Strawberry Standards Explained The HACCP Process

Online, January 5, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The system ensures that all potential physical, allergenic, chemical and biological hazards are identified and actions are taken to prevent them coming to fruition. The process is intended to save food and pharmaceutical production companies' time and money by identifying potential problems before the process begins.

It is a mandatory process that must be observed by all parties hoping to release food products onto the UK market. The process is split into seven principles intended to help at every stage of production planning and adheres to Food Safety Regulations.

Conduct a Hazard Analysis

The first step is intended to pore through the whole production process and determine where any potential food or pharmaceutical hazard may occur. These hazards are any biological, chemical or physical entity that may cause the product to be unsafe or cause unsafe effects.

Identify Critical Control Points

Critical Control Points are points, steps or procedures within the production process that can be controlled. By controlling these points, the safety of the production process can be guaranteed and potential hazards can be prevented.

Establish Critical Limits for Each Critical Control Points

Each of the Critical Control Points must be given parenthetical limits to ensure a safe and hazard-free production process. Keeping the Critical Control Points within these parameters removes the danger of producing potentially hazardous results.

Establish Critical Control Point Monitoring Requirements

For all the rules and regulations that are imposed upon the production process, supervision is a necessity. Without supervision, these Critical Control Points could break or falter.

Establish Corrective Plans

Despite the best intentions and best laid plans, it is vital that there is always a back-up and an insurance policy. Corrective plans ensure that should something go wrong, there are procedures in place to rectify any problems before they become potentially hazardous.

Establish Procedures for Ensuring the HACCP System is working as Intended

The entire procedure and process would be completely useless without a system for measuring the success rate and tangible results. Every step of the process and Critical Control Point must be monitored carefully so there are no gaps in the information available.

Establish Record-Keeping Procedures

The entire process must be recorded and documented in a regular and accurate fashion. This will help the production team and managers retain an overview and understanding of the process and any potential problems. Furthermore should the production process alter in the future, the HACCP can be realigned accordingly.