Why do small business butcher shops fail to fully implement HACCP?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Vera Ramalho (Author) Other; Ana Pinto de Moura (Author) Other; Luis Miguel Cunha (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Food Control

Vol. 49

Pages: 85-91

ISSN: 0956-7135

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 18 Citations

Scopus - 24 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Other Agrarian Sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-M1A

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.11.050

Abstract (EN): This study aims to assess the degree of HACCP implementation in small business butcher shops and understand which factors most influence butchers' intention to fully implement it, through the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. One hundred and one butchers managing or owning small butcher's responded to the interview regarding their Attitudes, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioural Control, Personal Norm, and Knowledge with regard to their Intention to fully implement a HACCP system in their shops. Before the interviews, a certified veterinarian visited all the shops. Visits included an inspection of the establishments using the Official Portuguese Control Plan checklist for meat retailers. Conformance level measured past performance regarding food safety practices. Based on past performance, butchers were divided into "high performers" and "low performers". "High performers" yielded high values of Attitude and Intention towards the Behaviour. For these, Attitude and Personal Norm emerge as predictors of the Intention to fully implement a HACCP system. For "low performers", Personal Norm was the strongest predictor of Intention, with results pointing to the need for an intervention from the authorities to promote increased conformance to food safety practices. For both groups, neither Social Norm nor Perceived Behavioural Control acted as significant predictors of Intention.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7