HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a systematic preventative approach to food safety that involves identifying and controlling biological, chemical, and physical hazards. It includes conducting a hazard analysis, identifying critical control points, establishing critical limits, and implementing ongoing monitoring, corrective actions, and record keeping procedures. Prerequisite programs like facilities and equipment sanitation, supplier control, and employee hygiene must also be established as the foundation for an effective HACCP system. Implementing HACCP in India's food industry, especially the unorganized sector, faces challenges including lack of resources, infrastructure, and stakeholder coordination.

1. by
N.sugandhi

2.  HACCP: A systematic approach to the
identification, evaluation, and control of
food safety hazards.
 HACCP is a management system in which
food safety is addressed through the analysis
and control of biological, chemical and
physical hazards from raw material
production, procurement and handling, to
manufacturing, distribution and consumption
of the finished product

6.  The WHO defines prerequisite programs as
“practices and conditions needed prior to
and during the implementation of HACCP and
which are essential for food safety”.
 The production of safe food product requires
that the HACCP system be built upon a solid
foundation of prerequisite programs.
 These conditions and practices are now
considered to be prerequisite to the
development and implementation of
effective HACCP plans.

7.  Facilities.
 Supplier Control.
 Specifications.
 Production Equipment
 Cleaning and Sanitation.
 Personal Hygiene.
 Training.
 Chemical Control.
 Receiving, Storage and Shipping.
 Pest Control.

8.  The first task in developing a HACCP plan is to
assemble a HACCP team consisting of individuals
who have specific knowledge and expertise
appropriate to the product and process. It is the
team's responsibility to develop the HACCP plan.
 Team should be Multidisciplinary team and
include individual from areas (engineering,
production, sanitation, quality assurance, and
food microbiology)
 Need knowledgeable and experienced personnel
to:
 conduct a hazard analysis
 identify potential hazards
 identify hazards which must be controlled

9. o recommend controls, critical limits, and
procedures for monitoring and verification
o recommend appropriate corrective actions
when a deviation occurs
o recommend research related to the HACCP
plan if important information is not known
and
o validate the HACCP plan

10.  The HACCP team first describes the food.
This consists of a general description of the
food, ingredients, and processing methods
 Includes relevant safety information such as:
 composition,
 physical/chemical structure,
 microbial/static treatments (e.g. heat
treatment, freezing, burning, smoking, etc.),
 packaging,
 Durability,
 storage conditions, and
 Method of distribution.

11.  The intended use should be based on the
expected uses of the product by the end user
or consumer.
 The intended consumers may be the general
public or a particular segment of the
population e.g.:(infants,
immunocompromised
individuals, the elderly,
etc.)

12.  The purpose of a flow diagram is to provide a
clear, simple outline of the steps involved in
the process.
 The scope of the flow diagram must cover all
the steps in the process which are directly
under the control of the establishment.

13.  The HACCP team should perform an on-site
review of the operation to verify the
accuracy and completeness of the flow
diagram.
 Modifications should be made to the flow
diagram as necessary and documented.
[After these five preliminary
tasks have been completed,
the seven principles of
HACCP are applied]

14.  The purpose of the hazard analysis is to
develop a list of significant hazards that are
likely to cause injury or illness if not
effectively controlled
 Areas to be considered:
 Raw materials and ingredients
 Product formulation
 Processing conditions
 Packaging
 Storage and distribution
 Preparation and use
 Target groups

15.  CCP = a step at which control can be applied
and is essential to prevent, eliminate or
reduce a hazard
 The information from hazard analysis is
essential to identify which steps in the
process are CCPs
 CCP decision tree:
 Used after hazard analysis
 Used at the steps with identified significant
hazards

16.  A subsequent step may be more effective in
controlling a hazard and may be the
preferred CCP
 More than one steps in the process may be
involved in controlling a hazard
 More than one hazard may be controlled by a
specific control measure.

17.  Critical limit = a maximum and/or minimum
value to which a biological, chemical or
physical parameter must be controlled at a
CCP to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard
to an acceptable level
 A critical limit is used to distinguish between
safe and unsafe operating conditions at a
CCP.
 Critical limits may be based upon factors
such as:
 Temperature

18.  time,
 physical dimensions,
 humidity,
 moisture level,
 water activity (aw),
 pH,
 salt concentration,
 available chlorine,
 viscosity,
 preservatives,
 sensory information such as aroma and visual
appearance.

19.  Monitoring = a planned sequence of observations
or measurements to assess whether a CCP is
under control and to produce an accurate record
for future use in verification
 Purposes of monitoring:
 To facilitate tracking of the operation. If
monitoring indicates that there is a trend
towards loss of control, then action can be
taken to bring the process back into control
before a deviation from a critical limit occurs.

20.  To determine when there is loss of control
and a deviation occurs at a CCP, i.e.,
exceeding or not meeting a critical limit.
 To provide written documentation for use
in verification

21.  Corrective actions are necessary when there is a
deviation from established critical limits.
 An important purpose of corrective actions is to
prevent foods which may be hazardous from
reaching consumers.
 Corrective actions should include the following
elements:
 a) determine and correct the cause of non-
compliance;
 b) determine the disposition of non-compliant
product
 c) record the corrective actions that have been
taken.

22.  Verification = activities other than
monitoring, to determine if the HACCP
system is working correctly
 Examples of verification activities include:
 Review of the HACCP system and its records
 Review of deviations and product dispositions
 Confirmation that CCPs are kept under control
 Verification activities are carried out by
individuals within a company, third party
experts, and regulatory agencies.

23.  Generally, the records maintained for the
HACCP System should include the following:
 A summary of the hazard analysis, including the
rationale for determining hazards and control
measures.
 The HACCP Plan
 Listing of the HACCP team and assigned
responsibilities.
 Description of the food, its distribution, intended
use, and consumer.
 Verified flow diagram.
 HACCP Plan Summary Table that includes
information for:

24.  Steps in the process that are CCPs
 The hazard(s) of concern.
 Critical limits
 Monitoring
 Corrective actions
 Verification procedures and schedule
 Record-keeping procedures
 Support documentation such as validation
records.
 Records that are generated during the
operation of the plan.

25.  The HACCP situation in overall food industry
in India is still very dismissal. Whatever small
effort that have been made have been
limited to the organized sector which as
such, has a small share in the overall
industry
 For example: The organized diary sector,
which apply HACCP principles in providing
safe milk to consumers, just constitutes 15-
16% of the entire dairy industry.
 Even though, it is heartening to see the
progress made in HACCP implementation by
dairy, marine & biscuit making industry.

26.  In Indian context, where the food safety
management system is not fully developed & the
resources are inadequate, there is a need to
develop a strategy for implementing the HACCP
system in a phased manner across all pertinent
sector and scales of the industry, particularly
the unorganized sectors.
 The various barriers being faced to the
implementation of HACCP include:
 Lack of concentrated efforts by stakeholders.
 Lack of customer and business demand.
 Financial constraints.
 Human resources constrains. &
 Inadequate infrastructure and facilities.