HACCP as a Regulatory Innovation to Improve Food Safety in the Meat Industry

The current system of meat inspection in the United States does not adequately address the problem of microbial food-borne pathogens. The application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems to control and reduce the incidence of pathogens is included in proposed regulations for safety in meat products. This type of regulatory intervention combines control of process and product, and offers a regulatory innovation when the costs of hazard detection are high and the exact benefits associated with any particular standard are uncertain but potentially large. Although command and control standards may be appropriate for control of food-borne pathogens, more consideration might be given to combining these standards with incentives to improve food safety in meats.