HACCP

A Food Industry Briefing

Sara E. Mortimore, Carol A. Wallace

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781118427231
• eBook ISBN: 9781118427200
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Readers of this accessible book – now in a revised and updated new edition – are taken on a conceptual journey which passes every milestone and important feature of the HACCP landscape at a pace which is comfortable and productive. The information and ideas contained in the book will enable food industry managers and executives to take their new-found knowledge into the workplace for use in the development and implementation of HACCP systems appropriate for their products and manufacturing processes.

The material is structured so that the reader can quickly assimilate the essentials of the topic. Clearly presented, this HACCP briefing includes checklists, bullet points, flow charts, schematic diagrams for quick reference, and at the start of each section the authors have provided useful key points summary boxes. HACCP: a Food Industry Briefing is an introductory-level text for readers who are unfamiliar with the subject either because they have never come across it or because they need to be reminded. The book will also make a valuable addition to material used in staff training and is an excellent core text for HACCP courses.

SECTION 1
Introduction to HACCP

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KEY POINTS

• HACCP is an acronym for the ‘hazard analysis and critical control point’ system.
• It provides structure for objective assessment of ‘what can go wrong’ and requires controls to be put in place to prevent problems.
• HACCP is a preventative food safety management system.
• It originated as part of the US manned space programme.
• It is recognised internationally as the most effective way of producing safe food.
• The HACCP principles apply a logical and common sense approach to food control.
• The application of HACCP is possible throughout the food supply chain from primary production (farmers and growers), to the consumer.
• Because it is a step-by-step approach, it is less likely that hazards will be missed. HACCP, therefore, offers increased confidence to the food business and its customers.
• HACCP is cost effective through prevention of waste and incident costs.
• HACCP helps demonstrate due diligence where required.

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Frequently asked questions

By way of introduction to this book and to the subject of HACCP, we have attempted to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about HACCP: what it is, how it works, what it looks like and so on.

1.1 What is HACCP?

HACCP is an acronym used to describe the hazard analysis and critical control point system. The HACCP concept is a systematic approach to food safety management based on recognised principles that aim at identifying the hazards that are likely to occur at any stage in the food supply chain and put into place controls that will prevent them from happening. HACCP is very logical and covers all stages of food production from the growing stage to the consumer, including all the intermediate processing and distribution activities.

1.2 Where did it come from?

The HACCP concept was originated in the early 1960s by The Pillsbury Company working along with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Army Laboratories. It was based on the engineering concept of failure, mode and effect analysis (FMEA), which looks at what could potentially go wrong at each stage in an operation and puts effective control mechanisms into place. This was adapted into a microbiological safety system in the early days of the US manned space programme to ensure the safety of food for the astronauts, to minimise the risk of a food-poisoning outbreak in space. At that time, food safety and quality systems were generally based on end product testing, but the limitations of sampling and testing mean that it is difficult to assure food safety. It became clear that there was a need for something different, a practical and preventative approach that would give a high level of food safety assurance – the HACCP system.

Whilst the system was not launched publicly until the 1970s, it has since achieved international acceptance, and the HACCP approach towards production of safe food has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being the most effective means of controlling foodborne disease.

1.3 How does it work?

In brief, HACCP is a structured, logical technique applied by following a few straightforward steps:

1. Looking at how the product is made – from start to finish and step by step, identifying possible hazards, deciding at what step in the process they are likely to occur and putting in controls to prevent these hazards from occurring.
2. Deciding which of these controls are absolutely critical to food safety.
3. Setting a limit for safety for the operation of these critical controls.
4. Monitoring these controls to make sure that they do not exceed the safety limit.
5. Identifying the likely corrective action should something go wrong.
6. Documenting the requirements and recording all findings as the products are produced.
7. Ensuring that the system works effectively through regular reviewing of performance and auditing.

These logical steps form the basis of the by-now well-known 7 principles of HACCP that are accepted internationally. They have been published by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Current version: Codex 2009b), which is the food code established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the WHO and also by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (Current version: NACMCF 1997) in the United States. The HACCP principles outline how to establish, implement and maintain a HACCP system. Codex and NACMCF are the two main reference documents and are very similar in their approach.

1.4 What are the seven HACCP principles?

The principles (Codex 2009b) are as follows:

• Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis.
• Principle 2: Determine the critical control points (CCPs).
• Principle 3: Establish critical limit(s).
• Principle 4: Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP.
• Principle 5: Establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under control.
• Principle 6: Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively.
• Principle 7: Establish documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application.

1.5 Is it difficult to use?

HACCP is often thought of as being complicated, requiring unlimited resources and the expertise associated with large companies. Several specialist skills are indeed required in order to use the HACCP principles successfully, but the basic requirement is a detailed knowledge of the product, raw materials and manufacturing processes alongside an understanding of whether any situation that may cause a health risk to the consumer is likely to occur in the product and process under consideration. With both training and education, all personnel involved in the application of HACCP should be able to understand and apply its concept. However, for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and less developed businesses, the application of the HACCP principles is often found to be more difficult than it first appears. There are a number of reasons for this, and research and discussions on whether HACCP is appropriate for SMEs is still underway. In the view of the authors, it is not the size of the business that makes it difficult, but often the lack of knowledge and capability of the people who work within the business and the poor standard of existing systems such as good hygienic practice and the operating environment. This type of situation can be found in any type of company.

1.6 Why use it?

HACCP is a proven food safety management system that is based on prevention. By identifying where in the process the hazards are likely to occur, it is possible to put into place the control measures required. This ensures that food safety is managed effectively and reduces reliance on the traditional methods of inspection and testing.

Inspection and testing have traditionally been the methods used in quality control. 100% inspection would appear to be the ultimate approach towards producing a safe product, at least theoretically. In practice, however, it is not so. Take the example of fruit going down a production line where operatives use visual inspection for physical contamination such as leaves, stones, insects, etc. The effectiveness of this technique is reduced by several factors such as the following:

• Distraction of employees by noise, other activities going on around them, people talking.
• The span of human attention when carrying out tedious activities.
• Peoples’ varying powers of observation.

To detect chemical and biological hazards, 100% testing is simply not possible because such tests are nearly always destructive. Sampling plans are used instead which are based on the following:

• The ability to detect the hazard reliably using analytical techniques, which vary in sensitivity, specificity, reliability and reproducibility.
• The ability to trap the hazard in the sample chosen for analysis.

Often, random sampling is used and the probability of detecting the hazard is therefore low. The use of statistical sampling techniques will increase the probability of detection, but it can never be absolute unless the whole batch is analysed. Therefore, a preventative approach such as a HACCP is most appropriate.

1.7 What type of company would use HACCP?

HACCP is applicable throughout the food supply chain from raw material production through processing and distribution to final use by the consumer and can also be applied to non-foods such as primary packaging. Figure 1.1 shows in a simple way some of the different stages of food production where food safety is ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Disclaimer
• Preface
• SECTION 1: Introduction to HACCP
• SECTION 2: The HACCP system explained
• SECTION 3: HACCP in practice
• Epilogue
• APPENDIX A: Case study: Chilled and frozen cheesecake production
• APPENDIX B: Acronyms and glossary
• References
• HACCP Resources
• Index
• End User License Agreement