HACCP can be applied throughout the food supply chain. In addition to enhancing the safety of food, the implementation of HACCP can provide other significant benefits. The application of HACCP systems can assist with inspection by regulatory authorities and promote commerce by increasing confidence in food safety. Show
The successful application of HACCP requires the full commitment and engagement of management and the entire workforce. The application of HACCP is consistent with the implementation of quality management systems, such as the ISO 9000, and is the system of choice in the management of food safety within such systems. Definitions:
Food Safe Passport offers eLearning HACCP Courses including Fundamentals of HACCP and HACCP Refresher. You can book your HACCP Course here.Principles of HACCP The HACCP system consists of the following seven principles: Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis. Principle 2: Determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs). Principle 3: Establish critical limit(s). Principle 4: Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP. Principle 5: Establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under control. Principle 6: Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively. Principle 7: Establish documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application. Guidelines for the application of the HACCP system:
Food Safe Passport offers eLearning HACCP Courses including Fundamentals of HACCP and HACCP Refresher. You can book your HACCP Course here.Application The application of HACCP principles consists of the following tasks as identified in the Logic Sequence for Application of HACCP (Diagram 1). 1. Assemble HACCP team The food operation should assure that the appropriate product-specific knowledge and expertise is available for the development of an effective HACCP plan. Optimally, this may be accomplished by assembling a multidisciplinary team. Where such expertise is not available on-site, expert advice should be obtained from other sources. The scope of the HACCP plan should be identified. The scope should describe which segment of the food chain is involved and the general classes of hazards to be addressed (e.g. does it cover all classes of hazards or only selected classes).2. Describe product A full description of the product should be drawn up, including relevant safety information such as: composition, physical/chemical structure (including Aw, pH, etc.), microbicidal/static treatments (heat-treatment, freezing, brining, smoking, etc.), packaging, durability and storage conditions and method of distribution.3. Identify the intended use The intended use should be based on the expected uses of the product by the end-user or consumer. In specific cases, vulnerable groups of the population, e.g. institutional feeding, may have to be considered.4. Construct flow diagram The flow diagram should be constructed by the HACCP team. The flow diagram should cover all steps in the operation. When applying HACCP to a given operation, consideration should be given to steps preceding and following the specified operation.5. On-site confirmation of flow diagram The HACCP team should confirm the processing operation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and amend the flow diagram where appropriate.6. List all potential hazards associated with each step, conduct a hazard analysis, and consider any measures to control identified hazards In conducting the hazard analysis, wherever possible the following should be included:
More than one control measure may be required to control a specific hazard(s) and more than one hazard may be controlled by a specified control measure. 7. Determine Critical Control Points There may be more than one CCP at which control is applied to address the same hazard. The determination of a CCP in the HACCP system can be facilitated by the application of a decision tree (e.g. Diagram 2), which indicates a logical reasoning approach. Application of a decision tree should be flexible, given whether the operation is for production, slaughter, processing, storage, distribution or other. It should be used for guidance when determining CCPs. This example of a decision tree may not be applicable to all situations. Other approaches may be used. Training in the application of the decision tree is recommended.If a hazard has been identified at a step where control is necessary for safety, and no control measure exists at that step or any other, then the product or process should be modified at that step, or at any earlier or later stage, to include a control measure.8. Establish critical limits for each CCP Critical limits must be specified and validated if possible for each Critical Control Point. In some cases, more than one critical limit will be elaborated at a particular step. Criteria often used include measurements of temperature, time, moisture level, pH, Aw, available chlorine, and sensory parameters such as visual appearance and texture.
10. Establish corrective actions Specific corrective actions must be developed for each CCP in the HACCP system in order to deal with deviations when they occur. The actions must ensure that the CCP has been brought under control. Actions taken must also include proper disposition of the affected product. Deviation and product disposition procedures must be documented in the HACCP record keeping. 11. Establish verification procedures Establish procedures for verification. Verification and auditing methods, procedures and tests, including random sampling and analysis, can be used to determine if the HACCP system is working correctly. The frequency of verification should be sufficient to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively. Examples of verification activities include:
Documentation examples are:
Record examples are:
An example of a HACCP worksheet is below as Diagram 3. Food Safe Passport offers eLearning HACCP Courses including Fundamentals of HACCP and HACCP Refresher. You can book your HACCP Course here.Source fao.org |