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Babcock International Group

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)

& Food Safety Management

Maintaining Food Safety

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The principles of HACCP were developed in the 1960s by NASA to reduce the risk of food poisoning to astronauts.

Food businesses have a legal obligation under the Food Safety Regulations 1995 to ensure that all potential hazards and risks involved in handling food are identified and dealt with.

HACCP (pronounced “hassup”) is a food safety management system, which identifies and controls food safety hazards at points which are critical to keeping food safe. The HACCP system can be split into SEVEN basic stages:

To help understand HACCP it is important to understand what the terms involved mean.

Identify the most important points where things can go wrong (the Critical Control Points - CCPs)1

Identify what could go wrong (the hazards)2

Set Critical Limits at each CCP (e.g, cooking temperature, time)3

Set up checks at CCPs to prevent any problems occurring (monitoring)4

Decide what to do if something goes wrong (corrective action)5

Prove that your HACCP system is working (verification)6

Keep records of all the above and training records (documentation)7

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Hazards - a potential to cause harm

A hazard is anything that may cause harm including illness and injury to people. There are 3 main hazard groups:

1. Microbiological hazard - this is probably the most common hazard, contamination with food poisoning bacteria or viruses.

2. Physical hazard - the presence of a foreign body such as glass, screws, nails, hair, bones etc.

3. Chemical hazard - the presence of toxic chemicals such as cleaning chemicals, pesticides, veterinary residue etc. remember to consider foods or ingredients to which people may be allergic e.g. nuts/shellfish.

Hazards can also include:

• Food that is dangerously hot, for example boiling tea/coffee, a freshly baked jam tart.

• The multiplication of food poisoning bacteria and the survival of bacteria due to, for example inadequate cooking/holding times and temperatures, inadequate cleaning and disinfectant, poor personal hygiene standards.

A critical control point (CCP) is where a particular step, such as refrigeration or thorough cooking, must be carried out to make sure that the hazard is removed or reduced to a safe level. For example:

• Cooking roast beef thoroughly to destroy bacteria.

• Refrigerating roast beef to reduce bacterial growth.

• Handling roast beef carefully to avoid cross contamination.

Critical limits are values which are set for control measures to ensure that food is safe.

You must set a critical limit at each critical point, for example:

• A minimum cooking temperature/time (core temperature of 75˚C for 2 mins).

• A maximum fridge temperature (food is safe by law at a temperature of 8˚C).

The step is not critical if another step later on in the process will remove or reduce the hazard to a safe level. For example:

• Refrigerating raw meat which is to be thoroughly cooked would not be critical as the cooking process should destroy any bacteria that may be present.

• However, it is good practice to refrigerate raw meat to reduce the chance of bacterial growth. These steps are known as control points.

A critical control point (CCP) is where a particular step (refrigeration or thorough cooking), must be carried out to remove or reduce a hazard.

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How to control and monitor

The controls are what you must do to prevent problems occurring, for example:

• Keep high risk food at or below 5˚C during delivery and storage.

• Cook raw food until the core temperature reaches 75˚C.

• Prepare high risk food on separate work surfaces from raw food.

You can monitor these controls by making simple checks, for example:

• Check the temperature of high risk food on delivery and in your own fridges.

• Check the core temperature of high risk food with a probe thermometer to make sure that it is thoroughly cooked.

• Make sure that equipment is clean and that correct equipment is used when handling high risk food (such as colour coded chopping boards and knives).

Ensure all staff are aware of control measures and the official critical limits set. If food hazards are not properly controlled then food poisoning and even death can occur.

Construct a flow diagram

A flow diagram is a clearly laid out sequence of the steps or operations involved with a particular food item or process, usually from purchase of raw materials to the consumption. This is a flow diagram for cooking a fresh turkey (to be eaten hot or cold).

Cool

Purchase

Transport

Deliver

Refrigerate

Prepare

Cook

Prepare & Slice Refrigerate Reheat

Consume

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Most flow diagrams are written by the manager, it is important to make sure that the flow diagram accurately represents what is happening in practice.

Over a period of time it is possible that some of the steps in the process have been left out or substituted with other procedures. In catering in particular, different chefs may produce a dish in various ways, which may have a big impact on HACCP and must be represented by modified flow diagrams.

Once it has been confirmed that the flow charts are accurate, you are ready to start the hazard analysis.

The following are all methods of monitoring that may be used.

Smell/Touch and Sight Audit/Observations

Checking RecordsMeasuring Temperatures,

Time and Weight etc.

Methods of Monitoring

Monitoring systems should state:

WHAT the critical limits and target levels are.HOW the monitoring should be done.WHERE the monitoring should be done.WHEN the monitoring should be done.WHO is responsible for the monitoring.

Example checking in delivery of frozen foods:

WHAT the critical limit is - never accept delivery above -12ºC, that are thawed or partly thawed.HOW to monitor by checking temperature of goods with a probe and by looking at and touching packaging.WHERE in the delivery area.WHEN on delivery, before accepting and signing delivery note.WHO the member of staff trained to check in deliveries.

