HACCP LEC1

Module Learning Outcomes

• State the principles of HACCP as part of GMP in the food industry
• Identify relevant elements of a HACCP program
• Identify regulatory agencies and requirements for a HACCP program
• Evaluate and audit a HACCP system
• Design protocols/procedures food hygiene and contamination controls in a food production facility and the levels of controls required
• Design and recommend a documented HACCP system using appropriate control measures at identified critical control points
• Identify and prescribe corrective actions for failures at identified critical control points

After Lecture 1

• Understand the legal framework and best practice for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) based food safety management systems
• Understand the functions of the HACCP Food Safety Team
• Understand the importance of production description and product intended use in the design of a HACCP system
• Understand the importance of and how to design a pre-requisite program for a HACCP system
• Be able to draw up a process flow diagram for a simple food production process
• Understand the principles of hazard analysis and how to carry out this analysis on a simple food process
• Understand the process for identifying critical control points in a food process
• Understand the importance of critical limits in a food safety Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system
• Understand the need for a monitoring program at critical limits
• Understand the corrective actions plans in a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system
• Understand the need for and mechanisms to carry out verification of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) including internal auditing
• Understand documentation and record keeping needs in a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system
• Understand the need for ongoing review of a food company's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system

Assessment of the Course

• Continuous Assessment accounts for 40% of overall marks, taking place online on 06/3/2025
• The final exam in May 2025 is worth the remaining 60%
• A minimum of 30% must be achieved in both the final exam and in the continuous assessment overall
• The pass grade is 40% overall

Background to HACCP

• HACCP development began in 1958 with concept discussions at NASA
• In 1959, the HACCP concept was developed to assure 100% food safety for space use
• In 1971, it was published and documented in the USA
• In 1985, the National Academy of Science (NAS) recommended the use of the system
• Worldwide, the system became used and the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius cited it

What HACCP means

• Hazard
• Analysis
• Critical
• Control
• Point

What is Hazard Analysis?

• The Food Safety of Authority of Ireland defines this as procedure for looking at a specific food process
• It identifies all hazards and decides which are significant to food safety to include in a HACCP plan
• Cross-contamination of cooked chicken breast with Campylobacter from raw chicken due to poor hygiene is an example

Critical Control Point

• The Food Safety Authority of Ireland defines critical control point as a step in which control can be applied
• It is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level
• An example is thoroughly cooking raw chicken to 75°C, or 70°C for two minutes
• It is usually the last step in the process where control can be applied

Legislative Basis for HACCP in the Food Industry

• Article 4 of EC Directive 852/2004 covers hygiene of foodstuffs. It mandates food business operators to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles
• HACCP principles include identifying any hazards that must be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable levels (Hazard Analysis), and identifying the critical control points at steps where control is essential to prevent or reduce a hazard (Critical Control Point)
• Establishing critical limits at critical control points separate acceptability from unacceptability
• Establishing and implement effective monitoring procedures at critical control points is essential
• Establishing corrective actions when monitoring indicates a critical control point is not under control is also essential
• Establish procedures to verify that measures are working effectively, such as internal audits
• Establish documents and records commensurate with demonstrating the effective application of measures
• Food business operators must review the procedure and make necessary changes when modifications are made to the product, process, or any production step
• Paragraph 1 only applies to food business operators doing any stage of production, processing and distribution of food after primary production and those associated operations listed in Annex I (Not primary agriculture)
• Food business operators must provide the competent authority with evidence of compliance with paragraph 1
• Business operators must ensure all documents describing procedures are up-to-date, and retain all documents and records for an appropriate period
• A legal food safety record must be dated, timed, record the actual reading taken, be signed by the person taking the reading, and be ideally verified by someone in a senior/management role
• Documents describing procedures must be up to date (Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs)

Good Manufacturing Basis for HACCP

• BRC Global Food Safety Standard Issue 9 - Section 2 HACCP - Fundamental Clause
• Statement of intent: the company must have a fully implemented and effective food safety plan based on Codex Alimentarius HACCP principles

Developing a HACCP Plan - The HACCP Team

• Clause 2.1.1 states the team must be multi-disciplinary team, Aligned with Codex Alimentarius Step 1
• The plan must be managed by a multi-disciplinary food safety team
• Include those responsible for quality/technical, production operations, and other relevant functions, like engineering and hygiene
• Team leader should have in-depth knowledge of HACCP and be able to demonstrate competence and experience
• Team members must have specific knowledge of HACCP and relevant knowledge of product, process and associated hazards
• The team leader (normally Technical/QA Manager) manages the team, understands food safety risks, CCP identification, and technical and legal requirements
• Team leaders also organise the HACCP meetings and reviews and ensures the HACCP team are kept up to date with a relevant legal or technical changes
• The Production representative is the process expert and is responsible for the day to day functioning of the HACCP system on the factory floor
• Best practice is that the production representative verifies the accuracy of the Process Flow Diagram
• The Engineering representative is the equipment and process expert who contributes significantly to food safety risk (physical and chemical) during Hazard Analysis
• The engineering representative also ensures integrity of the process equipment, preventative maintenance systems and are involved in the introduction of new equipment
• The New Product Development (NPD) representative will inform the team of new product development projects, the introduction of suppliers, or potential introduction of new allergens causing risks
• The presence of the NPD personnel should make the team more proactive and less reactive to changes

HACCP Plan - The Scope

• According to Clause 2.1.2 - the scope of each HACCP or food safety plan including the products and processes covered must defined.
• The scope should describe all products and processes to be included
• Where the product-range is similar, it may be possible to incorporate all the products and processes into one HACCP
• It is likely that the business site will need to use more than one plan if there is a range of different product or processes with different hazards.
• These plans are not prescribed by the Standard, formats are acceptable as along as scope for each is clear and defined
• Product based
• Product Family Based
• Process Based
• Key process with supporting subprocesses

Pre-requisite Programme

• According to Clause 2.2.1, the business Site shall establish and maintain environmental and operational programmes to create an environment to produce safe and legal food products (prerequisite programmes).

