HACCP is a food safety management system that involves the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards. The hazard study is conducted from the production of raw materials to the consumption of the final product, covering the processes of acquisition, handling, manufacturing, and distribution.
Its acronym stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a mandatory system for companies in this industry regulated by the USDA and FDA in the United States. This is also the case for any food sector establishment in Brazil, from food factories to school canteens.
In Europe, HACCP is required only for certain food sectors in specific countries. It is common for regulatory agencies to demand this system from meat processing industries, dairy production, and seafood handling.
Keep following this post to understand the importance of the HACCP system, its basic principles, and how you can create your strategy in this area.
The importance of HACCP
The HACCP system is fundamentally important in the food and beverage industry, helping organizations analyze the hazards faced by their products. From it, companies can establish the necessary controls to prevent, reduce, or eliminate hazards.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points are also essential to ensure the health of the population of a given country or region. After all, minimizing these hazards protects consumers’ health, preventing foodborne illnesses and allergic reactions.
This analysis is an important layer of protection against physical, chemical, and biological contamination to which food is subject during all stages of manufacturing.
This is one of the main reasons for the trust we have today in the food sold in restaurants and snack bars. It is this system that allows you to go out for a meal without worrying about having to rush to the bathroom afterward.
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What are the basic principles of HACCP
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system has seven basic principles, starting from a hazard assessment and going up to the creation of a documentation system.
They were determined by the Codex Alimentarius, a collection of standards published in 1969 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Since 1997, this food code has undergone regular revisions to ensure that
It is necessary to follow them for the implementation of your HACCP system. Therefore, check out all seven activities for preventing food safety hazards:
Identification and evaluation of hazards
The first principle involves identifying and evaluating the hazards associated with each stage of the production system. That is, your team will need to describe all possible control measures in detail.
You will need to gather specialists with knowledge of food production to participate in the process—or at least to thoroughly review your HACCP plan.
These professionals should have expertise in conducting hazard analysis, identifying potential hazards, and recommending critical limits for monitoring procedures.
2. Determination of critical control points
A critical control point (CCP) is any stage where control can be applied and is critical to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard. If it cannot be eliminated, the CCP should reduce it to an acceptable level.
Focus on situations that have a reasonable chance of causing illness or injury in the absence of these controls. The information obtained in the hazard identification and evaluation phase is crucial to verify which stages are CCPs.
A strategy to facilitate the identification of critical control points is to use a specific decision tree for this purpose. Despite its usefulness, this tool is not mandatory for creating a HACCP.
3. Determination of critical control points
Each control measure associated with a CCP must have a critical limit that separates what is acceptable from what is unacceptable in the control parameters. These limits can address factors such as temperature, time, physical dimensions, humidity, and pH, among others.
It is necessary to have a scientific basis for defining the minimum and maximum parameters. Use sources such as regulatory standards and guidelines, literature reviews, experimental results, and expert evaluations.
At least one food safety criterion must be defined for each critical control point. Corrective action must be taken to maintain product quality if any limit is exceeded.
4. Establishment of Monitoring Procedures
Monitoring is used to observe and measure the CCPs to ensure they are under control. It allows for the creation of an accurate record that can be used in future inspections.
This principle is fundamental for the follow-up of the HACCP system, allowing the detection of a trend of quality decline before it becomes a bigger problem.
These monitoring procedures will serve to determine when a deviation occurs at a critical control point, whether it is exceeded or its requirements are not met. As soon as a deviation is detected, your organization must take corrective action.
This is a principle of great importance for compliance with regulatory agencies. After all, your company will need records to prove that the characteristics of your food are within acceptable parameters — in addition to showing that everything is properly recorded.
5. Definição de ações Definition of Corrective Actions
Your HACCP must establish corrective actions to be taken when your monitoring identifies deviations from a critical limit. These actions need to ensure that the problematic product is removed from the production cycle and does not proceed to the next stage of processing.