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Corrective action

Corrective action is the action that is taken when a critical limit is breached. It involves two definite points:

1. Dealing with the affected product.

2. Bringing the critical control point and process back under control.

Example corrective action for delivery of frozen foods at -12ºC:

3. Refuse delivery, return goods to supplier, complete returns form stating reasons for rejection.

4. Report to manager who will contact supplier, may revisit/audit supplier premises, change supplier.

How to verify the HACCP System

This is about proving that what you are doing is working. It includes providing evidence that your analysis of the hazards is correct and the checks that you make at the critical control points are effective. You should:

• Inspect your own premises and staff practices.

• Examine records and documents kept by your staff.

• Check thermometer calibration records.

You rely on:

• Reading display gauges on equipment (fridges, hot plates etc.), these should be cross checked using your probe thermometer and recording food temperatures.

• A time/temperature combination for cooking, this should be cross checked regularly by using your temperature probe and recording food temperatures.

If checks show that something is wrong, corrective action must be taken. You must immediately deal with the problem and make sure food which could be unsafe is not sold to your customers.

A number of the principles of HACCP should already be in place if the business is complying with food safety legislation for example:

• Pest control company• Waste disposal management• Cleaning schedules• Staff hygiene/training

• Using approved suppliers

Good hygiene practices should prevent the majority of physical or chemical contaminates that could occur in catering operations.

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Record keeping

Records are written evidence documenting a process that has taken place and should be available for inspection whenever required.

• Records must be available when requested by your Environmental Health Officer.

• Records demonstrate that you have done everything to ensure food safety and are invaluable for providing a due diligence defence.

• Regular recording helps to check whether the system is successfully working.

Some records involved with HACCP:

• Approved supplier lists.

• Flow diagrams for each operation.

• Pest management system (reports from each visit from pest control company).

• Waste management system.

• Staff hygiene training records.

• Cleaning schedules and check.

• Temperature check lists (fridges, freezers, hot plates, cooking/serving temps).

• Delivery check sheets.

All collected data should be stored in a dedicated manual or data system.

How to carry out a review

Reviews must be carried out regularly. It is recommended that you do this at least once a year. A review involves thinking again about the hazards, critical points, controls and checks, especially when the food business operations change. Examples of changes that may affect your operations include:

• A new product or change of recipe.

• Changes in the structure or layout of the premises.

• New equipment (blast chill, cooking equipment).

• If new information becomes available on hazards or risks.

If changes are small, a simple review may be adequate to make sure that current procedures are still valid.

It is recommended that you keep records for at least 12 months, however some companies recommend a longer period.

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What are high risk foods?

High risk foods are those on which bacteria grow easily. They are ready to eat or will only receive light cooking which will not destroy any bacteria that may be present. High risk foods include:

• Cooked meats and poultry, such as prepared meals, pies, pates and any dishes made with meat, poultry, gravy or stock.

• Cooked, smoked or cured fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout, haddock and kippers.

• Shellfish, such as raw or lightly cooked oysters and cockles, cooked prawns and crab.

• Dairy products and dishes made with cheese, egg or milk. Includes quiche, custard, dairy based desserts and lightly cooked or raw egg products, such as mousse and Hollandaise sauce.

• Soft cheese and mould ripened cheese, such as Brie, Stilton, Danish Blue and Camembert.

• Any ready to eat food, such as prepared salads (e.g. potato salad, coleslaw) and sandwiches containing any of the above.

• Cooked rice.

• Dishes containing raw or lightly cooked meat, fish or egg.

Quick Quiz (tick your answer)

Which of the following documents are included in a food safety system?

Supplier order forms

Staff time sheets

Temperature monitoring sheets

What is a critical control point?

A potential to cause harm:

A step in the process that will reduce the hazard to an acceptable level

The precaution to reduce hazard and risk

Who should you report food safety hazards to?

The Environmental Health Officer

The Health and Safety Officer

The manager/supervisor/chef

Continue overleaf

© Babcock Skills and Learning

Maintaining Food Safety Support Booklet R#### v6 17.10.2014

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Quick Quiz (tick your answer)The definition of a hazard is:

Anything that may cause injury

Anything that may cause an accident

Anything that may cause harm

HACCP Exercise

The following is a production plan for chicken portions that are going to be used in a salad. Show where you think the Critical Control Points are. Write CCP next to the process if you think that it is a Critical Control Point).

StorageRaw chicken must be covered and stored at the correct temperature, bottom shelf of the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.

PreparationRemove chicken from the refrigerator, wash thoroughly and place on a clean baking sheet.

CoolingReduce temperature quickly, keeping food covered. This must take no more than 90 minutes.

CookingCook in a pre-heated oven to a core temperature of 75ºC for 2 minutes. Check with a clean, disinfected temperature probe.

StorageStore in a covered container in a refrigerator at correct temperature (no more than 5 ºC). Use within 48 hours.

ServiceRemove from refrigerator just before service using clean, disinfected utensils. Display on cold, clean service dish.

DisplayDisplay for no more than 2 hours. After 2 hours the product must be consumed or destroyed.

PurchaseIf the chicken portion is purchased raw, then provided that it is delivered under correct temperature control, the amount of bacterial infection is not important. However the product must be checked for physical contaminants. Be sure that you use an approved supplier.