Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) – Need, Principles and Implementation

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) aims at ensuring safety of products by using preventive means. The approach is used to ensure safety of foods, pharmaceutical products, chemical and biological products. The approach aims at using preventive means rather use inspection on finished products. In food industry, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is used to identity factors that can compromise health safety.

After safety hazard are identified then preventive action, referred to as Critical Control Points, are taken in order to prevent any negative health effects. HACCP system has no specific stage where it is used but is used at all levels of food production and preparation. It is used in all stages including processing, packaging, storage and distribution. HACCP programs have been successful ensuring safety of foods and thus help in preventing possible health hazard. Mandatory HACCP programs for meat and juices in the country are acclaimed for ensuring high standard products that meet health requirement.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) HCCP program for seafood and juices has helped to increased consumer confidence on the products. HACCP usage in most other food industries is voluntary but has very positive effect on ensuring safety and raising consumer confidence.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approach was developed as a realization that prevention is better than dealing with aftermath effects. The approach developed from process monitoring approaches used during World War II. Stage by stage monitoring was preferred during production of artillery since final product testing could lead to negative effect. HCCP was however developed in 1960 in the process of manufacturing foods for space flight.

The approach is usually identified with food safety but has been used in ensuring safety in other manufactured products. Today HACCP is an internationally recognized approach for preventing health hazard. At international level, HACCP is recognized as a systematic approach that uses traditional approach to food safety while using current food safety systems. HACCP helps governments and industries to allocate resources appropriately in order to avoid preventable health effects. Today HACCP has been integrated in other industries such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The approach seeks to replace conventional quality control methods that seek to test products after they are produced. The conventional methods are especially less effective for perishable products and thus need a method that takes a different approach.

History of HACCP

Although the concept of preventive control was developed during the Second World War, HACCP was developed as a result of space travel. In 1958, the government of United States of America committed itself to space exploration. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) was set up and mandated to steer head the process. Arranging for the firsts space tour was a challenge. NASA had to make prior preparation and research in order to ensure success of the project.

Food was an important factor to be considered in preparation for the first manned shuttle. The explorers operating the shuttle had to carry enough food to sustain them for the long period that they were to be in the space. Safety was an important factor to be considered in preparation of foods. NASA gave the responsibility of preparing the foods to Pillsbury. Preparing the food was involving since it required many tests to meet set requirements. An approach that involved stage by stage monitoring was developed and later led to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point method.

Need for Safety Assurance Method

Safety to food has been a concern from time immemorial. Human beings are concerned of health effect that can result from consumption of unsafe foods. Problems associated with consumption of unsafe food go back to many years in history. People from every generation try to give guidelines the kind of food that should be taken or safety requirements that should be met before some foods are allowed for consumption. Various food safety rules in historical and religious books show that food safety has been an important concern for humankind. Concern for food safety has been on the increase in the recent past.

Many consumers require to be guaranteed that the foods that they used are of high quality and free from health hazard. Increased concern on safety of food has increased because of various health issues in the world. Increase in occurrence of food-borne diseases in the world has been the main drive towards food safety. Food-borne diseases are one of the major public health issues that pose a threat to people’s health. Despite of innovations in food production, failure to ensure safety of the food produced can lead to major health effects to communities. Major world conferences such as International Conference on Nutrition and World Declaration on Nutrition identify food and water communicable and non-communicable related diseases as some of major health concerns.

Technological and knowledge advancement show need for health safety. There has been increased realization of more effects of unsafe food through advanced technology. There has been increased occurrence of preventable food-borne diseases in various parts of the world despite of modern food production and processing methods. Increase concern for food safety has also been motivated by development of modern analytical methods and devices that enable detection of many health hazard pathogens. Discovery of new food-borne pathogens, realization on economic effects of food related diseases, increased dependence on processed food, and increased consumer awareness have called for concerted effort to ensure food safety.

HACCP Principles

Application on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is guided by seven principles.

