HACCP Training

Guide
www.foodsafetystandards.c
om
 Introduction to HACCP

HACCP is the acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control

Point. The concept was originally developed in the 1960’s by
NASA in association with the Pillsbury Corporation.

The HACCP control system was designed to ensure food

safety for the manned space programme. Its primary aim
was to prevent food safety problems and effectively control
food borne disease.

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 2
m
 HACCP Definitions and Terms

The principles of HACCP can be better understood once everyone is clear

what the HACCP terms and definitions mean:

Deviation: Failure to meet a critical limit.

Flow diagram: A systematic representation of the sequence of steps or
operations used in the production or manufacture of a particular food
item.
HACCP: A system which identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards which
are significant for food safety.
HACCP plan: A document prepared in accordance with the principles of
HACCP to ensure control of hazards which are significant for food safety
in the segment of the food chain under consideration.
Hazard: A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food
with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.
Hazard analysis: The process of collecting and evaluating information
on hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide which are
significant for food safety and therefore should be addressed in the
HACCP plan.
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 3
m
 Preliminary Steps - 2. Assemble the HACCP
team including at least one person who is
HACCP trained

A core team should be utilised within the company to conduct HACCP

studies. This core team should be supplemented by other staff when
specific areas or products are being analysed. The Food Safety
(HACCP) Team membership should include where possible personnel
from Production, Engineering, Laboratory and Technical disciplines.
The Team Leader is normally the Technical Manager or Quality
Manager.
Below is a typical HACCP team:
 Technical Manager
 Laboratory Manager
 Processing Manager
 Engineering Manager
 Production Manager
 Process Operator
 Production Operator
 Distribution Manager

The HACCP team will vary depending on the size and complexity of
the organisation and the process.

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 4
m
 Preliminary Steps - 3. Make a description of
the product, how it is processed or
manufactured and the storage and distribution
process

A full description of the product should be drawn up, including relevant

safety information such as: composition, physical/chemical structure
(including Aw, pH, etc.), microcidal/static treatments (heat-treatment,
freezing, brining, smoking, etc.), packaging, durability and storage
conditions and method of distribution.

Consider the following:

nWhat is the name of the product?
nHow is the product to be used?
nHow is it processed or manufactured?
nWhat type of packaging is used?
nWhere is the product stored?
nWhat is the length of shelf life of the product
nAt a what temperature?
nHow is the product distributed?
nHow is the product sold?

Refer to the HACCP Calculator guide and HACCP Calculator for a

template form
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 5
m
 Preliminary Steps - 5. Identify consumers
of the products

Vulnerable groups of the population may have to be

considered.
Consider the consumers of the product:
i. Is the product intended for babies or infants,
children or adults?
ii. Is the product intended for a wide spectrum of
the population?
iii. Is the product likely to be consumed by high risk
groups such as babies or the elderly?
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 6
m
 HACCP Process Flow Diagram Example

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 7
m
 HACCP PRINCIPLE 1 - Conduct a hazard
analysis Biological Hazards

 Biological hazards can be associated with the raw materials from

which products are made and may be introduced during the process
by people, the environment or the process itself.

 Identifying the biological hazards to which your production processes

might be subjected is an important part of the hazard analysis so it is
important that someone with microbiological knowledge is on your
team. Some of the major pathogens that may be associated with food
products are Salmonella, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Listeria
monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, and Staphylococcus aureus.

 For a comprehensive list of Biological Hazards refer Hazards in our

HACCP Calculator. You are able to edit the calculator and add your
own.
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 8
m
 HACCP PRINCIPLE 1 - Conduct a hazard
analysis

The next step in performing a hazard analysis is for the HACCP team to
consider the list all of the hazards that may be reasonably expected to
occur at each step from primary production, processing, manufacture,
and distribution until the point of consumption and identify which hazards
are of such a nature that their elimination or reduction to acceptable
levels is essential to the production of a safe food.
In conducting the hazard analysis, wherever possible the following should
be included:
the probability of hazards occurring
the severity of hazards by their adverse health effects
the qualitative and/or quantitative evaluation of the presence of hazards
survival or multiplication of microorganisms of concern
production or persistence in foods of toxins, chemicals or physical
agents
conditions leading to the above
Customer complaints and previous internal non conformances are used
to help assess the risk
Prerequisite programmes that manage basic conditions and activities to
maintain a hygienic processing,
10/20/2009
production and handling
www.foodsafetystandards.co 9
environment
m
 THE HACCP CALCULATOR

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 10
m
 HACCP PRINCIPLE 1 - Conduct a hazard
analysis

Using HACCP 004 Hazard Assessment & Critical Control

Point Calculator consider which Hazards are
automatically highlighted as significant.

For significant hazards decide if control measures are

in place for the hazard.

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 11
m
 PRINCIPLE 2 - Determine the Critical Control
Points (CCPs)

Many critical control points are commonly applied in food processing and
production. Typical critical control points include:

Chilling or Freezing to temperatures that minimize microbial growth

Cooking to specific temperatures for exact times in order to destroy
microbial pathogens
Product Acidification such as the addition of cultures or chemicals to reduce
pH
Product Drying or water reduction to remove available water
Processes such as sealing
Addition of Preservatives to prevent microbial growth
Metal Detection
Filtration

There are many more possible CCP’s, not every process is the same and that
is why it is so important to conduct your own Hazard Analysis.
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 12
m
 PRINCIPLE 2 - Determine the Critical Control
Points (CCPs) using the decision tree

All the decision tree questions :

Q1 Are control measures in places for the hazard?
Q2 Does the step eliminate or reduce the hazard to
an acceptable level?
Q3 Could contamination occur at unacceptable levels
or increase to unacceptable levels?
Q4 Will a subsequent step eliminate or reduce the
hazard to an acceptable level?
Are included in our Hazard Assessment & Critical
Control Point Calculator you simply need to enter Y
or N in the appropriate box
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 13
m
 PRINCIPLE 4 - Establish a system to monitor
control of the CCP.

