QandAs: Food

What is HACCP?

Answer:
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points.

It is a management system in which food and pharmaceutical safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from production of raw materials, through procurement and handling, manufacturing, distribution and ultimately, consumption of the finished product. Its emphasis is on prevention, rather than inspection of finished products.

HACCP is used to identify potential food safety hazards, so that the necessary actions, known as Critical Control Points (CCPs) can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of these hazards being realized. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) use mandatory HACCP programs for juice and meat, which they claim are an effective approach to food safety and protecting public health. The USDA regulates meat HACCP systems, while seafood and juice are regulated by the FDA. At the time of writing, the use of HACCP is voluntary in other food industries.

An important precursor to HACCP was production process monitoring developed during World War II to resolve questions of quality control; traditional testing at the end of processing was not an efficient way to ferret out artillery shells that would not explode when needed. HACCP itself was conceived of in the 1960s when Pillsbury designed and manufactured the first foods for NASA space flights. Since then, HACCP has been recognized internationally as a logical way to adapt traditional inspection methods to a modern, science-based, food safety system. Based on risk-assessment, HACCP plans allow industry and government agencies alike to allocate resources efficiently in setting up and auditing safe food production practices. In 1994, the organization of International HACCP Alliance was established for the US meat and poultry industries to assist them with implementing HACCP; its membership has now spread to other professional and industrial areas as well, such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.