Temperature
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HACCP Compliance
WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO BEING HACCP COMPLIANT?
According to the FDA’s website, the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, or HACCP, “is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.
Introduced in the 1960’s, HACCP is now a standard preventative approach that all US manufacturers and producers must follow to avoid pathogens and costly foodborne illnesses. For a company looking to ensure they are compliant, there are several steps you must take to ensure your HACCP bases are covered.
HACCP is an effective and rational means of assuring food safety from harvest to consumption, but something that sounds simple is full of complex steps to ensure proper compliance with the act.
Before embarking on a compliance journey, ensure management is involved and onboard. For a successful HACCP program to be properly implemented, management must be committed to a HACCP approach. A commitment by management will indicate an awareness of the benefits and costs of HACCP and include education and training of employees. Benefits, in addition to enhanced assurance of food safety, are better use of resources and timely response to problems.
12 STEPS TO BEING HACCP COMPLIANT
Note: The following steps and explanations can be found in the FDA’s Guidelines for Application of HACCP Principles
- Step 1: Assemble the HACCP team
- Step 2: Describe the food and its distribution
- Step 3: Describe the intended use and consumers of the food
- Step 4: Develop a flow diagram which describes the process
- Step 5: Verify the flow diagram
- Step 6: Conduct a hazard analysis (Principle 1)
- Step 7: Determine critical control points (CCPs) (Principle 2)
- Step 8: Establish critical limits (Principle 3)
- Step 9: Establish monitoring procedures (Principle 4)
- Step 10: Establish corrective actions (Principle 5)
- Step 11: Establish verification procedures (Principle 6)
- Step 12: Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures (Principle 7)
WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO BEING HACCP COMPLIANT?
The NRDC estimates that up to 40% of the food produced in the US is eventually thrown out, costing an estimated $218 Billion each year. Most retailers believe the primary cause of fresh food waste is poor in-store handling. In fact, most of the factors leading to food waste happen upstream in the supply chain before product reaches the store. Meaning, if food companies spend more time evaluating their supply chain and ensuring proper storage and transportation, they could save the consumer and the environment the waste that comes from spoiled food.
Studies indicate that improper or inadequate temperature management – starting at harvest – is the primary contributor to early spoilage and food waste.
HERE’S HOW TEMPERATURE AFFECTS THE SHIPPING AND STORING OF FOOD
- Food freshness - Expiration dates vary when temperatures vary – causing spoiled food and unhappy consumers
- Consumer safety - When shipped or stored at the wrong temperatures, you have to worry about quality of taste but also consumer safety – Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone” in the food industry.
Investing in a temperature monitoring system will not only assure your shipments are fresh and safe, but it will also keep your company
HACCP compliant.
