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Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a detailed procedure of food safety implemented by evaluation and control of chemical, microbiological, physical hazards during the whole processes of a food preparation and production from raw material handling to manufacturing and dispatch and distribution.

This systematic strategy is mainly on the basis of prevention and detection of potential food safety hazards rather than finished product audit.
The Critical Control Points (CCPs) are basically carried out to decrease / eliminate the risk of the identified hazards.

HACCP system is compulsory for the production of Juice and seafood regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and also Meat production regulated by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For other ranges of food production it is currently optional to perform HACCP program.

An experimental HACCP procedure conducted in the University Laboratory on preparation, cooking and producing pasta with turkey ham, vegetables and low fat soft cheese:

Product Charactristics:

Shelf life (unopened pack)	1 months
Use by date	Printed on the package
Consumer instructions (after opening)	Cover and Refrigerate, consume within 3 days
Packaging	Packed in a rigid plastic base with modified atmosphere (gas flushing) and heat sealed (grease proof) film with a self adhesive label on the top. Declared as “packed in a protective atmosphere” on the label.
Target consumer	All consumers (not suitable for vegetarians)

Procedure:

STEP	HAZARD	CONTROL MEASURES	MONITORING PROCEDURES
Delivery of ingredients
Dried goods dry pasta, ground pepper and salt	Pest infestation. Absorption of water, mould growth. Micro-organisms, spores.	Pest control contract. Appropriate storage (at ambient temperature), check use by dates Supplier specification, use reputable suppliers, Spice extract can be substituted with dried spices.	Inspect delivery vehicle, drivers. Visual inspection (e.g. monitoring labels of incoming foods to ensure that they come from a reputable source and are according to specification.
Fresh goods: fresh basil, parsley, onion, mushroom High risk goods: milk, soft cheese and turkey ham	Bacterial spoilage (mainly psychrophilic type as they naturally present in soil). Abrasion / bruising will allow the spores to enter the moist inner tissues (leading to germination and cause spoilage). Presence of stones, grit, stalks, caterpillars or other insects.	Inspection of vegetables and herbs for microbial spoilage / bruising. Inspection, cleaning and thoroughly washing (preferably with chlorinated water) should be carried out.	Supervise loading / unloading procedures. Visual / sensory inspection of raw materials e.g. detection of off-odours.
Frozen food (petit pois)	Handling during loading/unloading can lead to cross contamination. Defrosting and refreezing before use	Loading & unloading duration should be as quick as possible.	Supervise loading / unloading procedures. Inspect delivery vehicle.
Storage
Dry storage for spices, vinegar, salt.	Pest infestation Under condition of high relative humidity, dried foods absorb water leading to spoilage as a result of mould growth. Product exposed to micro-organisms, mould, yeast due to e.g. inadequate packaging i.e. burst, breakage.	Use pest control system, storage under conditions which do not expose them to risk of contamination (i.e. cool, dry storage condition). Cool, dry, well ventilated storage is preferred. Ensure packaging is intact, package seal is not compromised.	Visual inspection on the quality and state of the raw materials. Measure air in unit and temperature of the food. Equipment maintenance. Inspect cleaning schedule records & observe practice. Ensure stock is rotated.
Refrigerated storage for fresh vegetables, herbs and perishable / high risk goods	Deviation of unit temperature can encourage the growth of Micro-organisms e.g. pseudomonas. Cross contamination from other stored products. Out of date.	Ensure the storage temperature is within 1- 5°C. Minimise temperature fluctuation by reducing opening/ closing the storage door. Fresh vegetables & herbs must be stored separated from other kind of raw materials (such as meat, poultry). Stock control FIFO (first in first out)	Supervise the storage practices. Visual inspection on packages. Check records of temperature and humidity in storage.
Frozen storage	Freezer deficiency	consistently correct temperature (minimum -18°C) of the unit / freezer	Supervise the storage practice. Check the temperature records.
Preparation & Processing of ingredients
- Washing	Enteric pathogens in the water increase microbial load of the product.	Only potable water should be used (obtained from water main supply)	Visual inspection of the water. Microbiological analysis of water main periodically. If chlorine or a similar microbicide is not to be added, water should be tested for freedom from coliforms.
- Peeling - cutting - coring	Cross contamination by infected food handlers (staph. lococcus organism is the most common type). Cross contamination from unhygienic equipment, worktop, utensils, chopping boards, etc. Poor personal hygiene, poor hygiene procedure.	All cuts must be completely covered by a suitable waterproof dressing, reporting of sickness and diarrhoea, coughs, colds, eye and ear infections is necessary. Colour coding of equipment is commonly adapted by food handlers to ensure the separation of utensils. Good personal hygiene is essential. Protective clothing must be worn to cover all outdoor wear and also hair	Supervise the practices. Inspect cleaning schedules and monitor cleaning procedures.
- Weighing up	Cross contamination of raw materials due to unhygienic practice/ utensils. Insufficient time / temperature for cooking, encouraging germination of spores / pathogen growth	Hygienic performance, clean equipment/ utensils. Foods should be handled as little as possible. Minimum temperature of 65°C is required (using proper-working temperature probes / temperature gauges / monitors, ect).	Monitor the practices specified in the control measure category. Supervise the practices. Check the temperature records.
Cooking
The product is to be cooked for making it palatable and safe for immediate consumption	Ineffective heating process due to wrong combination of time and temperature. Toxins, spores may survive during cooking. A few psychrotrophic organisms (e.g. lactobacilli) can survive a process to 65?C and cause spoilage during chill storage.	Ensure proper time/temperature (above 65ºC to maximum 82° C is required)	All temperature record charts are inspected regularly.[Copyright note: http://www.labreports.info] For each product batch, the temperature recorded on the control chart must correspond to the temperature indicated on the master temperature measuring instrument.
Portioning, Filling & Packaging
Product is aseptically weighed (300g serving) and modified atmosphere packaged	Introduction of pathogens due to: Insufficient cooking temperature or potential contamination from environment or as a result of improper handling.	Correct gas flushing (combination of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide). Ensuring hygienic practice, ensuring required time and temperature has been achieved prior to filling. Correctly operating metal detector with required sensitivity.	Monitor all procedures. The temperature is measured before filling. Inspect cleaning schedules. Packaging area and the hygienic practices are observed.
Labelling	Incorrect consumer instruction / nutrition information. Incorrect use by date. Misleading / insufficient information.	Ensure labelling information meets all legal requirements. (e.g. Instruction for storage; “keep refrigerated, once opened consume within 3 days”). Usage instruction / legally permitted composition values must be correctly declared.	Monitor the practices. Visual inspections. Inspect cleaning schedules.
Finished product (chilling) storage	Inappropriate storage conditions may result in encouraging the growth / entry of micro-organisms. leaking / leaching of the package seals due to accidental / bad handling.	Adequate storage condition (proper ventilation / humidity and temperature); Temperature between 1 - 5C is adequate. The outgrowth of germinated bacterial spores is inhibited at storage temperatures below 5C. Care must be taken during handling to avoid/ minimise breakage, damage to the package.	Storage area is measured.
Dispatch & Transport	Growth of micro-organisms due to abuse / bad handling during transport / distribution e.g. package damaging / leakage.	Ensure good handling practice. Appropriate storage condition in transit. Prevent over-loading.	Storage temperature of establishment and delivery vehicle is regularly checked. The loading of storage cabinets is inspected. Visual inspection of the cleanliness and hygiene.
Retail	Growth of micro-organisms in consequence of abuse i.e. bad handling, bad storage.	Provide appropriate instructions about storage conditions to retailer i.e. refrigeration storage (perishable food)/ display by (date printed on the pack.)	Date / batch and code.
Consumer instructions	Inappropriate storage supporting micro-organism growth. Once opened liable to microbial spoilage / pathogens. Under heating the product can encourage bacterial growth / spore germinations.	Ensure instructions for storage is written on the package i.e. store in refrigerator / use by (printed on the pack). Instructions such as: once opened keep refrigerated and consume within 3 days. Usage/ heating instruction (microwave power and time) should be clearly specified.	Consumer to check storage requirements i.e. air, temperature, humidity of storage unit (refrigerator). Check use by date.

