HACCP

Hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP)... 

HACCP Principles. The National Advisory committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods estabhshed seven principles for the HACCP system (36). 

Establish Verification Procedures. Verification can be performed independently by the manufacturer and the regulatory agency to determine that the HACCP system within the plant is in compliance with the HACCP plan as designed. 

Example of an HACCP System. The HACCP system can be used to ensure production of a safe cooked, sHced turkey breast with gravy, which has been vacuum packaged in a flexible plastic pouch and subjected to a final heat treatment prior to distribution (37). Raw turkey breasts are trimmed, then injected with a solution containing sodium chloride and sodium phosphate. Next, the meat is placed into a tumbler. After tumbling, the meat is stuffed into a casing, placed onto racks, and moved into a cook tank, where it is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 71.1°C (160°F). After... 

While quality was formerly achieved by inspection of final products, it is accomplished now by prevention through controlling critical steps in the production processes along the agri-food chain. Hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) represent a typical example of such a preventive approach. Although this concept was developed primarily to assure food safety, the basic principle is also applicable to assuring non-safety quality attributes such as color, flavor, and nutritional value. " This section translates the HACCP principles into a critical quality control point (CQP) concept that can be part of a system to assure food quality. 

The concept of risk assessment requires a profound understanding of food dynamics and technological conditions that may impact the risk levels of certain hazardous compounds. It requires that scientific information and data are collected to underpin conclusions about risk levels. Risk assessment can be used to scientifically underpin the selection of hazards that must be covered by a quality or safety assurance system (e.g., HACCP) that will improve the reliability of the system. 

Ropkins, K. and Beck, A.J., Evaluation of worldwide approaches to the use of HACCP to control food safety. Trends Food Sci. TechnoL, 11, 10, 2000. 

Peters, R.E., The broader apphcation of HACCP concepts to food qnahty in Anstralia, Food Control, 9, 83, 1998. 

Wyss G (2005). Assessing the risk from mycotoxins for the organic food chain results from Organic HACCP-project and other research . In, Hovi M, Walkenhorst M and Padel S, Systems development Quality and Safety. University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK, 133-136. 

The issue of anthelmintic use in poultry production is covered in Chapter 12 and quality assurance systems based on hazard analysis by critical control point (HACCP) systems are described in detail by van Elzakker et al. (2004) and in Chapters 22 and 23 and are therefore not addressed here. 

The trend towards larger flock sizes, while often perceived as undesirable from an animal welfare point of view, coincided with more professional practices being introduced into the organic poultry industry, especially with respect to food safety and HACCP based quality assurance systems. However, it did result in a decrease in time spent on individual animals and their welfare. 

Frank M (1999), Mycotoxin prevention and decontamination. HACCP and its mycotoxin control potential an evaluation of ochratoxin A in coffee production , Third Joint FAO/WFIO/UNEP International Conference on Mycotoxins, Tunis, Tunisia, 3-3-0099. 

HACCP-based systems for integrated control of pathogen transfer into organic food supply chains... 

To improve the ability to establish best practice with respect to manure use and prevention of pathogen transfer (especially on farms which are converting to organic farm management), a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP)-based quality assurance system has been proposed (Haward and Leifert, 1999). This proposed four main critical control points (CCPs) (see Table 19.4). 

Table 19.4 Critical control points for HACCP-based minimisation of pathogen transfer risk associated with the use of manure-based fertilisers (Haward and Leifert, 1999)...

Knight, C and Stanley, R (2000). HACCP in Agriculture and Horticulture (second edition), Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association Group, Chipping Campden. 

CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) (2005). Food Safety Enhancement Program FIACCP Curriculum Guidelines, www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/polstrat/haccp/ manue/tablee.shtml. Accessed February 20, 2007. 

Integration of quality parameters into food safety focused HACCP systems... 

The text summarises the activities and outcome of the Organic HACCP project (www.organichaccp.org) that was completed in 2005, how a database of critical control points (CCPs) was developed for some representative supply chains and how this was used to define a set of recommendations that were then developed into leaflets with advice to producers, processors, retailers or consumers, respectively. The chapter will thus explain how companies at every step of the production chain can utilise the concepts to improve customer satisfaction in a cost-effective manner. Finally, it will describe an example of implementation in a group of collaborating companies and suggest where additional activities are needed in order to develop the concept further. 

HACCP is one of the minimum standards that is often required in a food processing enterprise to ensure that products do not contain harmful levels of biological, physical or chemical hazards such as pathogenic microorganisms or toxins. The overall idea of HACCP is to identify specific CCPs, which are those steps in the production process where the safety of the final product can be controlled most efficiently, and then define systematic procedures for monitoring and corrective action, to ensure that the risk is controlled at each... 

The production steps covered by the HACCP plan are described systematically in the form of a flow diagram. All hazards that may jeopardise the safety of the food are listed and it is decided which ones should be included in the analysis. 

Principle 6 Establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively... 

This part of the HACCP plan describes how to verify that the checks are done correctly and that assumptions are met, for example, if an incident has occurred where the critical limits have been exceeded, as well as procedures for handling changes to the product or the process. Another type of verification involves unannounced inspections by independent auditors, which is a requirement for certified schemes. 

How identification of quality-focused CCPs in organic food production chains was carried out in the Organic HACCP project... 

---