Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, is a systematic
preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical
hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe
and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level. HACCP is a
management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and
control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material
production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and
consumption of the finished product. For successful implementation of a HACCP
plan, management must be strongly committed to the HACCP concept. A firm
commitment to HACCP by top management provides company employees with a sense
of the importance of producing safe food. HACCP is designed for use in all
segments of the food industry from growing, harvesting, processing,
manufacturing, distributing, and merchandising to preparing food for consumption.
HACCP is important because it prioritizes and controls potential hazards in food
production. By controlling major food risks, such as microbiological, chemical
and physical contaminants, the industry can better assure consumers that its
products are as safe as good science and technology allows. ISO 22000 is a standard designed to help
augment HACCP on issues related to food safety. HACCP is a science-based system used to ensure that food
safety hazards are controlled to prevent unsafe food from reaching the consumer.
HACCP, or the Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point system, is a process control system that identifies where hazards
might occur in the food production process and puts into place stringent actions
to take to prevent the hazards from occurring. The Committee again endorses
HACCP as an effective and rational means of assuring food safety from harvest
to consumption. Preventing problems from occurring is the paramount goal
underlying any HACCP system. Seven basic principles are employed in the
development of HACCP plans that meet the stated goal. These principles include
hazard analysis, CCP identification, establishing critical limits, monitoring
procedures, corrective actions, verification procedures, and record-keeping and
documentation. Under such systems, if a deviation occurs indicating that
control has been lost, the deviation is detected and appropriate steps are
taken to reestablish control in a timely manner to assure that potentially
hazardous products do not reach the consumer. In the application of HACCP, the
use of microbiological testing is seldom an effective means of monitoring CCPs
because of the time required to obtain results. In most instances, monitoring
of CCPs can best be accomplished through the use of physical and chemical
tests, and through visual observations. Microbiological criteria do, however,
play a role in verifying that the overall HACCP system is working.
User questions & answers