HACCP and its 7 Principles - A layman guide

There is a way for food processors and restaurants to protect themselves from compliance fines and their customers from foodborne illness, and it is called HACCP (pronounced has-sip), which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. HACCP was developed for the NASA space program, where the food had to be absolutely safe.

Operations around the world use HACCP-based food safety programs across the stages of food production. Implementing HACCP principles happens from farm to fork, since food safety starts at animal and crop production and runs right through to processing, distribution, and retail foodservice.

HACCP in restaurants is one of the most effective ways to eliminate, reduce, or control hazards in any food handling or processing operation.

We will cover the HACCP system itself in a few moments, but first, let's look at some of the potential problems HACCP helps to control.

Allergenic hazards are proteins that cause allergic reactions ranging from a runny nose or itchy eyes to rashes, respiratory problems, or even death. Allergenic hazards may include eggs, shellfish, nuts, soy, wheat, sesame seeds, and milk.

Biological hazards include illness-causing bacteria such as Salmonella or E. coli, viruses such as Hepatitis A, parasites, and molds.

Chemical hazards include cleaning compounds, pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics, and even food ingredients that are added at incorrect levels.

Physical hazards could include glass or metal fragments, stones, wood splinters, or bone pieces.

Potential food safety hazards must be understood and handled properly by all employees. By implementing HACCP principles, restaurant owners can enable employees to identify potential food safety problems and the best way to prevent, reduce, or eliminate them.

7 Principles of HACCP

The HACCP system is so effective that many manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice companies insist that their suppliers implement HACCP principles to ensure the products supplied are as safe as possible.

It is a powerful tool for preventing hazards because it builds safety into each step of food processing. HACCP is simple, it is effective, and this is how it works.

Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis

The first principle is to conduct a hazard assessment. This means identifying the hazards associated with the food product in question, including hazards in growing and harvesting ingredients, processing, distribution, merchandising, and even how people prepare their food before eating it.

That is a lot of information, so let's break it down. As mentioned earlier, a hazard is something biological, allergenic, chemical, or physical in food that could cause a health problem.

An important part of hazard assessment is determining the level of risk for each hazard. This is done by checking the likelihood of a hazard actually occurring and by looking at the severity of the consequences, or how badly the hazard might affect people's health.

Examples

To understand a hazard's probability and the severity of consequences, look at the example of raw meat. The probability that raw meat contains harmful bacteria is considered medium, but even so, if handled properly the raw meat is not likely to hurt someone's health because most meat is cooked properly, so the hazard risk is assessed as low.

Take a cooking step for a hamburger as another example. The severity of illness associated with an undercooked burger is high, as dangerous E. coli may survive and even low numbers can cause serious illness. The probability that this will happen is low if the hamburger is cooked properly, so the hazard risk is assessed as low.

Assessment helps determine which hazards have the greatest likelihood and severity and so need the controls of a HACCP system.

Principle 2: Establish critical limits

The second principle of HACCP is to establish the critical limits that must be met at each of the identified critical control points.

A critical control point, or CCP, is the control step used to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the hazard to an acceptable level. The most frequently used critical limits are time, temperature, water activity, pH, preservatives, and microbiological and sensorial information.

Example

The most crucial parameters, the critical limits, are the duration and the temperature of pasteurization. For example, the temperature that an egg must be pasteurized at and the holding time. These time-temperature combinations are minimum critical limits that have been established to make sure harmful microorganisms are destroyed.

Principle 3: Establish monitoring procedures

The third principle is to establish and implement procedures to monitor each critical control point. Monitoring is the process of checking that the critical limits set for each CCP are being met. It involves systematically observing, measuring, and recording the most important factors needed for control.

Continuous control using automated methods is best, and when continuous monitoring is not possible, regularly scheduled monitoring by trained personnel is needed. Quick and easy methods are best suited for monitoring so a problem can be identified and corrected immediately.

Record all monitoring data for future reference, and remember that at times it might be necessary to adjust the CCP monitoring to keep food safe.

Principle 4: Establish corrective actions

The fourth principle is to take prompt corrective action whenever monitoring indicates that limits are not met. If proper corrective action is not taken, human health might be at risk.

The corrective action depends on the potential hazard. This might include stopping production, extending the cooking time, increasing the processing temperature, increasing acidity, or reworking or discarding the product.

For the hamburger example, it would require that cooking continue until the critical limit of 71 degrees Celsius is met.

Principle 5: Establish verification procedures

Verification procedures reveal whether identified food safety activities are getting completed.

One example of a verification procedure is to determine whether the process is getting done properly. This can be done by evaluating the records associated with a given CCP:

• Are the records being filled out properly at the required frequency?
• Can the person doing the documentation be identified by their initials?
• Were corrective actions, if any, effective in controlling the hazard?

For example, if the temperature of the hamburger was taken and recorded as 66 degrees Celsius, the corrective action should indicate that the hamburger was further cooked and the temperature measured again to ensure it reached the critical limit of 71 degrees Celsius.

Other verification activities include interviewing staff on their understanding of the CCP, corrective actions, and record-keeping requirements, and observing the staff member monitoring the CCP to ensure they are doing it properly.

Principle 6: Establish record-keeping

Documentation must be kept on file, including details on how the HACCP team conducted the hazard analysis and determined the critical control points and the critical limits.

Records should be kept for activities such as CCP monitoring, deviations, corrective actions, and any modifications made to the HACCP system. This is also known as the logbook of changes.

A permanent record is invaluable in showing whether safe, correct processing conditions are being met, or in showing that any out-of-control processes are properly corrected. Once records and documents have been developed, they need ongoing attention to ensure they are being used properly and stay up to date.

Principle 7: Validate the HACCP plan

Validating means making sure your process is effective in controlling hazards. It means asking, "Is the process working?" For example, does the pasteurizer always reach a temperature of 75 degrees Celsius for 16 seconds, and does this destroy all harmful bacteria every time?

Food processing is a closely controlled industry, but as advanced as the industry might be, the need to identify and control hazards remains vital for the continued safety of the food supply, whether those hazards are chemical, physical, microbiological, or energy-related.

HACCP generates a great degree of assurance for food safety. Employees who have worked with the system say that HACCP gives them more responsibility for operating procedures and a greater sense of pride in their work.