HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

The first step of HACCP: identifying what can make a food unsafe at each stage of the process and deciding where control is critical.

The HACCP team starts from the process flow diagram, confirmed on site, and goes through each stage asking which hazards may appear, increase or persist. Four types are considered: biological (bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella, viruses, parasites), chemical (residues of cleaning products, lubricants, contaminants), physical (glass, metal, plastic) and allergens. For each hazard its likelihood and severity are assessed, and the measures that prevent it, eliminate it or reduce it to an acceptable level are described.

With that result the second principle is applied: determining the critical control points (CCPs), the stages at which control is essential because there is no later stage to correct the hazard. A decision tree is commonly used. Cooking or pasteurisation are usually CCPs; many hazards, on the other hand, are controlled with the prerequisites, such as the cleaning and disinfection plan, without the need to turn them into CCPs.

Cleaning products themselves form part of the analysis as a possible chemical hazard. The business controls it with the manufacturer's information: the technical data sheet indicates the dose, contact time and whether rinsing with water is required, and the safety data sheet (SDS) describes the risks and storage. Both are incorporated into the plan, and verification checks that they are followed.

This analysis is not a document that is done once: it is reviewed when the product, raw materials, equipment or process change.

More information: HACCP in the food industry · Cleaning and disinfection plan