HACCP

What are the objectives of application of the HACCP (hazard analysis & critical control point) system?

• More efficient quality assurance system

• Prevention of foodborne illness

• Reduction of losses due to product recall

• Reduction of costs of food analyses

• Protection of reputaiton

What is the difference between pre-requisite programmes and HACCP?

• Pre requisite programmes are not specific —> can't usually quantify

• They are a good foundation for the more specific HACCP

What are the 7 HACCP principles?

1. Conduct a hazard analysis to identify any hazards that must be prevented, reduced or eliminated;

2. Identify the critical control points (CCPs) at the steps at which control is essential;

3. Establish critical limits for CCPs;

4. Establish procedures to monitor the CCPs;

5. Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates that particular CCP is not under control;

6. Establish procedures to verify whether the above procedures are working effectively; and

7. Establish documentation and records to demonstrate the effective application of the above measures.

What are the steps of implenting HACCP?

What is a hazard?

Examples?

Hazard is a biological, chemical or physical agents w/ the potential to cause an adverse health effect when present @ an unacceptable level

Biological:

• Bacteria

• Viruses

• Moulds

• Parasites

• Toxins

Chemical hazard = chemicals

Physical hazards = foreign material

What are some food poisoning bacteria?

• E.coli

• Salmonella

• Campylobacter

• Clostridia

• Listeria

• Bacillus cerus

• Staphylococcus

How is hazard evaluated?

if agent is present in food:

• Low acceptable level —> incr. to unacceptable level should be prevented

• High unacceptable level —> decr. to acceptable level should be assuredd

What are the hazard control principles?

• Prevention of contamination

• Prevention of increase in level

• Assurance of adequate reduction

• Prevention of recontamination

• Prevention of dissemination (spread)

• Elimination

Explain what happens in HACCP Principle 1 'Hazard Analysis'

• 1 —> Identification of hazard

• 2 —> Basic risk estimation either quantitative and/or qualitative evaluations

  • E.g.- adverse health effects (qual), probability (quant)

• 3 —> List some hazard control options

Example table:

When should you perform a hazard analysis?

• During product development

• During industrialization of new product

• When new hazards emerge

• When new raw materials are used

• When formulation or use is changed

• When equipment is changed

• With new (layout of) production area

Recall HACCP principle 2

Identify the CCPs (critical control points)

E.g.

What is a CCP?

• A step at which control can be applied and is essential or prevent or eliminate food safety hazard or reduce it to acceptable levels

• Applicable to raw processes where there are no steps that can completely prevent or eliminate a biological hazard

What is used to facilitate the identification and location of each CCP?

What are the suggested CCPs in meat plants?

Recall HACCP principle 3

Establish critical limits for CCPs

What is a critical limit? What is it used for?

A maximum and/or minimum value to which a biological, chemical or physical hazard must be controlled at a CCP

• Distinguish between safe and unsafe operating conditions at CCP

How many critical limits should each control measure have? Give an example of a critical limit

One or more

• Zero visible faecal material, ingesta and milk on carcasses after slaughter and internal carcass

• Temperature within 24 hours of slaughter

Recall HACCP Principle 4

Establish procedures to monitor the CCPs

How are the CCPs monitored in HACCP Principle 4? Give examples

• Regular observations/ measurements to assess whether the CCP is under control

• Should detect problem before critical limits are reached

Examples:

Visual monitoring of a certain number of carcasses per hour for faecal contamination;

Checking of carcass temperature by the cooler operator every hour

What is the key difference between monitoring (principle 4) and verification (principle 6)?

Monitoring is done in real time whereas verification is an audit and can take place after the process

Recall HACCP Principle 5

Establish corrective actions

What are corrective actions?

• Actions to be taken when the monitoring indicates that the process is moving out of control at CCP

• To bring the process back under control and prevent a food safety hazard

What should corrective actions include?

• Determine and correct the cause of the deviation;

• Determine the disposition of the affected product;

• Record the corrective actions that have been taken (so can be verified in principle 6)

What are the components of HACCP principle 6

• Verification

• Validation

• Regulatory assessment

What are validation procedures?

• Check to confirm that the elements of the HACCP plan are effective in controlling the relevant hazards

• Before implentation

• It is a subset of verification

What are verification procedures?

• Activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan

• Primarily the responsibility of the industry, but also during regulatory assessments (further verified by OV)

Give some example of verification activities

• Review of monitoring and corrective action records,

• Direct observation of the persons responsible for conducting the monitoring and taking the correct actions,

• Calibration of any monitoring equipment and

• Testing of finished product samples

What is regulatory assessment?

• Checking compliance (external check that the FBO is effective and compliant with legislation)

What should be assessed in a regulatory assessment?

• HACCP management

• HACCP plan development

• Hazard Analysis

• Control measures

• Verification procedures

• Documentation

• Implementation

What are the types of documentation and records that are established in principle 7 of the HACCP plan?

• Details of the HACCP plan

• Monitoring records

• Corrective actions records

• Verification results

What is the responsibility of food industry in HACCP?

• To ensure proper application of HACCP principles and implementation of the HACCP plan

• To provide evidence of this to government authorities when requested

What is the responsibility of the government in HACCP?

• Facilitators —> clarifying goals and scope of HACCP

• Enforcers —> assess correct application and implentation

• Trainers —> assist in or provide training programmes

List some advantages of HACCP

• Proactive and preventative

• Owned by the producers and staff

• Specific, systematic, scientific and documented

List some of the limitations of HACCP

• Expensive in the start

• Demanding of staff and time

• Difficult for small operators/large number of products