The Basics of HACCP Implementation
What is HACCP?
HACCP represents Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It is a system for reducing the risk of food safety hazards, requiring that potential hazards are identified and controlled at specific points in the process. These hazards can be classified as biological, chemical or physical.
Why HACCP?
Concern over the increase of food-borne illness throughout the industry and ways of eliminating it is a key reason for the implementation of HACCP.
Building a HACCP System
Implementing a HACCP System requires implementing both Prerequisite Programs and HACCP Plans.
Prerequisite programs are programs for controlling the environment, preventing contamination of the product in the facility to control hazards. Prerequisite programs ensure a hygienic environment and good manufacturing processes for reducing the risk of contamination of the food product.
HACCP Plans are prepared for each process or product identifying possible hazards and controls in place to make sure the hazards are controlled to ensure acceptable levels in the food product or eliminated.
7 Steps to Implementing a HACCP System
Conduct a Hazard Analysis
Hazards can be classified as physical (i.e. metal contamination), chemical (i.e. cleaning product contaminating the product, toxins and chemicals that could contaminate the product) or biological (bacteria or virus contaminating the product).This requires evaluating your processes and identify where hazards can be introduced. This stage is done in two steps, first the identification of hazards, then evaluating the hazard. Hazard evaluation is simply determining the degree of risk to the user from the identified hazard. Once the hazard is identified and evaluated the team must identify critical control points.
Identify the Critical Control Point
These are the steps in the process that controls can be applied to prevent or eliminate the hazards that have been identified. For each of these CCPs preventive measure for the associated hazards are identified. These include use of specific pressure, temperature range, pH, time etc.
Establish Critical Limits
These requires establishing a maximum or minimum values for temperature, time, pH, salt level, chlorine level or other processing characteristic that will control the hazard.If these limits are ever exceeded corrective action must be taken, and all affected product controlled. Questions such as these should be asked: What criteria must be met to control the hazard at that point? Is it a minimum temperature? Are there regulatory limits that you must meet for this control point?
Establishing the Monitoring Procedures
Monitoring at the critical control points is important to ensure the effectiveness of the HACCP program. The monitoring program involves physical measurement or observations done in a timely manner to provide the information in a time frame that allows you to take action and control product if an out of control situation occurs.
Establish Corrective Actions
This requires establishing actions that need to be taken if a critical limit is not met. The corrective action must ensure that no unsafe product is released. There must also be an evaluation of the process to determine the cause of the problem and an elimination of the cause to avoid future occurrence. The corrective action should be identified before an out of control situation occurs and, be prepared to take action quickly if and when it does occur.
Establish Record Keeping Procedures
This involves determining the records that are needed to show that the critical limits have been met, and the system is in control. Regulatory requirements should be addressed which include records from the development and operation of the system.
Establish Verification Procedures
The HACCP plan must be validated. Once the plan is in place, it is important that prevention of the hazards identified are effective. The end product should be tested and controls are verified to ensure that they are working as planned. Verification of the system must be an ongoing practice. Questions such as these should be asked: Are measuring and monitoring equipment in control? What are corrective actions showing? Are records being maintained as required?
About the Author
Adebayo is a thought leader in continuous process improvement and manufacturing excellence. He is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt (CSSMBB) Professional and Management Systems Lead Auditor (ISO 9001, 45001, ISO 22000/FSSC 22000 etc.) with strong experience leading various continuous improvement initiative in top manufacturing organizations.
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