HACCP and Food Safety Plans Frequently Asked Questions

HACCP is a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation, and control of food safety hazards based on the following seven principles:

• Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis: The process of identifying and evaluating all of the potential biological, chemical, and physical food safety hazards associated with each step in the production process (i.e., receiving, storage, mixing, cooking, cooling, etc.) for each product made, to determine which are likely to cause illness or injury if they are not properly controlled.
• Principle 2: Determine the critical control points (CCPs): A point, step, or procedure in the production process at which control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level of safety before the product leaves the company’s control.
• Principle 3: Establish critical limits: Boundaries of safety for each CCP to control the identified food safety hazard to ensure the product is safe to eat.
• Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures: Procedures should be developed, including a planned sequence of observations or measurements to make sure a CCP is under control.
• Principle 5: Establish corrective actions: Procedures to be followed when monitoring indicates that there is a deviation from an established limit at a CCP. A corrective action tells you what to do if something goes wrong.
• Principle 6: Establish verification procedures: Activities performed to verify that the HACCP plan is adequate to control food safety hazards and that the system is operating as intended.
• Principle 7: Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures: Documentation that the HACCP system is operating according to the written plan.

The U.S. Federal regulations, enforced by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), mandate HACCP systems for seafood, juice, meat, and poultry.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards. HACCP is designed for use in all segments of the food industry from growing, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, distributing, and merchandising to preparing food for consumption.

No. While both share similarities, they are distinct in their approach to ensuring food safety within food and beverage companies. Understanding the differences is crucial for compliance and maintaining robust food safety practices.

A HACCP team is a group of people who are responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the HACCP system. The team consists of people who have specific knowledge and expertise of the products and processes at the company. A HACCP team typically includes people from a variety of areas within the company, such as engineering, production, sanitation, maintenance, and quality assurance/control. You might even participate on a HACCP team. The HACCP team has several responsibilities. First, the team makes a list of all the products made at the company. A separate HACCP plan must be developed for each product or group of products that is made. This information helps assist the team while they’re developing the HACCP plan.

The team must conduct a hazard analysis to identify and evaluate the hazards for each production step that is used to make each product. A hazard is any biological, chemical, or physical agent that may cause food to be unsafe to eat.