Hazard Analyses and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept is a systematic, science based process control system for food safety. This concept forms the basic structure of a preventative system for the safe production of meat products. Note that the key to this system is that it is a preventative approach to producing the safest possible meat products for human consumption. This means that potential biological, physical or chemical food safety hazards, whether they naturally occur in food, are contributed by the environment, or are generated by a deviation in the production process, are prevented, eliminated or reduced to produce safe meat products.
Principles of HACCP
It is important to become familiar with the seven principles of HACCP:
- Conduct a hazard analysis. Using the flow diagram, which is a list of steps describing how a product is produced, identify where actual and potential hazards could occur.
- Identify critical control points (CCPs). CCPs are points at which controls can be put in place to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard.
- Establish critical limits for preventative measures associated with each identified CCP.
- Establish CCP monitoring requirements. Procedures should be established that use the results of monitoring to adjust the process and maintain control.
- Establish corrective actions. Corrective actions are implemented when monitoring indicates that deviations have occurred.
- Establish recordkeeping procedures for each CCP.
- Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working correctly.
These principles must be used to develop HACCP plans that address every product processed by a facility.
Course Overview
This HACCP Course has been purposely aligned with training curricula developed by FS Alliance specifically for food industry. The course material and content is tailored by the qualified trainer to best fit the training requirements of the group being trained.
- conduct monitoring of a CCP
- validate CCPs and critical limits
- record and analyse monitoring and verification data
- use relevant communication skills
- use communications technology including computers, as relevant to the task
- develop and implement changes in a HACCP-based QA system
- identify and apply relevant workplace health and safety, regulatory and workplace requirements
- objectives of a HACCP-based QA system
- conduct monitoring of a CCP
- validate CCPs and critical limits
- record and analyse monitoring and verification data
- use relevant communication skills
- use communications technology including computers, as relevant to the task
- develop and implement changes in a HACCP-based QA system
- identify and apply relevant workplace health and safety, regulatory and workplace requirements
Unit of Competency to completed in the short course: HACCP Principles and Applications – Meat
- AMPX420 Participate in the ongoing development and implementation of a HACCP and Quality Assurance system
AMPX420 Participate in the ongoing development and implementation of a HACCP and Quality Assurance system
Unit Descriptor
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop and manage a Hazard and Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based Quality Assurance (QA) program.
This unit is applicable to QA personnel and supervisors who are responsible for developing or implementing a HACCP-based QA system in a meat establishment.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace and regulatory requirements.
This unit applies to individuals who take responsibility for their own work and for the quality of others work within known parameters. They provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable and sometimes unpredictable problems.
The unit must be delivered and assessed in the context of Australian meat processing standards and regulations.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Unit Content
- Involve management and
staff in the developing quality system
- Involve relevant Staff members and managers in clarifying purpose and scope of program
- Establish the scope of
the system
- Define the scope of the HACCP-based quality system to encompass food safety, quality, regulatory compliance, animal welfare and preventative maintenance
- Set up the system to prevent and control food safety hazards and other hazards, including product quality and workplace health and safety hazards
- Seek consensus from relevant workplace areas on coverage and scope of system
- Conduct hazard analysis
and assessment
- Assess every step in the production process for potential food safety hazards
- Establish Critical Control Points (CCPs) to identify methods for preventing and controlling significant hazards
- Establish critical limits for each CCP
- Assign measurable or recognisable standards for each CCP to define the critical limits
- Technically and scientifically validate critical limits
- Ensure all documents,
work procedures and processes required for the system are developed, available
and in use
- Describe all products and processes covered by the HACCP-based quality system in a standardized format defining product characteristics relevant to food safety
- Review work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for accuracy, relevancy and sufficiency to prevent potential hazards
- Implement documented procedure for monitoring CCPs
- Implement documented procedures designed to ensure any CCPs which are out of control are brought back under control, and any affected products are suitably handled
- Implement documented procedures to ensure the whole HACCP system is regularly audited and verified as working effectively
- Ensure availability, currency and current usage of all documents and records required for system
- Audit, verify and
validate the system
- Routinely revise, verify and validate HACCP plan through reassessing hazards, CCPs, critical limits, testing methods, and all related HACCP system procedures, to ensure their ongoing relevancy to plant operations
- Take corrective action and record follow up on audit findings
- Review HACCP system to account for any process or product changes
For information on costings for the Short Course in: HACCP Principles and Applications (Meat Sector)
Please contact: FS Alliance on 07 5499 3388; or email: admin@fsalliance.edu.au