HACCP Principles

7 Principles of HACCP

Conclusions

The HACCP framework is made up of seven key principles, each of which must be included in the written HACCP plan.

1. Conduct a hazard analysis
2. Determine the critical control points
3. Establish critical limits
4. Set up Monitoring Procedures
5. Set up Corrective Actions
6. Set up Verification Procedures
7. Build up Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures

1. Conduct a hazard analysis

A hazard analysis is a method whereby all processes used in a facility for processing food are looked at for their potential to introduce hazards related to contamination. There are two stages to hazard analysis. All potential risks are first identified. Second, the level of risk to food safety that these threats pose is evaluated.

For instance, a business might recognize two possible sources of metallic contamination in its products as per 7 Principles of HACCP: 1) Metal flecks are already present in the raw materials when they arrive at the facility, and 2) processing cause’s machine wear and tear. The corporation can therefore conclude that the machine wear and tear risk is at a higher level and that of the other at a lower level of risk.

2. Determine the critical control points

To avoid, remove, or minimize the risk of a food safety hazard to an acceptable level; a control (7 Principles of HACCP) is required which is an intermediate step or procedure. Usually, CCPs are found using a decision tree. In general, more CCPs will be required to effectively control contamination concerns the more processing stages that are carried out in a specific food handling facility.

For instance, a business may decide that raw material input is a CCP, necessitating the scanning of all entering items for metallic impurities prior to processing. For the purpose of catching any metallic contaminants that entered the product during processing, the corporation may also decide to designate post-packaging and pre-shipment as another CCP.

3. Establish critical limits

A critical limit is a highest permissible level in the 7 Principles of HACCP of a specific food safety parameter that, if exceeded, signals an intolerably high danger to food safety. The values of time, temperature, pH, water activity, electrical conductivity, and other parameters are frequently used to express critical limits.

4. Set up Monitoring Procedures

At each CCP, procedures will be implemented for the regular monitoring of critical limits. These processes in the 7 Principles of HACCP will outline when and how often the measures will be made, who will be in charge of carrying them out or keeping an eye on them, and what kinds of tools or methods will be employed.

For instance, this stage can entail developing a protocol for overseeing a metal detector at the end of the line that checks packaged goods. Here, it is important to decide the parties in charge of periodically checking the metal detector’s functioning as well as its sensitivity.

5. Set up Corrective Actions

In the event of the 7 Principles of HACCP, any parameter at a critical control point deviates from the identified critical limits, and remedial steps must be established and followed. The corrective measures should, first and foremost, stop the possibly dangerous food from entering the food chain. However, the secondary goal of the corrective activities should be to address the hazard’s root cause and stop it from happening again.

In order to track the pollutants back to the source of the hazard, this stage can mandate, for instance, that all units rejected by the metal detector be taken off the production line right away and put through a different, more thorough inspection process.

6. Set up Verification Procedures

Through 7 Principles of HACCP techniques including process audits, final product inspections, and random sample testing, the effectiveness of the HACCP plan should be evaluated. To guarantee that foreign bodies are reliably recognized and rejected, the verification step of a HACCP plan, for instance, can involve routinely calibrating contaminant detection equipment for accuracy.

7. Build up Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures

In order to demonstrate that all food products were made safely, all of the actions mentioned above should be meticulously recorded and archived on an ongoing basis.

For instance, high-tech contaminant detection apparatus has software that automatically creates and stores reports on each batch that is tested following digital HACCP. These reports can then be regularly downloaded and kept in one location with all other documents related to food safety.

All current food safety management systems are built on the 7 Principles of HACCP. HACCP Certification emphasizes food safety from reactive control measures to proactive ones as a systematic method of preventing contamination concerns. Any HACCP plan main goal is to make food items as safe as possible by making sure that every step of the food handling process was done in the safest manner possible. Food sector businesses are able to determine the processes and tools required to ensure the safety of their products by developing a HACCP plan.