What Does HACCP Mean to the Consumer in the Home?
Recent surveys show that consumers are more aware these days of food safety issues. According to Bessie Berry, Manager of USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, “A recent Associated Press poll revealed that 89% of those surveyed said they follow the safety handling instructions on raw meat and poultry products. The safe handling instructions are really part of a HACCP approach which starts in the store and continues in the home.” But do consumers really understand what hazards and critical control points are? As in the meat and poultry plants, potential hazards in the home can be divided into three categories: • biological (bacteria); • chemical (cleaning agents); and • physical (equipment). This focus will be on the biological hazards, or foodborne bacteria, which can lead to illness if the food is mishandled, particularly for those more at risk — the very young, the elderly and the immuno-compromised. Certain processes or handling practices by consumers in the home have been identified as
