HACCP : HAZARD ANALYSIS & CRITICAL CONTROL POINT
What is HACCP?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a food safety management system that identifies and controls potential hazards during food production. This system addresses biological, chemical, and physical risks from the initial stages of raw material production and procurement up to the distribution and consumption of the finished product. By analyzing where these hazards may arise, HACCP establishes measures to minimize these risks, ensuring food products’ safe production and delivery.
HACCP is important for several reasons. First, it helps protect consumers’ health by preventing or reducing the occurrence of foodborne illnesses and food poisoning. Second, it helps food businesses comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards, as well as enhancing their reputation and customer trust. Third, it helps improve the efficiency and quality of food production processes by reducing waste, rework, and recalls.
HAZARD ANALYSIS & CRITICAL CONTROL POINT certification built around seven principles:
- Conduct a hazard analysis: Identify the potential hazards (biological, chemical or physical) that may occur in the food production process and determine the preventive measures to control them. For example, a hazard analysis for a bakery may identify the risk of salmonella contamination from raw eggs, and the preventive measure may be to use pasteurized eggs or cook the products at a high temperature.
- Identify the critical control points (CCPs): A CCP is a step in the process where a control measure can be applied to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level. For example, a CCP for a bakery may be the baking stage, where the temperature and time can be controlled to ensure that the products are cooked properly and free of pathogens.
- Establish critical limits: A critical limit is a maximum or minimum value that must be met at a CCP to ensure that the hazard is controlled. For example, a critical limit for a bakery may be to bake the products at 180°C for 20 minutes.
- Establish monitoring procedures: Monitoring is the act of measuring or observing a CCP to verify that the critical limit is met. For example, a monitoring procedure for a bakery may be to use a thermometer to check the temperature of the oven and the products, and to use a timer to check the baking time.
- Establish corrective actions: Corrective actions are the actions to be taken when a critical limit is not met or when monitoring indicates a loss of control at a CCP. For example, a corrective action for a bakery may be to discard the undercooked products, adjust the oven temperature or time, and record the incident and the action taken.
- Establish verification procedures: Verification is the application of methods, procedures or tests to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively and that the food products are safe. For example, a verification procedure for a bakery may be to conduct microbiological testing of the products periodically, or to audit the HACCP system by an external authority.
- Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures: Records are the evidence that the HACCP system has been implemented and maintained, and they include the HACCP plan, CCP records, monitoring records, corrective action records, verification records and other relevant documents. For example, a record-keeping and documentation procedure for a bakery may be to use log sheets, labels, forms and reports to document all the steps and activities of the HACCP system.
Benefits OF HACCP Certification
HACCP certification can bring many benefits to a food business, such as:
- minimizes the limitations of traditional food management systems such as end-product testing and inspection.
- improves consumers’ confidence in the product.
- minimizes the possibility of food poisoning.
- lowers production costs on raw material wastage and food recall.
- Improving food safety and quality
- Reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and recalls
- Enhancing customer confidence and satisfaction
- Increasing market access and competitiveness
- Complying with legal obligations and industry expectations
- Saving costs and resources by preventing waste and rework
- Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
How can I implement HACCP?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a food safety management system that identifies and controls potential hazards during food production. To implement HACCP effectively, you need to follow a systematic process that involves several steps:
– Formation of a multidisciplinary HACCP team: This team should include representatives from different departments and functions involved in the food production process, such as quality assurance, engineering, operations, sanitation, and management. The team should have the knowledge, skills, and authority to develop and maintain the HACCP plan.
– Description of the product and intended use: You need to provide a clear and detailed description of the food product, its ingredients, packaging, storage, distribution, and shelf life. You also need to specify the intended use and target consumers of the product, such as children, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals.
– Development of a flow diagram of the production process: You need to create a flow diagram that shows all the steps involved in the production process, from receiving raw materials to shipping finished products. The flow diagram should include all the inputs and outputs of each step, such as materials, equipment, personnel, and environmental conditions.
– On-site confirmation of the flow diagram: You need to verify that the flow diagram accurately reflects the actual production process by conducting an on-site inspection and observation. You should also identify any potential hazards that may occur at each step and document them for further analysis.
– Conducting a thorough hazard analysis (Principle 1): You need to identify and evaluate the potential hazards that may occur at each step of the production process and assess their severity and likelihood. Hazards can be biological (such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites), chemical (such as pesticides, allergens, or toxins), or physical (such as metal, glass, or wood). You should consider both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may affect the safety of the product, such as raw material characteristics, processing methods, storage conditions, and consumer handling practices.
