HACCP Basics

The USDA's HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system is designed to ensure food safety by identifying and controlling potential food safety hazards.

Initial/Preliminary steps:

·         Food Safety Team: Establish who will develop and maintain the Food Safety plan and ensure that it is carried out.  The team is typically comprised of leaders of the Operations, Quality and Maintenance departments, and should be HACCP certified.

·         Pre-requisite Programs: Development of these will support the overall food safety plan.  Examples are GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), SSOPs (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures), Raw Material Receiving and Storage, Rework Control, Preventative Maintenance, Chemical Control and Storage, Allergen Control, Pest Control, Traceability/Recall and core microbiological control (such as Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) Control), Metal Detection programs.  These are not CCPs (Critical Control Points) of the HACCP plan and therefore can be finalized after the CCPs have been determined.

·         Intended Use/Customers: Describe the food type and methods of producing and distributing it, to include the intended use and customers that will consume the food product.

·         Flow Charts: The Food Safety Team should walk the flow of the product from receipt of ingredients/raw materials, raw material storage, introduction of raw materials into the process, each production processing step, final product packing and storage of the product to ensure every step is covered.  These are then displayed on a process Flow Chart so that every step in the process is identified.

·         Category/Group: Determine and list the main groups and categories that the food products can be placed under.

The 7 steps involved in the HACCP process include:

1. Hazard Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis of all potential hazards associated with food production, to include incoming components/storage and final packaging/storage of the finished product.  Each step will list what the Biological (such as pathogenic bacteria), Chemical or Physical (such as foreign material) hazards could be.

2. Critical Control Point (CCP) Identification: Identify the specific steps in the process where control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards to acceptable levels. 

3. Establishing Critical Limits for the CCPs identified: Set maximum or minimal values for the biological, chemical, or physical hazard identified to ensure safety of the food product.

4. Monitoring Procedures: Implement procedures to monitor CCPs and ensure that critical limits are met.  In other words, the “What, How, Frequency and Who” is established to ensure that a CCP is kept within the critical limits established.

5. Corrective Actions: Take corrective actions to eliminate or reduce hazards if the CCP critical limits are exceeded.  If the CCP is exceeded, what immediate steps are taken to bring the product back into compliance and contain/correct any product that exceeds the critical limit.

6. Verification Procedures: Regularly verify that the HACCP system is functioning correctly and that the hazards are being controlled.  Identify the “What, How, Frequency and Who” for verifying that the monitoring process and any associated corrective actions occurs according to the written plan.  This is typically performed by a group such as the QA Department.

7. Record Keeping Procedures: Maintaining accurate records and documentation of the HACCP system is crucial to prove that products are being produced safely.  This documentation will be verified by government officials, auditors and customers to ensure that the food products produced are safe for consumption. 

Development of a certified Food Safety Team, creating the Pre-requisite procedures and HACCP plan and establishing a solid verification and record keeping process can protect a food company from unseen pitfalls that can ruin its brand and reputation.  All team members in the facility should trained during orientation and at least annually ongoing to assure that they know and understand how what they do plays an important part in the production of safe, wholesome food products.