HACCP AWARENESS

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 What is HACCP and Why is it Necessary

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

HACCP is a systematic approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a
means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. HACCP is used in the food industry to identify
potential food safety hazards, so that key actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCP's) can be taken to
reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards before they cause a problem. The system is used at all stages of food
production and preparation processes including raw materials and distribution. Today HACCP although
originating in the food industry is being applied to industries other than food, ranging from cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals to engineering.

Increased customer expectations of our products in an increasingly competitive market as well as legal food
safety obligations to provide a safe product demands an effective food safety system.

What is Food Safety

Customers expect food to be safe to eat or use in their own products and to meet their quality standards.
Protecting the food supply from microbial, chemical and physical hazards or contamination that may occur during
all stages of food production and handling-growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing, distributing
and storing is the goal of any food safety system. By having a system which ensures that the food is made safely
all the time prevents food borne illnesses and unnecessary costs.

The Benefits of HACCP to Food Businesses

We are all familiar with the OH&S approach to safety issues because they directly or indirectly affect us
personally. By ensuring all equipment and practices are safe we avoid accidents and personal injury. The HACCP
approach to food safety is very similar by proactively preventing and controlling food hazards. Everyone, no
matter what there function may be, has an impact on how our products are made or provided to our customers.
HACCP provides businesses with a cost effective system for the control of food safety from ingredients through
production, storage and distribution to sale and service of the final consumer. The preventive approach of
HACCP not only improves food safety management but also complements other quality management systems.

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Some of the main benefits of HACCP are:

• Saves your business money

• Avoids you poisoning your customers
• Food safety standards increase
• Ensures you are compliant with the law
• Food quality standards increase – most customers now require suppliers to be HACCP accredited
• Organises your process to produce safe food
• Organises your staff promoting teamwork and efficiency – sets clear requirements
• Due diligence defence in court – many insurance companies now demand HACCP
• Marketing advantage / Company image
• Required by many customers

The Seven Principles of HACCP

1. Conduct a hazard analysis

2. Determine the Critical Control Points (CCP)

3. Establish Critical Limit(s)
4. Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP
5. Establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that a CCP is not under control
6. Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively
7. Establish documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to the principles and applications

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Principle 1 – Hazard Analysis
• Identify the product or process
• Determine clear guidelines, specifications and customer requirements
• Prepare a Process Flow Chart
• At each step in the flow diagram identify all potential hazards (Hazard Analysis Chart)

o Products - raw materials, ingredients, packaging, water, etc

o Plant – process or equipment
o Premises – building, room or environment
o Procedures – methods, sequence of events
o People

• Work out the significance (what hazards are critical – food safety or quality)

o Safety – relates to biological, chemical or physical and is dangerous to health

Biological Hazards Chemical Hazards Physical Hazards

- Bacteria 1. From raw materials 1. From raw materials
- Moulds & Yeasts - Pesticides, herbicides - rocks, metal, insects
- Viruses - Antibiotics 2. On site
- Parasites 2. On site - glass
- Food additives - stones
Result - Food poisoning - Cleaning chemicals - wood
- Machine grease etc - metal (nuts, bolts, wire etc)
- Allergenic ingredients

o Quality – relates to colour, flavour, texture, weight, consistency. Not dangerous to health but does
not meet specification and may either be rejected or require rework.

• Develop control measures for all significant hazards

o Identify an appropriate control measure
o Implement the identified control measure
o Control measure may occur at an earlier or later step
o May be one or more control measures

Principle 2 – Critical Control Points (CCP)

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Critical Control Points highlight events in the process whereby the quality or safety of the product may be at risk.
If a subsequent step in your process eliminates or reduces the potential hazard, then a Critical Control Point is
not required. This minimises the number of CCP’s required in any process.

Principle 3 – Critical Limits

The acceptable level or tolerance - usually relates to a food safety standard (e.g. E.coli must be “0”) or agreed
specification. The critical limits must be measurable or easily monitored. Unless a known limit exists these must
be validated or justified by scientific or recognised data.

Principle 4 – Monitoring
Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP. The 5 ways of monitoring are:
- what
- how
- where
- when
- who (job role)

Principle 5 – Corrective Action

Establish the corrective action to be taken when the monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under
control. The corrective action procedure includes:

- what is done with potentially unsafe product

- what adjustments must be made to the process to bring it back under control
- who is responsible for each activity

Principle 6 – Verification
Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working effectively (the HACCP plan is being followed
and is effective). This is usually a combination of system audits, product testing and corrective action analysis.

Principle 7 – Records
Documents are used and maintained to clearly indicate the system is used and is effective. These include
production sheets, test records, log sheets etc.

Hazard Audit Table

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Each identified CCP in your Process Flow Chart now becomes a critical step in the Hazard Audit Table. The
corresponding control measures, critical limits, monitoring & corrective actions are listed and the document
becomes a useful summary for those using the system and also for any person who wishes to know how the
system works at a particular site (e.g. accreditation audit, customer visit/audit).

Reviews & Audits

• Internal • External

- GMP Audits & Inspections - Customer Approved Supplier audits

- Internal HACCP Audits - Annual HACCP accreditation audits
- Mock Product Recalls - AQIS Export inspections

Support Programs
A number of support programs which are not directly part of production of the product are also required to ensure
food safety. These and others generally covered as GMP’s or Good Manufacturing Practices are usually in place.
These must also be documented and verified under the HACCP system.

Examples of these programs are:

• Cleaning
• Pest Control
• Maintenance / Preventative Maintenance
• Training
• Calibration
• Labelling / Packaging

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GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)
• Personnel
o Personal hygiene (handwashing etc)
o Sneezing, coughing, blowing nose
o Protective clothing and equipment (gloves, hairnets etc)
o Jewellery, watches, glass
o Wounds
o Diseases

• Amenities
• Premises
o Lights covered
o Windows screened
o Process areas enclosed from outside
o Design of facilities
o Equipment

• Product storage
o Product covered / sealed when not in use
o Damages repaired or covered immediately
o All product, work in progress and waste identified
o Stock rotation is practiced

• Product handling
o Allergen & cross contamination control
o Protection from foreign object contamination – broken pallets, rocks, loose equipment, etc
o New or unused packaging protected from contamination and infestation.

• Good Housekeeping – General tidiness

o Clean uncluttered premises
 prevent attraction of insects & rodents
 prevent the accumulation of waste which provides conditions for the growth of disease causing
bacteria and organisms
 simplifies and increases the efficiency of cleaning and disinfecting
 prevents contamination of successive lots
 increases the attractiveness of work conditions for staff

• NOTE – lack of cleanliness encourages untidiness

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