HACCP Steps

"The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a program within the food industry designed to promote food safety and prevent contamination by identifying all areas in food production and retail where contamination could occur. Companies and retailers determine the points during processing, packaging, shipping, or shelving where potential contamination may occur. Those companies or retailers must then establish critical control points to prevent, control, or eliminate the potential for food contamination. The USDA requires the food industry to follow HACCP for meat and poultry, while the FDA requires it for seafood, low-acid canned-food, and juice. HACCP is voluntary for all other food products but its main goal is to prevent contamination at all costs. The seven steps to HACCP are: 1. Conduct a hazard analysis: The manufacturer must first determine any food safety hazards, such as biological, chemical, or physical hazards, and identify preventative measures to control the hazards. 2. Identify the critical control points: A critical control point (CCP) is a point or procedure in food manufacturing where control can be applied to prevent or eliminate food hazards that may cause the food to be unsafe. 3. Establish critical limits: A critical limit is the maximum or minimum value that a food hazard must be controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate, or reduce it to an acceptable level. 4. Establish monitoring requirements: The manufacturer must establish procedures to monitor the control points to ensure the process is under control and not above the CCP. 5. Establish corrective actions: Corrective actions are needed when monitoring indicates a deviation from the established critical limit to ensure that no produce injurious to health has occurred as a result of the deviation. 6. Establish verification procedures: Verification ensures that the HACCP plan is adequate with CCP records, critical limits, and microbial sampling and analysis. 7. Record keeping procedure: The manufacturer must maintain certain documents including its hazard analysis, HACCP plan, and records monitoring the CCP, critical limits, and the verification of handling processed deviations."