1. Conduct a Hazard Analysis: This principle seeks to identify the issues that are health hazard in order to decide on preventive measures to be taken. A list of issues that are believed to be possible causes of health hazard is developed. The process takes two stages: risk identification and risk evaluation. Risk identification involves listing all the chemical, biological or physical hazards that of major concern. The hazards that can be controlled or increased at different levels of production and processing. Hazard evaluation is the stage that leads to conclusive decision. This stage involves critical evaluation of the listed factors in order to decide which among them are of greater importance. Hazard analysis HACCP team to identify and evaluate possible hazards and decide which among them should be addressed in a HACCP plan.
2. Determine Critical Control Points: HACCP makes use of critical points to prevent health hazard and ensure safety. Critical points are areas or steps where intervention can be made in order to ensure safety. At this stage, critical points specific to a particular production or processing process are identified. Critical points provide guidelines on preventive measures that can be taken to prevent hazard.
3. Establish Critical Limits: HACCP works by monitoring and controlling critical point. After critical points are identified, critical limits are set to control the factors. A critical limit sets boundary to physical biological of chemical factors. It tells a maximum or minimum parameter that should be monitored in order to achieve a desired safety level. It tells the favorable and unfavorable production conditions and enables safety by ensuring the required conditions are ensured. Critical limits differ from other operational limits in that critical limits are purely concerned with safety other than other factors. The limits are derived from scientific research and be presented in terms or regulations or guidelines.
4. Establish Monitoring Procedures: Monitoring is essential in ensuring that production or processing process does not go beyond critical points. Monitoring involves certain sequence of activities. It involves activities such as measurements and observations aimed at ensuring that critical control points do not go out of control. It enables tracking of production and processing process makes it possible to take corrective actions when the process tends to go beyond critical limits. Monitoring is a continuous process that involves such actions as taking temperature and PH measurements after particular duration of time. Documentation of the process enables a process to be evaluated and necessary corrective measures to be taken if possible.
5. Establishment Corrective Action: If production or processing process goes beyond critical points then corrective actions can be taken. Corrective actions aim at ensuring that foods that do not meek safety requirement do not proceed to consumers. Corrective actions include identifying sources of variation, identify the characteristics of products that do not comply and make a record of the steps that were taken to address the problem. Corrective actions for every critical point is predetermined and clearly states in a HACCP plan. HACCP plan has to determine required corrective actions, individuals responsible for the corrective actions and provide for recording o f the action for future reference.
6. Establish Verification Procedures: Verification is very important in a HACCP plan. Verification is necessary in order to ensure the plan works as desired. A HACCP system should be able to function according to HACCP principle where product testing is limited. Verification should also ensure that a proposed plan function as initially desired.
7. Establish Record Keeping and Documentation Procedures: Record keeping is a very important requirement in HACCP plan. Records have to be kept for future reference or decision-making. The records include list of members of HACCP team and their responsibility, description of products under production or processing, HACCP plan and other support documentation.

Basic Terminology in HACCP

• Corrective Action: Detection and eradication of the causes of a problem, thus preventing their recurrence.
• Critical Control Point: A point, step, or procedure at which control can be applied and as a result, a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable levels.
• Critical Limits: 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.
• Deviation: Failure to meet a critical limit.
• HACCP Plan: The written document that is based upon the principles of HACCP and delineates the procedures to be followed to ensure the control of a specific process or procedure.
• HACCP System: The HACCP plan in operation, including the HACCP plans itself.
• Hazard: Any biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause a food to be unsafe for human consumption.
• Hazard Analysis: The identification of any hazardous biological, chemical, or physical properties in raw materials and processing steps, and an assessment of their likely occurrence and potential to cause food to be unsafe for consumption.
• Preventive Measure: Physical, chemical, or other means that can be used to control an identified food health hazard.
• Process: A method consisting of any number of separate, distinct, and ordered operations that are directly under control of the establishment employed in the manufacture of a specific product, or a group of two or more products wherein all CCP’s, such as packaging, may be applied to one or more of those products within the group.

HACCP Standards

The aim of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is ensure safety of produced or processed food products. HACCP principles are part of ISO 22000. ISO 22000 gives essential food safety standards that ensure that processed food meet health requirements. It includes quality management system, HACCP and other food safety programs. The standards require those hazards that are anticipated in production process to be identified and evaluated. A processing company is expected to provide an elaborate HACCP plan that identifies the hazards, identifies critical points, sets control limits and give an elaboration of corrective measures that would be taken.

HACCP Plan

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles in an organization are implemented through a HACCP plan. This plan describes how each of the seven principles would be implemented in particular organization’s scenario. A food production or processing organization is expected to develop a HACCP plan, which is an indication that the firm is committed to ensuring safety of foods. HACCP plan differs from one organization to the other as it is developed with product or process in mind. All components of a HACCP plan designed with particular processing condition in consideration.

The first step in developing a HACCP plan is usually bringing together of HACCP team. The team should consist of individuals from various departments of production process. A HACCP team should be able to bring together variety of skills that should would together to establish a workable safety measures. Other initial steps comprise describing product, identifying targeted consumers, designing a flow diagram of the process and justifying the diagram. After the preliminaries are fulfilled, then the HACCP team can proceed with the seven principles.

A firm’s management has important roles to play in implementation of HACCP plan. Top management must show commitment by providing leadership and providing necessary resources required for the plan. HACCP coordinator and the implementation team need to be trained on essential issues on food safety. After training, HACCP teams t he process with implementation. Other narrow plans such as product plan can also be developed in order to address safety of particular products.

Consideration for Implementation

Implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) should consider the benefits of the approach. Authorities responsible should realize the need for the procedure in order to develop the necessary commitment required. Some of the considerations include need to reduce food-borne disease, improve safety of food chain and boost consumer confidence on food products. Responsibility for implementing HACCP mainly lies with an individual industry. Regulatory bodies can however provide guideline that should be used processing of some products.

To conclude, safety of food is very important in avoiding preventable food-borne diseases. Concern for food safety has been on the increase in the recent past. Dependence on processed food has necessitated need to ensure food safety, as unsafe food can lead to major health problems. Unlike other quality assurance procedures, HACCP aim at ensuring food safety by monitoring production and processing process. HACCP allows for identification of safety critical areas and enable preventive steps to be taken before safety is compromised.