What is HACCP?
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is a system of ensuring food safety and quality that is considered by the food industry to be the best process to follow. By identifying everything that could make food unsafe and monitoring risk factors, HACCP gives you an easy path to food safety.
When asking what HACCP is, it’s important to keep in mind that the system has seven steps. Every step brings you closer to the goal of finding, controlling, and removing anything that could pose a food risk.
The 7 steps of HACCP
- Identify hazards
Take note of all the risk factors in the area that could prove hazardous, whether it’s equipment, cooking methods, or customer-related. Sart thinking about ways to deal with the potential hazards. - Identify critical control points
Critical control points are moments in your processes where you have the most opportunity to keep something from becoming a hazard. This is something concrete and measurable, like a temperature, pH, or weight. - Establish critical limits
A critical limit is the minimum or maximum amount of whatever is being measured that would prevent a hazard at the critical control point. This is also objectively measured. - Monitor the CCP
You need to figure out how and how often you will monitor the critical control point so that hazards do not develop. Also assign someone to perform this monitoring. - Corrective action
Decide how you will fix hazards that occur. That way you’re prepared in the event of an incident. - Verification
Audit your processes, review your documents, and test all your equipment to make sure it functions properly. - Record-keeping
Maintaining consistent and accurate records is vital to any HACCP plan. That’s how you’ll be able to see if the system is working.
What is HACCP for?
HACCP is used in restaurants and similar food companies to ensure that there is no illness spreading through the food. Fewer spoiled or unusable food items means lower costs and a better relationship with your customers. It also makes your employees more aware of their work.
