HACCP and HARPC, Similarities and Differences
If you are a food safety professional or enthusiast, then you must know about HACCP, an acronym for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.
HACCP is a proactive food safety standard used in food processing facilities to identify and control hazards in food (which may be physical, chemical, biological or radiological) to safe acceptable limits.
Just a reminder, the 7 Principles/ Steps of HACCP include:
- Conduct a hazard analysis·
- Identify critical control points·
- Establish critical limits·
- Monitor critical control points·
- Establish corrective actions·
- Establish record keeping procedures·
- Establish verification procedures
Aside, HACCP, there is another proactive food safety standard which is not so popular. It is known as HARPC. Do you know about it? HARPC is an acronym for Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls.
HARPC was developed from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 and the United States Food and Drug Administration promulgated the HARPC law for food industries in September 17, 2015.
The 7 Principles of a HARPC plan include:·
- Assess the hazards·
- Institute preventive controls·
- Monitor effectiveness of the controls
- Establish corrective action measures
- Establish verification measures·
- Follow proper and required recordkeeping
- Reanalyze the plan
HACCP and HARPC are similar in that they both include the requirement for conducting a hazard analysis, implementing controls, monitoring and corrective actions.
However, HARPC's food safety plan requirements are more comprehensive than HACCP system. HARPC is an upgraded form of HACCP as it tackles food safety issues beyond critical control points and critical limits. HARPC uses scientific and risk-based analysis to identify potential risks and prevent them from happening.
So, what are the Key Differences Between HACCP and HARPC?
- HACCP is a food safety standard designed to identify, prevent and control hazards to acceptable safe levels during food production, while HARPC is a food safety standard designed to prevent potential foreseeable risks that may cause illness upon consumption.
- HACCP is a regulatory standard, while HARPC is a United States law (under Food Safety Modernization Act).
- HACCP requires food processing facilities to identify critical control points (CCPs) and establish critical limits, while HARPC requires food processing facilities to identify and implement science or risk-based preventive controls backed up by scientific data or authentic scientific literature.
- HACCP aims at identifying and controlling food contamination to safe acceptable levels, while HARPC insists that food manufacturers must have a plan in place to prevent contamination.
About the Author
Chidinma Ezinne Ochulor is a certified Food Technologist, a quality assurance professional with over 3 years' experience. She is a professional member of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST). Reach her on LinkedIn, here.