– Determining the critical control points (CCPs) (Principle 2): You need to identify the points in the process where the hazards can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable levels. These are called critical control points (CCPs). A CCP can be a physical location (such as a cooking or cooling step), a procedure (such as a cleaning or sanitizing operation), or an equipment (such as a thermometer or a metal detector). You should use a decision tree or a similar tool to help you determine the CCPs based on the hazard analysis results.
– Establishing critical limits for each CCP (Principle 3): You need to set the maximum or minimum values for each CCP that must be met to ensure food safety. These are called critical limits. Critical limits can be based on time, temperature, pH, moisture, salt concentration, or other measurable parameters. You should use scientific data, regulatory standards, or industry best practices to establish the critical limits.
– Developing monitoring procedures (Principle 4): You need to define how to measure and record the critical limits at each CCP. These are called monitoring procedures. Monitoring procedures can involve physical observation, measurement devices, sampling methods, or testing techniques. You should specify the frequency, responsibility, and method of monitoring for each CCP.
– Defining corrective actions (Principle 5): You need to define what actions to take when the monitoring results indicate a deviation from the critical limits. These are called corrective actions. Corrective actions can include discarding or reprocessing the affected product, adjusting the process parameters, repairing or replacing the equipment, or notifying the management or authorities. You should also document the cause of deviation and the corrective action taken.
– Establishing verification procedures (Principle 6): You need to define how to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively and achieving the desired results. These are called verification procedures. Verification procedures can include auditing the HACCP plan and records, reviewing the monitoring and corrective action data, conducting additional tests or inspections,
or validating the critical limits and monitoring methods.
– Implementing record-keeping and documentation systems (Principle 7): You need to maintain records of the HACCP plan, its implementation, and its verification. These are called record-keeping and documentation systems. Record-keeping and documentation systems can include flow diagrams,
hazard analysis worksheets,
CCP determination worksheets, critical limit worksheets, monitoring logs, corrective action logs, verification reports, and training records.
– Reviewing and updating the HACCP plan regularly: You need to review and update
the HACCP plan periodically or whenever there is a significant change in the product, the process, the equipment, the raw materials, or any other factor that may affect food safety.
You should also conduct internal or external audits to evaluate the effectiveness and compliance of your HACCP system.
How can I verify HACCP system?
Verification procedures can include:
- Auditing the HACCP plan and records: You need to check that the HACCP plan is complete, accurate, and up-to-date, and that the records are consistent, reliable, and accessible. You can conduct internal audits by yourself or your HACCP team, or external audits by a third-party auditor or a regulatory authority.
- Reviewing the monitoring and corrective action data: You need to analyze the data collected from the monitoring and corrective action procedures to evaluate the performance and compliance of the critical control points (CCPs). You should look for trends, patterns, or deviations that may indicate a problem or an improvement opportunity.
- Conducting additional tests or inspections: You need to perform additional tests or inspections on the product, the process, or the environment to verify the effectiveness of the CCPs and the critical limits. You can use microbiological, chemical, or physical methods to test for the presence or absence of hazards or quality attributes.
- Validating the critical limits and monitoring methods: You need to ensure that the critical limits and monitoring methods are scientifically sound and appropriate for ensuring food safety. You can use experimental data, literature data, or expert opinions to validate your choices.
Verification procedures should be conducted periodically or whenever there is a significant change in the product, the process, the equipment, the raw materials, or any other factor that may affect food safety. You should also document the verification results and actions taken.
Verification is an essential part of HACCP system that helps you ensure that your food production process is safe and effective. By verifying HACCP system, you can demonstrate your commitment to food safety and quality to your customers and regulators.
HACCP is a dynamic and flexible system that can be applied to any type of food production process, from farm to fork. By adopting HACCP, food businesses can ensure that they are producing safe and high-quality food products for their customers.
HACCP is important for several reasons. First, it helps protect consumers’ health by preventing or reducing the occurrence of foodborne illnesses and food poisoning. Second, it helps food businesses comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards, as well as enhancing their reputation and customer trust. Third, it helps improve the efficiency and quality of food production processes by reducing waste, rework, and recalls.
HACCP certification is not mandatory for all food businesses, but it is highly recommended as a best practice for ensuring food safety and quality. HACCP certification can also help a food business gain a competitive edge in the global market and meet the expectations of customers, regulators and stakeholders.
A food business can seek HACCP certification from an accredited certification body that will audit its HACCP system and verify its compliance with the relevant standards and criteria. The certification body will issue a certificate of conformity if the food business meets the requirements. The certificate is usually valid for one to three years, depending on the certification scheme and the performance of the food business.
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