Includes:

• Cleaning and disinfection
• Pest Management
• Maintenance programmes for equipment and buildings
• Personal hygiene requirements
• Staff Training
• Supplier approval and purchasing
• Transportation arrangements
• Processes to prevent cross-contamination
• Allergen Management
• Of the Site, shall take into account the production
• Risk zoning. The control measures and monitoring procedures for the prerequisite programmes must be clearly documented and included within the reviews of the HACCP or food safety plan

Interpretation

• Prerequisites are the basic environmental and production conditions necessary for safe food manufacturing and generic hazard control
• Prerequisites are usually covered by day-to-day activities like GMP or hygiene practices, it is vital that they effectively work and the standards are correct
• Prerequisite program needs to provide a solid base on which the HACCP can be developed
• The company relies on prerequisite activities to mitigate identified hazards and deliver safe product
• There should be a whole work-stream behind each identified prerequisite to ensure that the relevant activity, policies are in place, that they are working and continue to deliver the level of control required
• It is not requirement that documented validation of every prerequisite is undertaken
• Validate/validate where prerequisite program manages at a specific hazard
• Sites compliant US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) must ensure preventive controls are subject to validation and verification with effective management
• Good practice is to review the prerequisite programs and their management where the frequency of the review is risk based

Describe the Product

• Aligned with Codex Alimentarius Step 2
• Clause 2.3.1 A full description for each product or a group of products shall be developed includes food safety, the following is an non exhaustive list:
• Composition(raw materials, ingredients, allergens, recipe)
• Origin
• Physical or chemical properties that impact food safety (pH, water activity)
• Treatment and processing (cooling, cooking)
• Packaging (modified atmosphere, vacuum)
• Storage/distribution (ambient, chilled)
• Shelf life during storage/usage conditions
• A full description ensure all aspect affect food safety is considered, gives on what's to be considered
• Product groups used where products are similar(pack sizes), where products a different(coated, non-coated meat)are manufactured, must be treated as seperate groups

HACCP or Food Safety Plan

• Clause 2.3.2 - All information to conduct the hazard analysis, maintained, documented and updated
• All information to conduct the food safety plan, maintained ,documented updated ensures if if based comprehensive information sources(request to reference guide exhaust list
• Guide includes*
• Latest science literature
• historical with hazards and specific food products
• codes or practice-recognised guidelines
• Safety legislation for production and sale of products
• customer requirements
• existing HACCP plans for products already with site production
• map of the the premises and equipment layout
• zoning and other production facitilites
• Up date information are to account for the HACCP or food safety Plan to must be maintained
• Information is given from organisation(Campden BRI, Leatherhead etc) this is to be available

Identify Intended Use

• Considers alimentarius step 3 Clause 2.4.1, intended product customer used any alternative used shall be described suitability population of population, elderly/ allergy suffers •The HACCP document needs consider, needs documents how to document it and for the customer • Target population does it include • handling prepare

Construction of Process Flow Diagram

• Aligned to Codex Alimentarius Step 4
• A flow diagram must be prepared to cover each product, product category, the HACCP safety plan scope, from raw material receipts through processing, Storage and distribution, and include: -Premises with layout equipment -Raw Material utilities and contact Material(Water/ packaging etc) -Sequence and interaction of processing steps -Outsources processes and subcontract work -Potential for process delay -Rework recycling/low-risk/high-care segregation -Finished products, intermediate etc waste
• Raw to make it clear what Material is stored with in the production area, Sequence action between each steps, outsource processes etc
• Finished products the waste, with has an effective control system also dates

Verify Process Flow Diagram

• Aligned with Codex Alimentarius Step 5
• HACCP must make sure verify flow diagrams has on-site audit with process of a Physical work though
• Completed report any to to to confirm accuracy by the document
• Verification must has changed verification the plant activity to daily to season the to for information to and to ensure a proper check for correct information with diagram

Important of good Record

• Keep a correct Record of activity a with record include • Date and time was verified • The correct product was • Any document • A the is to to what done correctly verified

Hazard analysis

• Aligned to the Codex Alimentarius Step 6, step 1
• Hazards list Conduct identified •HACCP to be able to have a with is prevent those to include as Raw material •To a account processing to take also contamination

List Potential of the Hazard To consider

• Specific micro organisums Veterinary etc chemical to clean chemicals • specific is the allergens fraud • Is the Hazard to to of concern Vulnerable is survival

Control of The The has validated, To should use To for control

• All codes and practice
• Should have is is of material with code product is or should the the code verified

Determination of CCPS - The control must the it has is To for the document tree

• There not it has a code the document code

Determination of Critical Limits FOR CCPs - The appropritate codes with it done To for