The hazards in chocolate ice cream production are mainly
attributable to the use of excessive food additives, inappropriate
processing conditions, and unsanitary manufacturing
environment [21]. The results of this study showed the extent
of the positive effects that a HACCP systemdintroduced in a
chocolate ice cream factorydhad on both the microbiological
quality of the final product and on the total quality/hygiene
management. The application of the HACCP system provides
food manufacturers with effective preventive methods to
guarantee food safety and improve management. Additionally,
the documentation and records generated in the HACCP
system can easily help in tracing the origin of contamination,
thus preventing further production of substandard products
and lower the consumption of manpower, material, and
financial resources. At present, HACCP is difficult to implement
in some manufacturing plants because of technical and
financial obstacles. Although most of the major manufacturers
have applied HACCP for ice cream production, the
problems come from the point of sale. For instance, retailers
in night markets, which are a unique feature of Taiwanese
culture, may lack enough knowledge of hygiene, resulting in
the contamination of the ice cream. Therefore, this measure
requires government support for its wider application. Further
linkage of the HACCP system introduced in the factory to
quality management systems, such as International Organization
for Standardization regulation, can be possibly proved
to provide higher quality/hygiene standards, along with
higher awareness among the factories’ customers (i.e., ice
cream retailers).