Controlling the production process of exported pistachios to reduce aflatoxin
In order to reduce the number of returned shipments of pistachios from European markets and to prevent sanctions on Iranian pistachios for export, a project called Green Corridor has been designed by those in charge of pistachio production and export.
Gheibi, Director General of the Pistachio Office of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, added: By launching the HACCP system (analysis of hazards and critical control points of the most efficient food contamination control system) in the pistachio crop, part of the exported product will not return due to aflatoxin contamination. Maintaining the global pistachio market in Iran will provide economic life for pistachio growers.
Referring to the legal responsibility of government authorities in international trade, he said: Considering that the European Union, as the largest trading partner of Iranian pistachios, has introduced the Pistachio Affairs Office as a credible and appropriate source for resolving the country’s pistachio problems, so design and implement this The system (HACCP) is one of the strategic responsibilities of the Horticulture Department.
The Director General of the Pistachio Office of the Ministry of Jihad for Agriculture stated: Therefore, in this plan, first CCPs and critical areas in all stages of production are determined and compiled, and the ways of internal control and superior supervision are determined.
He said that the main way of control in this system is the presence of a technical expert in health processing terminals and added: monitoring was done in three stages, harvesting and transportation from the garden to the terminal, processing, sorting and packing in the terminal.
Monitoring and evaluation of system performance is carried out by performing aflatoxin testing after each CCP. These evaluations will ultimately ensure that the product has less contamination than allowed, he said.
Noting that the implementation of the HACCP system in the production of pistachios began in the second half of 1979, Gheibi added: Following the proposal of the Pistachio Affairs Office, the HACCP Pistachio Subcommittee in the HACCP National Committee of the Ministry of Health It was formed with the presence of experts and pundits of various government agencies and organs, as well as the private sector, to formulate the work procedures and regulations for the establishment of the system in pistachio processing terminals.
He added: Since the establishment of this system in pistachio production is the only way out of the crisis of aflatoxin contamination and improving the health quality of the product, and in this way, while gaining the trust of foreign buyers and consumers, the economic life of orchards will be maintained. Therefore, the Pistachio Affairs Office prepared and compiled a national plan for tracking and controlling critical points of pistachio production with the aim of establishing the HACCP system in orchards and pistachio processing terminals.
The Director General of the Pistachio Office of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, referring to the actions of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture after the approval of the plan, said: Preparing a technical chart, implementing a plan to track and control critical points of pistachio production and appoint members and descriptions of duties and responsibilities of working groups Kerman and Yazd, preparation and approval of minimum hygienic criteria for pistachio processing terminals, identification of pistachio processing terminals for project implementation, selection of orchards covered by processing terminals, drafting a procedure for establishing a system for analyzing risk factors and critical points in HACCP In order to prevent aflatoxin contamination of the product, prepare diagrams of pistachio processing workflow, list of possible hazards and related control measures, prepare executive instructions and checklist forms of the system and send it to the provinces implementing the project, hold training workshops and continuous and comprehensive monitoring. GMP operations have taken place in terminals and GAP operations in gardens covered by the system.