54
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (aka HACCP), is a systematic & preventative system developed in the
1960’s by NASA to keep astronauts safe from food borne illnesses. Today, HACCP has 7 principles to manage
and control food safety risks and they are:
1. Conduct a Hazard Analysis – identify all possible food safety risks in all areas of food handling in your
business such as: receiving goods, cooking & waste disposal. Once you have these risks identified, they
should be categorized in 3 categories:
a. Biological
b. Physical
c. Chemical
2. Identify Critical Control Points – now that the risks are identified, identify the critical control points (CCPs)
which are steps where a control measure is used to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard. Some examples
of CCPs could be:
a. the sign-off step when receiving deliveries
b. checking the temperature of food before serving
c. cooking food to a specific temperature
3. Establish Critical Limits – each CCP now must have at least 1 CCP where the parameters are measurable
such as:
a. Time
b. Temperature
c. Acidity
d. Best Before or expiry dates
4. Monitor Critical Control Points – Monitoring must be done to ensure food safety. The best way is to use
checklists and/or other documentation. Monitoring techniques can sorted into 4 different categories:
a. Observation: checking cleaning schedules, monitoring delivery checklists
b. Sensory: taste, smell to ensure food is safe
c. Chemical: checking acidity or chemical levels with appropriate testing strips
d. Physical: such as physically checking food temperatures prior to serving
5. Establish Corrective Actions – Establishing what occurs when there is a variation from the Critical limit.
For example, refusing a delivery with pest infestation or properly cooling food to limit the amount of time in the
danger zone.
6. Establish Record Keeping Procedures – accurate record keeping is essential to this process. Procedures
such as signing off on cleaning or staff training records should be maintained regularly. Health Inspectors ask
for these reports regularly and should be easily accessible for all staff.
7. Establish Verification Procedures – It’s important to update this document as needed with a minimum of an
annual review. Identify problems and opportunities to improve and implement in the upcoming editions.
What is HACCP?