How Does HACCP Work?
Significant hazards for a particular food product are identified after a review of all the processing steps and use of scientific information. The steps at which these hazards can be controlled are identified, and critical limits, such as process temperatures and hold times, at key process steps are set. Monitoring procedures are implemented to evaluate conformance with these critical limits. Should the process fall outside these limits, pre-planned corrective actions are taken to prevent the potentially defective product from entering the commerce stream. In addition, the HACCP system relies on extensive verification and documentation to assure that food safety has not been compromised during any step. Thus, HACCP provides a structure for assessing risks or what could go wrong, and for putting the controls in place to minimize such risks.
