Effective seafood safety and quality management systems: an analysis of the situation in the Sultanate of Oman

Globally there have been many challenges in establishing effective food safety control systems. Of particular interest to the Sultanate of Oman is the control of the safety and quality of seafood for its importance to the national economy, food security and trade. The research focused on the particular issue of food safety management systems (including the application of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system within the Omani seafood processors. To understand the whole context, a wider review was initially conducted which looked into the whole structure of food control in Oman including the legal documents and the administrative structures. The evidence indicates that there is no unified national food safety agency and that current laws and regulations are shared across various governmental authorities. By investigating the various challenges, weaknesses and strengths of the existing system it is noted that there are still deficiencies in comparison to international guidance. Subsequently the structure of the seafood supply chain was analysed and a survey was conducted to assess the issues pertinent to HACCP implementation in the seafood industry and the role of the regulatory authorities in governing the safety of seafood products. The survey identified more precisely the benefits and barriers of implementing the HACCP system for the HACCP processors and the non-HACCP processors, which are usually small industry. In conclusion, the research has shown the importance of adopting strategies to enhance safety and quality requirements from farm to fork covering all aspects of seafood harvesting, processing and distribution regardless of the target markets. A legal requirement to adopt HACCP systems and the application of related food safety management systems (FSMSs) and their pre-requisites programmes is recommended. It should be imposed on all seafood processors regardless of their markets to ensure conformity with national and international requirements