Ukrainian Breeze Ready to Blow into the EU Market
As Ukraine prepares to enter the World Trade Organization global trade market, Ukrainian food processors must meet a key export precondition to ensure the safety of the food they process to compete effectively.
Ukrainian Breeze Ltd., a fish-processing plant in Berdyansk City, Odesa Oblast is one of the leaders not only in the Azov Sea Basin, but in the entire country. With its own fishing fleet, Breeze is involved in the full cycle of food manufacturing -- from fish harvesting to refrigerating/ freezing and canning. Its products are in high demand among national consumers. With an established position on the domestic market, Breeze management has been exploring external markets. The company realized that it needed to introduce food safety management principles based on international standards, which most of the world, including the United States, Canada and the EU require. These safety management principles, based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) were unfamiliar in countries of the former Soviet Union.
 |
| Fish processing at Breeze Ltd. |
Assisting Ukrainian food processors to comply with current international trade requirements is one of the goals of the USAID–supported Partnership for Food Industry Development Project (PFID), which is being implemented by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center jointly with its Ukrainian partner, the International Institute for Food Safety and Quality (IIFSQ). In June 2003, four Breeze specialists, including Breeze Director Sergey Matveyev, attended the internationally certified Seafood HACCP course. During the course they learned how to improve key sanitary and hygienic conditions of the facility, control hazards associated with fish products, comply with export/import regulations of other countries and handle non-compliance. In addition, they learned how to develop HACCP documents and received hands-on experience in developing a food safety management system.
Immediately after the training, Breeze began to develop and implement its own HACCP food safety system. The plant facility underwent remodeling which included facility design and layout improvements and the addition of amenity rooms for personnel. Floors, walls and ceilings were refurbished with washable tiles to improve the plant’s sanitary conditions. Personnel hygiene practices were addressed and new utensils and work clothes were purchased.
In 2005, with the European Union (EU) market as his new target, Breeze Director Matveyev asked IIFSQ to provide training for 24 additional plant workers. Today Breeze -- with 28 internationally certified HACCP specialists -- is a unique fish-processing plant in Ukraine.
Introducing the HACCP system allowed the plant to inprove process efficiency and product quality, which in turn increased revenues: Breeze was able to demand a price 30 percent higher than its competitors for the 5,277,000 cans of various fish products it sold in 2005 without damaging demand.
In line with HACCP principles, Breeze continues to improve its food safety management system. To further motivate his personnel, Matveyev is now introducing an incentive wage, a 30-50% increase over current average wages, for those employees who best comply with Good Manufacturing Practices and sanitation procedures.
By adopting and adhering to international standards, Breeze is now qualified to receive the European Veterinary Certificate. After a final inspection in early 2006, Breeze is in position to become the first Ukrainian fish processor approved to export to the EU.
Back to Top ^ |
