By Splash Marketing and Communications | 29 June 2023
Food safety is important, that has been established. Besides the obvious fact that contaminated food can keep you bedridden and in a state of pain-induced paralysis, it can even have the grim reaper knocking on your door. Yes, contaminated food can cause death.
Lucky for us, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is there preventing this to the best of its ability. Developed in the 1960s by a team of smart people, like scientists and engineers, HACCP has become a globally recognized and universally accepted methodology for managing food safety risks. Let’s check out some of its key principles and benefits, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining the integrity of our food supply chain.
What is HACCP anyway?
HACCP is a proactive and preventive approach to food safety management. It focuses on identifying and controlling potential hazards at various stages of food production, processing, and distribution. Rather than relying solely on end-product testing, HACCP emphasises the prevention of hazards by analysing critical control points throughout the food production process. It enables businesses in the food industry to identify and address potential risks before they occur, ensuring the delivery of safe and wholesome food to consumers.
The HACCP system is built on seven core principles that form the basis for its implementation:
- Conduct a hazard analysis: Identify and evaluate potential hazards associated with each stage of food production. These hazards may include biological, chemical, or physical agents that can pose a risk to consumer health.
- Determine critical control points (CCPs): Identify the points in the production process where control measures can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards to an acceptable level. CCPs are critical stages where failure to control the identified hazard could result in an unacceptable risk.
- Establish critical limits: Establish measurable criteria for each CCP, which serve as boundaries to determine if a process is under control. These limits may include temperature, time, pH level, or any other relevant parameter that can be monitored.
- Implement monitoring procedures: Devise procedures to monitor CCPs and ensure that they are within the established critical limits. Regular monitoring enables early detection of potential deviations from safe conditions.
- Establish corrective actions: Develop procedures to be implemented when monitoring identifies a deviation from a critical limit. These actions aim to bring the process back under control and prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers.
- Implement verification procedures: Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is functioning effectively. This may include reviewing records, conducting periodic audits, and testing product samples.
- Establish documentation and record-keeping: Maintain comprehensive documentation of all aspects of the HACCP system, including hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities. These records provide evidence of compliance and serve as a reference for future audits or inspections.
Why should we comply with HACCP?
Implementing HACCP offers so many benefits for your businesses, consumers, and regulatory authorities alike.
Enhanced consumer protection:
By identifying and addressing potential hazards, HACCP helps to minimise the risk of foodborne illnesses, protecting the health and safety of consumers.
Improved product quality:
HACCP focuses on preventing quality issues at the source, leading to improved product consistency, reduced batch variations, and increased customer satisfaction.
Regulatory compliance:
HACCP is a recognised and preferred approach to food safety management by regulatory authorities worldwide. Implementing HACCP demonstrates a commitment to ensuring food safety and facilitates compliance with food safety regulations.
Cost-effective risk management:
By addressing potential hazards proactively, HACCP helps to reduce the likelihood of product recalls, lawsuits, and reputational damage. This preventive approach ultimately saves costs associated with potential food safety incidents.
Facilitates international trade:
HACCP is widely accepted globally, making it easier for food businesses to engage in international trade by complying with internationally recognized food safety standards.
Don’t want to be sued? Or worse? PTQA is fully HACCP certified and we’ll be with you every step of the way. Give us a call.