FDA enforcement or action
• Increased food safety and consumer protection
• Better defined and more transparent manufacturing processes
• Increased supervision and controls over suppliers
• Increased confidence from buyers and partners

Compliance with HARPC is required under U.S. Law.  An adequate HARPC plan will require a thorough assessment and proper diagnosis of the condition of a food facility- including the good, the bad and the ugly. Companies can expect to discover food safety problems during the HARPC establishment and implementation process. These problems may be related to the physical plant (equipment, building, structural integrity, or machine quality), procedural steps (exposure of food products to the elements, temperature controls, or lack of monitoring methods), or personnel issues (staff hygiene, staff training, or unclear protocols).  Companies should expect to unearth some potential liabilities during the process, which brings into focus the importance of ensuring that the partners you choose to assist you in developing an adequate HARPC plan are bound by the strictest level of confidence: the attorney-client privilege.

Companies that fail to comply with HARPC standards will face very public problems with an aggressive, enforcement-minded FDA. This will result in significant expenditures not only in time, resources, funds and company good will, but will also harm the business relationship between the company and its suppliers.  The team at FDAImports.com has the experience to develop compliance plans and is ready to assist any international or domestic food companies developing and implementing HARPC food safety plans. Mindful of the business sensitivity that the implementing HARPC system implies to the business and its players, our goal is also to help clients achieve “win-win” results with your suppliers and buyers.