This unit covers the importance of having a Food Safety Management System based on the principles of HACCP. It also covers record keeping and other tools.
HACCP stands for Hazard, Analysis, Critical, Control, Point.
It is an internationally recognised system that helps businesses to identify, assess and control significant hazards that could affect food safety.
The law requires food business operators to put in place, implement and maintain permanent procedures based on the principles of HACCP. Everyone who works in a food business has a responsibility to implement and maintain the system.
A food business needs to make sure they’ve “ticked off the basics” so that they can create an effective HACCP system. These food safety basics are called “prerequisites” or prerequisite programmes.
Prerequisite programmes will vary based on the size and type of food business.
Here are some examples:
- well designed premises and equipment (including provision of hand washing sinks and sinks for washing food and equipment)
- effective cleaning and disinfection procedures
- effective maintenance procedures
- safe drinking water and ice
- using approved suppliers
- effective stock control and storage such as using a First In, First out System
- effective labelling, traceability and recall procedures
- staff training
- personal hygiene procedures, for example; effective hand washing
- effective sickness procedures
- effective pest control and waste control arrangements
- procedures for dealing with customer complaints
- procedures for dealing with visitors to the kitchen (i.e. pest control contractor)
The 7 principles of HACCP
Number 1: Identify hazards
This means look closely at what you do in the business, think about what could go wrong and any food safety risks.
Number 2: Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs)
These are the areas that must be focused on to ensure the risks are removed or reduced to safe levels. For example; cooking, refrigeration, cross-contamination, cooling, hot-holding and reheating. A CPP is a step in the process where a hazard must be controlled, otherwise it could cause harm.
Number 3: Establish Critical Limits
Critical limits must be established for Critical Control Points. By doing this you can separate the acceptable from the unacceptable. For example; the internal temperature of a chicken must reach at least 75°C for 30 seconds, (82°C in Scotland) to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter. Another example of a critical limit would be hot holding food above 63°C.
Number 4: Carry out monitoring
Monitoring allows you to make sure the procedures are working, being followed and stops problems from occurring. It is normally Critical Control Points that are monitored to ensure that critical limits are being met.
Number 5: Decide on corrective actions
Corrective actions are to be taken if the critical limits at a Critical Control Point are not met. The purpose is to find and fix the problem, prevent it from happening again, and make the food safe or stop its use.
Number 6: Validation and Verification
Validation is done before a HACCP plan is implemented to make sure it’s going to be effective in controlling significant hazards.
Verification involves establishing procedures to verify that the procedures are being followed and that they are working.
Number 7: Documentation and records
This means keeping records to show that the procedures are working. The level and type of documentation and records that need to be kept will depend on the size and nature of the business.
