What does HACCP mean?
A. HACCP (pronounced has-sip) stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a system of process control that was developed by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration in preparation for space flight and has been adopted in many industries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sees the application of HACCP to the meat and poultry industry as a process control system that can be used to prevent hazards to the food supply and a tool in the control, reduction, and prevention of pathogens in meat and poultry. USDA views HACCP as one of the tools in its new regulatory approach to protect public health. Q. Why is USDA adopting this new regulatory approach? A. The 1993 outbreak of foodborne illness caused by the E. coli O157:H7 pathogen focused the attention of the public, the Congress, and USDA on the fact that the organoleptic system of meat and poultry inspection based on visible detection did not address the major cause of foodborne illness, which is invisible