It is necessary to analyze how the problems occurred and the best way to solve the issue. Corrective actions should control what is produced and distributed, as well as prevent the situation from occurring again.
6. Creation of Verification Procedures
Verification procedures need to be created to confirm that the HACCP is functioning effectively. This includes system audits to check for possible deviations and the destination of products, as well as random sampling and evaluations to validate the entire plan.
It is also important to verify data recording measures to ensure that everything is being stored correctly. Use these evaluations to address system failures, significant changes, or new threats.
7. Establishment of Record-Keeping Procedures
The last principle deals with the creation of a documentation system for all procedures and records pertinent to the other principles and their applications. Your organization must maintain accurate files to prove that it is monitoring all its critical limits.
Additionally, your company will need to demonstrate that its products are within the parameters of the CCPs. Finally, it is essential to prove that your production system is under control and in compliance with all relevant legislation.
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How to Create a HACCP Strategy
The creation of a HACCP system is mandatory for organizations working in the food and beverage industry. After all, some natural hazards may be present in the food, such as insects or dirt.
This is not to mention the possibility of human errors such as improper equipment washing or incorrect labeling. To complete, there are still greater hazards, such as intentional adulterations and product contamination.
It is to deal with all these elements that a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system is used. So check out our main tips below for creating yours:
1. Gather a Team of Competent People
The first step is to assemble a multidisciplinary team with representatives from all areas of your facility. For example, you can include quality assurance (QA), Research and Development (R&D), Quality Control, and Production, among others.
The first person to be defined will be the leader of this team, who will help gather the rest of the team and ensure that the concept is being applied correctly. Choose someone familiar with the technique, has adequate training, likes to listen, and will allow all members to contribute.
Another requirement is a specialist with detailed knowledge of the commodity system. Ensure that the rest of the team also has expertise with an understanding of specific areas related to the hazards your product faces (microbiologist, chemist, toxicologist, etc.).
2. Describe the Product and Its Purpose
The team formed in the previous step must describe the food you produce and its intended use. Define the processing and distribution methods of the product.
Do not forget to include relevant information for food safety, such as the composition and physicochemical properties of raw materials and the final product. It is also necessary to add details about how it will be packaged, stored, and transported.
3. Study Your Customers
You need to have a clear notion of who your target audience is and study their characteristics well. This is especially important if your product is aimed at segments that require greater attention to health, such as children, the elderly, or people suffering from malnutrition.
Also consider the possibility of the product being used incorrectly, known as “unintended use.” An example would be pet food being mistaken for human food. This type of information needs to be included in your HACCP.
4. Create a Flowchart
Creating a flowchart will help your team better understand the product and its manufacturing process. Therefore, it is important to clearly outline all the steps involved in its production.
This is where the experience of a commodity specialist will be of great help. The systems involved will vary greatly depending on the region of the world where your company operates.
5. Review Your Flowchart
Once everything is ready, it is time to evaluate how effective and complete your flowchart is. For this, your team should conduct inspections during the daily operations of your facilities.
This step-by-step verification will confirm all information related to materials, good practices, and controls, among other elements. Take the opportunity to collect information that will be included in new versions of the flowchart, such as harvest time, storage conditions, and processing systems.
6. Follow the Principles
Now that everything is ready, just follow the principles listed in the previous section. They should be respected in the following order:
- Identification and evaluation of hazards;
- Determination of critical control points;
- Definition of essential limits;
- Establishment of monitoring procedures;
- Definition of corrective actions;
- Creation of verification procedures;
- Establishment of record-keeping procedures.
Conclusion
Implementing the HACCP system is a mandatory step to ensure food safety and public health protection. By applying its seven principles, food and beverage industry organizations can monitor and control possible contamination hazards, preserving product integrity and consumer trust.
By following a well-structured HACCP strategy, your company will be better prepared to meet regulatory requirements and face food safety challenges. In this way, you can ensure product quality at all stages of production and distribution, strengthening your commitment to consumer health and safety.
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