• focuses on keeping food in proper time and temperature zones and free of contamination
• identifies and controls potential problems in food handling before they can occur
• evaluates and monitors each step in the entire food preparation process
• works daily to provide feedback
• eliminates or reduces risk of food borne illness

Step 1: Determine

• Hazards
• Risks
• Flow of food
• Type of customers
• Type of food
• Suppliers
• Size & type of operation

Step 2: Identify CCPs

• A CCP is a critical control point. It is a practice, preparation step, or procedure where a preventive measure or control can be applied.
• A CCP would:
• • prevent, eliminate, remove, reduce a hazard.
    For example: a chicken arrives with salmonella. Cooking the chicken to an internal temperature of 170°F is a measured CCP.
  • focus on time & temperature (biological)
  • provide standard operating procedures (SOP)

Step 3: Procedures and Limits

• Critical limits must be set for each CCP
• Limits include:
  Time, temperature, ph (acidity) and other hazardous food safety requirements
• Procedures should be clearly written and provide a simple direct action.
  Example: Check temperature. Must be at 165°F or higher for at least 15 seconds.
  (Not cooked until done; it must be measurable)

Step 4: Monitoring CCPs

• Check (monitor) to see if limits are met
• Focus on time, temperature, ph, and water activity
• Decide if critical limits are being met. Specify:
• • What critical limits will be monitored
  • How they will be monitored
  • How often they will monitored
• Employees must be involved in the process and understand the CCPs.
• Record temperatures, cold, hot, cooking, chilling at each stage (HACCP plan)

Step 5: Take Corrective Action

• When a CCP is not being met, CORRECT IT IMMEDIATELY.
• Many actions are simple, such as:
• • continuing to heat or cook the item
  • reheat to 165°F for 15 seconds
  • change the ice bath
  • discard the item immediately
• Must have a measurable goal

Step 6: Recordkeeping

• A HACCP system requires the development and maintenance of a written HACCP plan.
• • Blank forms and clipboards in the work area
  • Notebooks to record the limits.
• Keep records to prove the system is working effectively
• Keep it simple

Step 7: Verification

• Proves the system is working (AUDIT)
• Re-evaluation should take place when:
• • product changes occur
  • new safety information is available
  • new items are added

Key Tools

• HACCAP records: temp logs, CCPs not met
• Employee feedback: recommendations
• Regulatory agency: test results from samples
• Repair bills or equipment invoices, audits

Challenges to HACCP

• HACCP system must be kept up-to-date.
• Make revisions when changes occur.
• A change may be needed when recipes, suppliers, storage, preparation, or equipment changes,
  or when corrective actions are not working.
• Employees need continuous training.