Seven principles of HACCP

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Seven principles of haccp is a term, which refers to the food production safety system. The acronym HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. This food industry management tool consists of preventive procedures used throughout the entire process of food production to ensure safety to all potential consumers.

About HACCP

Generally, the procedure of HACCP was developed to minimize the risk of occurrence of factors, which could endanger consumers health or life, during the production process. The specificity of food production requires producers to maintain extraordinary safety standards and this is the main reason why it was necessary to develop generally respected principles. The concept of HACCP appeared in public in 1971 at the conference dedicated to the problem of national food protection in USA. What is interesting, this system can be implemented not only by large companies, but also smaller enterprises (SMEs). There is also no limit to the type of food production, because it is rather a universal procedure. However, according to the researchers, the highest risk of irregularities occurs in the production of heat processed foods which are usually consumed without additional cooking before consumption, what is particularly common for the fish industry (Kirby R. 1994, p. 230).

It should be also noticed, that HACCP system provides protection of food production against chemical, biological and physical factors. This is particularly important due to the fact that the quality of food affects people's health. Moreover, nutritional awareness of consumers is increasing and they pay more attention to the production process, especially to issues related to the usage of hormones, antibiotics, pesticide residues, GMO and nitrates. Therefore, the HACCP procedure also serves to increase consumers' confidence. It includes all production stages (even storage), so that corrective solutions can be implemented immediately and this approach supports the efficiency of production (Baptista-Teixeira R., Oliveira-Matias J. C., Pombo-Marques N. R., Proença-Brojo F. M. 2012, pp. 215-216).

Seven principles

As it has been already mentioned, the HACCP system consists of following seven principles (Baptista-Teixeira R., Oliveira-Matias J. C., Pombo-Marques N. R., Proença-Brojo F. M. 2012, p. 216):

  1. Hazard analysis - identifying potential hadards at each stage of production;
  2. Identification of the critical control points (CCPS) - a crucial phase, because further steps depend on this issue;
  3. Establishment of critical limits - it affects the consistency of safety analysis;
  4. Monitoring - at this point it is assessed if CCP is adequately monitored;
  5. Correction - every detected deviation in CCP monitoring should be corrected immediately;
  6. Verification - measuring the effectiveness of the HACCP plan, based on recording and archiving systems;
  7. Documentation - it refers to the documentation storage procedure of the HACCP plan;

However, additional factors are necessary to make these principles work, especially these related to the human resources. First of all, qualified management staff, who have specialist knowledge of production risks, are required. Moreover, the senior management should be supportive for the implementation of these principles and participate in this process. In general, it requires the involvement of all company employees who should be aware of the importance of the products quality. There is also a necessity to check suppliers carefully before cooperation. It should be noticed that sometimes technical barriers hinder the process of HACCP implementation (Kirby R. 1994, p. 231).

Advantages of Seven principles of HACCP

The Seven Principles of HACCP are a set of guidelines that have been developed to ensure food safety and quality across the entire food supply chain. These principles provide a framework on which food safety management systems are built and provide the basis for food safety programs. The seven key principles of HACCP are:

  • Principle 1: Hazard Analysis: Establish the hazards that need to be controlled and determine the measures that can be taken to control them.
  • Principle 2: Critical Control Points: Determine critical control points (CCPs) at which control can be applied and develop procedures for monitoring and controlling them.
  • Principle 3: Monitoring Procedures: Establish monitoring procedures to verify that the CCPs are under control.
  • Principle 4: Corrective Actions: Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates that a CCP is not under control.
  • Principle 5: Verification: Establish verification procedures to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively.
  • Principle 6: Record-Keeping: Establish record-keeping procedures to document the HACCP system.
  • Principle 7: Validation: Establish procedures to evaluate and validate the HACCP system.

The advantages of the Seven Principles of HACCP include the development of a preventative system to ensure food safety and quality, the use of a systematic approach to identify and control food safety hazards, the ability to track and document the effectiveness of the system, and the provision of a framework to ensure food safety control throughout the entire food supply chain.

Limitations of Seven principles of HACCP

The seven principles of HACCP are a set of guidelines for food safety and quality assurance. While the principles are effective in limiting contamination and food-borne illnesses, there are several limitations to their application. These include:

  • The principles do not account for all potential hazards, such as chemical and physical contaminants.
  • The principles are not comprehensive enough to cover every step of the food production process.
  • The principles require monitoring and documentation of the food production process, which can be time-consuming and costly.
  • The principles do not directly address environmental contamination or the potential for cross-contamination.
  • The principles do not take into consideration the potential risks posed by allergens in food production.
  • The principles do not guarantee the safety of the final product and must be supplemented by other food safety measures.
  • The principles can be difficult to implement in practice and require training and dedication to maintain.

Other approaches related to Seven principles of HACCP

One of the other approaches related to Seven Principles of HACCP is Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC). This approach is based on identifying hazards associated with food production and following preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of these hazards occurring. These preventive measures include, but are not limited to, process and product design, sanitation, maintenance, and verification of the effectiveness of the control measures.

  • Verification and Validation - This approach involves the testing and monitoring of the preventive controls to ensure that they are effective in reducing or eliminating the identified hazards. This is typically done through physical, chemical, and biological testing, as well as observation of the production process.
  • Traceability - This approach involves tracking the flow of ingredients and products throughout the production process. This helps to ensure that any identified hazards can be quickly traced back to their source.
  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) - This approach involves the implementation of proper hygiene practices, maintenance, and sanitation of food production facilities. This is done to control the physical, chemical, and biological hazards that can occur in the production process.
  • Risk Assessment - This approach involves the identification and evaluation of potential hazards associated with food production. This is done to determine the likelihood and potential severity of the hazard occurring.

In summary, Seven Principles of HACCP is a food safety system that focuses on preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of food-borne hazards occurring in the production process. Other approaches related to HACCP include verification and validation, traceability, good manufacturing practices, and risk assessment. Each of these approaches helps to ensure the safety of food production.


Seven principles of HACCP — recommended articles
Critical limit — HACCP system — COSHH assessment — System safety — Failure Mode and Effects Analysis — Quality control — Control plan — Maintenance strategy — Autonomous maintenance

References

Author: Agnieszka Wierzba

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