Use of HACCP

What is HACCP?
HACCP is actually Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points which is a systematic preventative approachto ensure food safety. It helps to pin point physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. It is also known to identify potential food safety hazards, whether they are the raw materials, processes, or even equipments. Key actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCP's) are taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards. The system is used at all stages of food production and preparation processes of all foods.

This method plans out unsafe practices, differs from traditional "produce and test" quality assurance methods which are less successful and inappropriate for highly perishable foods. The use of HACCP helps to ensure the safety of the all food alike.

7 established principles of HACCP
1: Conduct a hazard analysis and identify the preventive measures the plant can apply to control these hazards. It can be biological, chemical, or physical cause a food to be unsafe for human consumption.
2: Identify critical control points which are points, steps, or procedures in a food process at which control can be applied for a hazard to be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to an acceptable level.
3: Establish critical limits for each critical control point.
4: Establish critical control point monitoring requirements and monitoring activities.
5: Establish corrective actions which can indicate a deviation from an established critical limit.
6: Establish record keeping procedures like documents, including its hazard analysis and written HACCP plan, and records documenting the monitoring of critical control points, critical limits, verification activities, and the handling of processing deviations.
7: Establish procedures for verifying the HACCP system is working as intended to prove if it is successful.

References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HACCP
http://pera.net/Risk_HACCP.html