Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
A brief history and explanation of HACCP
During World War II, production process monitoring was introduced to food safely, to replace inadequate end of the pipe testing that was incapable of weeding out unexploded artillery shells. The 1960s saw the conception of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), modernising risk assessment and food inspection methods in order to oversee Pillsbury’s design and manufacture of food for NASA’s space flights.
Since it was based in risk assessment, rather than stringent and sometimes inappropriate rules, HACCP allowed efficient allocation of resources with regards to establishing safe food production practises. Instead of writing a rule dictating that all food processing rooms required grated drains, for example; HACCP would advise that some form of drainage was required, meaning that food companies with alternative drains would not be forced spend their resources on unneeded grated drains.
Modern-day HACCP is a further adaption of these principles and guideless, allowing an approach to food safety that identifies risks and ensures that action is taken to minimise or remove these risks. It is still a preventative approach to food safety, rather than a set of rules or means of inspecting food safety standards. This approach allows the Food Hygiene legislation to be applicable across the European Union, without laying down strict guidelines which may not be appropriate for all food businesses.
The system is now used at every stage of the food production, preparation, processing, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, handling, packaging, storage, selling and supplying. The 2005 version of the legislation, which came into force in January 2006, is the first version to include primary food producers in the regulations. Since the Food Hygiene legislation applies to all food sold publically or privately, almost everybody within the food industry should be aware of HACCP, in order to ensure that they are aware of food safety hazards and the appropriate actions to take to these risks. It is the responsibility of the proprietors of food businesses to ensure that they and all their staff have adequate HACCP training – anybody that comes into contact with food must be trained to the appropriate level.
Training in HACCP and principles behind food hygiene is available online.
Next time: The Seven Principles of HACCP.
