What is HACCP ?

HACCP - The hazard analysis critical control point system (HACCP) is a scientific and systematic way of enhancing the safety of foods from primary production to final consumption through the identification and evaluation of specific hazards and measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus on prevention rather than relying mainly on end-product testing.

The HACCP system was a result of another NASA requirement outsourced to Pillsbury Corporation in 1960s which collaboratively works with the U.S. Army labs to provide safe food for astronauts on space expeditions. In this contest they use NASA's own requirements for Critical Control Points (CCP) in engineering management which was the basis for the start for food safety control. Existing control methods such as end product testing was outdated when compared to the greater risks NASA has to undertake considering the project costs as well as the human resources involved in those projects, thus they required a failsafe mechanism to manufacture foods.

Thus project team realized that they needed a brand new approach to food safety, where they adapt CCP derived from Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) which was developed by NASA for the munitions industry to test weapon and engineering system reliability. This testing method is date backs to the World War II where traditional end product testing for ammunition and artillery shell's firing mechanisms could not be performed, and a large percentage of the artillery shells made at the time were either duds or misfiring was observed which lead to develop FMEA. With this leap forward step, NASA and Pillsbury work on critical failure areas and develop mechanisms to eliminate them from the system, these criterion include physical, chemical and biological controls while production in progress rather than waiting to see end product sampling results. Initially the system was used by Pillsbury Corporation in own manufacturing plants. This was then adapted by FDA as a guide to produce meat and poultry products especially in the canned format. In 1971, it became public and Canadian Food Regulation Authority was first to adapt HACCP as Official food safety control system which followed by United Kingdom and then by the US. Today it is followed almost everywhere in the world and accepted as the major food safety control criteria within various commercial food safety systems introduced to the world.

     

HACCP was initially begun with three principles which are conduct a hazard analysis (1), identify critical control points (2), establish CCP monitoring requirements (4). Then it was further developed by Pillsbury and added two more principles shortly (1975) which were establish critical limits for each CCP (3) and establish corrective actions (5) and then it was undertaken by Codex Alimentarius where it became seven principles (1997) while amalgamating with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as the foundation for physical control of food hygiene in food manufacturing environments.