Purpose: to develop a list of hazards that are of such significance that they are reasonably likely to cause injury or illness if not effectively controlled.

Two-Stage Process:

1. Hazard Identification
   • Develop a list of potential biological, physical, and chemical hazards at each step at the production process
   • Meat and Poultry Hazards and Controls Guide
2. Hazard Evaluation
   •  Assess the severity and likelihood of occurrence and then identify the measures to control hazards that are reasonably likely to occur.

"Critical Control Point" - a step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.

CCP Decision Tree is a tool that can be used after the hazard analysis.

Revised CCP Decision Tree adopted by Codex - HACCP Mentor

HACCP Principles & Application Guidelines | FDA

"Critical Limit" (CL) - (1)a max/min value to which a food hazard must be controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level, (2)a criterion which separates acceptability from unacceptability

Used to distinguish between safe and unsafe operating conditions at a CCP. The "standard" or "benchmark" is necessary for safety.

Must be scientifically based, derived from regulatory standards and guidelines (performance standards, i.e., Appendix A/B), scientific literature, and experimental results (validation studies)

Establishing a CL

• Determine if there is a regulatory CL
• If there are no regulatory CLs, you may have to obtain assistance from outside experts or conduct validation studies
• May have more than one criterion for a CL
• File documentation for the determination of all CLs

"Monitoring" - to conduct a planned sequence of observations or measurements to assess whether a CCP is under control or to produce an accurate record for future use in verification.

Three Main Purposes:

1. Essential for facilitating tracking of the operation
2.  Used to determine when there is a loss of control and deviation occurs at a CCP
3. Provides written documentation for use in verification

Describes:

1. What will be measured?
2. Where will it be monitored?
3. How will it be monitored (procedure)?
4. How frequently should the CCP be monitored?
5. Identifies person(s) responsible (who will perform monitoring procedures)

"Corrective Action" - procedures followed when a deviation occurs (NACMCF); purpose is to prevent foods which may be hazardous from reaching consumers

"Deviation" - failure to meet a critical limit (NACMCF); Deviations will and do occur

Elements of a CA

• Determine and correct cause of non-compliance
• Determine disposition of non-compliant product
• Specify who is responsible for initiating CA
• Identify records to be maintained
• Identify who is responsible for oversight

Questions

1. What caused the deviation?
2. How will the process be corrected?
3. What measures will be implemented to prevent recurrence?
4. What is the product disposition?

"Verification" - those activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan.

"Do we do what we say and say what we do?"

"Validation" - that element of verification focused on collecting and evaluating scientific and technical information to determine if the HACCP plan, when properly implemented, will effectively control the hazard.

"Is it the right thing to do?"

Essential component of HACCP. Companies rely on documentation to prove that the food produced is safe. Improper documentation will cause the company, customers, and regulatory agencies to have doubts about the company's ability to manage for safety.

1. Summary of hazard analysis
2. HACCP Plan
3. Supporting documentation
4. Daily operational records

Sample HACCP plans for Raw, Ground plans and other resources

• Measures to Address Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Raw Non-intact Beef Products, presented at the Annual NASMFID Conference, San Diego, CA, and developed by the Office of Policy and Program Development, FSIS, USDA
• Guidance for Small and Very Small Establishments on Sampling Beef Products for Escherichia coli O157:H7
• Standard Operating Procedure for Receiving Raw Ground Beef Components or Raw Beef Pattie Components, developed by Dennis Burson
• Raw Ground Flow Diagram for receiving meat from a supplier, with or without a Certificate of Analysis (COA)
• Raw Ground Hazard Analysis for receiving meat from a supplier, with or without a Certificate of Analysis (COA)
• Raw Ground HACCP Plan for receiving meat from a supplier, with or without a Certificate of Analysis (COA)
• Raw Ground Flow Diagram for applying an antimicrobial intervention
• Raw Ground Hazard Analysis for applying an antimicrobial intervention
• Raw Ground HACCP Plan for applying an antimicrobial intervention
• Raw Ground Flow Diagram for processing raw, ground beef from carcasses slaughtered at the plant
• Raw Ground Hazard Analysis for processing raw, ground beef from carcasses slaughtered at the plant
• Raw Ground HACCP Plan for processing raw, ground beef from carcasses slaughtered at the plant