The HACCP Food Safety System and

The Flow of Food

The HACCP system was developed by NASA to make sure that food served toastronauts traveling in outer space was absolutely safe!

HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

A HACCP system identifies points at which:Food can become contaminatedContaminants can increaseContaminants can survive

Steps one, two, and three help you

design your system…

Step One:Assess Hazards…

Identify Potentially Hazardous Foods…Recognize the flow of food…Identify the hazards…Estimate the risks!

Step Two: Identify Critical Control Points…A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a point where specific control measures can be taken to: Prevent foods from becoming contaminated Prevent contaminants from surviving Prevent further growth of contaminants

Step Three…Set up procedures for Critical Control Points: Determine the requirements, using such factors as time, temperature, and hygiene, that must be met at each critical control point to keep the food safe…

Wash HandsWash, rinse and sanitize food contact surfacesCook food to appropriate internal temperaturesHold cooked foods at temperatures above 135ºRapidly cool, and keep food below 41ºReheat food to 165º for 15 sec. within 2 hours

Steps four through seven help you monitor your system and verify that it’s working…

Step Four… Monitor Critical Control Points:Monitoring, or checking to see that the requirementsare being met, is one of the most important activitiesIn the HACCP system!

All employees should be involved in monitoring Critical Control Points!

Step Five: Take Corrective Action!

What do you do if you find out that a CriticalControl Point hasn’t been met? Corrective action must be carried out immediately!

Step Six… Set-up a Record Keeping System Use organized, bound notebooks or written logs Monitor times and temperatures regularly Keep HACCP system flowcharts and recipes up-to-date and easily available for review

Step Seven: Verify that the system is working…Retrace the flow of food and check how well your controls and procedures are working Check to make sure that all controls are in place Observe employees and check log books regularlyTest the information in the logs against your own food temperature measurements

Remember…No HACCP system is written in stone.Flowcharts, recipes, procedures, controlmeasures, and corrective actions can be changed to better suit the needs of the customers and the operation!