CCP PROCESS STEP	CCPs	CRITICAL LIMIT	CORRECTIVE ACTION	VERIFICATION PROCEDURES
Delivery of raw materials	CCP1	Within microbiological specifications	Reject if outside the microbiological specification, inform suppliers, if still unsuitable look elsewhere.	Audit all procedures. Sample ingredients and audit the results e.g. plate count.
Storage of dry ingredients	CCP2	Cool, dry, well-ventilated ambient environment.	Inform engineer, reject if outside the limit. Correct storage condition.	Microbiologically examination of random samples of ingredients and audit the results.
Refrigerated storage of fresh ingredients	CCP3	Correct refrigerated temperature (between 1- 5C). Correct humidity, air condition.	Alert engineers. Reject if outside the limit. QA shall dispose or hold the product dependent on time / temperature deviation.	QA must ensure proper operation of the storage unit. Microbiologically assess random samples & audit the results.
Frozen storage	CCP4	Raw product storage areas should not exceed -18C in freezer.	QA will reject or hold the product depending on the time and temperature deviation. QA will detect the cause of the deviation and prevent reoccurrence.	QA must check all monitoring thermometers and verify for daily accuracy and calibrate it if necessary.
Preparation	CCP5	Refer to standards for each ingredient but ensure hygienic practice. Perishable food (e.g. fresh vegetables, ham, and cheese) should not be kept at room temperature longer than 60min.	Dispose of food if the food is in visually poor condition. Daily record. Ensure staffs are trained adequately.	Microbiologically assess random samples (record results and audit).
Cooking	CCP6	Core temperature above >65ºC. Sufficient time and temperature (especially to obtain > 7 log reduction in salmonella).	Extend cooking time until temperature achieved. QA will reject or hold all affected product.	Audit and record all time / temperature combinations. Microbial testing to determine the source of contamination (e.g. standard plate count) if shelf life is inadequate. Use biotrace swabbing to ensure / determine sanitation of equipments.
Weighing, Filling and packaging	CCP7	No hazardous pathogens (esp. listeria monocytogenes) on product contact surfaces. No foreign body (e.g. plastic, paper, metal fragments )	Reject batch.	Audit and record temperature of filling portions.
Finished product (chilling) storage	CCP8	Finished product storage area will not exceed 5°C.	If a deviation from a critical limit occurs, the following are implemented: Cause of the exceeded temperature will be identified and eliminated. The CCP should be monitored frequently (every hour). Identified cause of deviation (e.g. equipment failure) is examined to prevent it from reoccurring.	QA will check all monitoring thermometers and verify activities for correctness and calibrate the accuracy if required. QA will observe maintenance personnel check finished product storage area on a regular basis.
Retail	N/A	Product (perishable food) stored in refrigerator. Use by date – 1month shelf life with intact package.	Retailer to remove and discard from display if out of date. Adjust storage conditions.	Place company address on the label for the purpose of complaints / comments etc.
Consumer Instruction	N/A	Keep refrigerated. Once opened store in refrigerator, consume within 3 days.	Adjust temperature of the refrigerator. Discard if the product is out of date.	Place company’s address/ contact number / website address for any complaint/ comment / information. Assess and review satisfactory / dissatisfactory comments.

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