• HACCP principle 4 is the need to establish monitoring

procedures. Monitoring procedures are those which measure
the process at the CCP.
• Monitoring is the scheduled measurement or observation of a
CCP relative to its critical limits. The monitoring procedures
must be able to detect loss of control at the CCP.
• The most commonly recognised monitoring procedures are
from instruments but can be employee checks such as
inspecting the documentation accompanying incoming
materials.
• Continuous monitoring is always preferred when it is
available. This is normal on when the process is continuous
rather than by batch. If monitoring is not continuous, then the
amount or frequency of monitoring must be sufficient to
guarantee the CCP is in control.
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 14
m
 PRINCIPLE 4 - Establish a system to monitor
control of the CCP.

Monitoring should ideally provide information in time to make

adjustments to ensure control of the process to prevent exceeding the
critical limits. Where possible, process adjustments should be made when
monitoring results indicate a trend towards loss of control at a CCP. The
adjustments should be taken before a critical limit is breached occurs.

Records of the results of all monitoring procedures must be maintained

for due diligence purposes.

HACCP team will need to decide what will be the monitoring procedures
and how frequently they will be performed. They must be performed at a
sufficient frequency to ensure that the process is under control. Advice
from people with knowledge of statistical process control will be
important in making your decisions about frequency.

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 15
m
 PRINCIPLE 4 - Establish a system to monitor
control of the CCP.

Training of Employees in monitoring procedures and CCPs

should be undertaken for each preventive measure or
control. They should fully understand the purpose and
importance of monitoring and accurately reporting
monitoring activities and results.
Documents for the recording of measurement should
clearly indicate the control limits so that an employee
does not have to refer elsewhere for the critical limits

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 16
m
 PRINCIPLE 6 - Establish documentation concerning
all procedures and records appropriate to these
principles and their application.

HACCP principle number 6 is to establish effective record

keeping procedures that document the HACCP system. This
includes documenting the HACCP plan which summarises all
the critical control points, the monitoring procedures, critical
limits, corrective actions, records and responsibility and
authority.
All records and documents associated with monitoring CCPs
must be signed by the person(s) doing the monitoring and by a
person responsible for reviewing HACCP documentation.
It is prudent to have documented procedures for each control
measure for every critical control point and a corresponding
record.
Procedures and records can be combined so that several
monitoring results can
10/20/2009 be documented on one record.
www.foodsafetystandards.co 17
m
 PRINCIPLE 7 - Establish procedures for verification
to confirm that the HACCP system is working
effectively.

Your HACCP team needs to decide on what procedures the plant will
perform to verify that the HACCP system is working effectively.
Verification uses methods, procedures, or tests in addition to those
used in monitoring to see whether the HACCP system is in
compliance with the HACCP plan.
Check that any validation through initial practical proving of the
system is performing as expected by reviewing microbial or residue
testing results and that the system is producing acceptable product.
The is also likely to be scientific or technical justification or
documented basis for the system which should be reviewed.
Auditing monitoring activities, corrective actions, and reviewing
HACCP records to ensure that the HACCP plan is working effectively.
Annual review of the plan to consider whether the plan is adequate
and up to date with any regulatory or statutory changes.
10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 18
m
 Review

A HACCP system is based on principles that identify specific hazards

and implements measures for their control. How many principles are
there?
Click on your answer.

5
6
7
8
9

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 19
m
 Review

What categories of hazard are there?

 Biological, Chemical, Microbiological, and Physical

 Biological, Chemical, and Physical
 Biological, Chemical, Microbiological, Physical and Radiological
 All of the above

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 20
m
 Review
What is the best description of a critical limit?
 Adequate control measures in places for the hazard
 The maximum or minimum value to which a physical, biological,
or chemical hazard must be controlled at a critical control point to
prevent, eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the
occurrence of the identified food safety hazard
 The maximum value to which a physical, biological, or chemical
hazard must be controlled at a critical control point to prevent,
eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence of the
identified food safety hazard
 The minimum value to which a physical, biological, or chemical
hazard must be controlled at a critical control point to prevent,
eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence of the
identified food safety hazard
 All of the above

10/20/2009 www.foodsafetystandards.co 21
m
That’s the end of
this training
package

Thank you for attending

Incorrect

Please try again

Click here to continue

 Correct

That’s right there are 7 HACCP principles according to Codex:

PRINCIPLE 1 Conduct a hazard analysis.

PRINCIPLE 2 Determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs).
PRINCIPLE 3 Establish critical limit(s).
PRINCIPLE 4 Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP.
PRINCIPLE 5 Establish the corrective action to be taken when
monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under control.
PRINCIPLE 6 Establish documentation concerning all procedures and
records appropriate to these principles and their application.
PRINCIPLE 7 Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the
HACCP system is working effectively.

Click here to continue

 Correct

The 3 categories of hazard are Biological,

Chemical and Physical

Click here to continue

 Correct

A critical limit is the maximum or minimum

value to which a physical, biological, or
chemical hazard must be controlled at a
critical control point to prevent, eliminate, or
reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence
of the identified food safety hazard

Click here to continue