Saturday, November 28, 2015

HACCP Food Safety - Keep Safe Through Seven Principles


If you're in the business of selling edible items, you might want to take a look at HACCP food safety principles. Standards for keeping edibles safe for consumption is a basic requirement, but the concepts outlined in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points take safe practices to a whole new level.

There are seven principles to look into. In general though, what the system seeks to accomplish is to prevent contamination at all levels of production from preparation to distribution. The stress on prevention instead of post production detection is ideal because looking into each critical step before distribution ensures that no minute hazard or contaminant is missed. What exactly are these principles?

The first principle stresses analyzing hazards. This is the step where possible hazards are identified for all stages in production. In an internal food safety audit an auditor can identify elements that are chemical, biological or physical in nature. Hazards can take the form of microbes, toxins or physical particles.

After identifying potential hazards, the second principle moves on to determine the control points in which contamination can be prevented. Establishing control points can be as simple as outlining a procedure such as raw item handling, cooking, packing and distribution.

The third principle combines the concepts behind the first and second principles. At this level maximum or minimum limits are set for each of the specific control points to prevent contamination. The most basic example is minimum heat settings for cooking specific edible items.

The fourth HACCP food safety principle organizes the third principle by defining procedures and persons responsible for monitoring control points. This means that there is clear documentation to follow on how each step of production is checked and who performs these regular checks.

The fifth principle focuses on taking corrective measures in case checks show that standards are not met. This may entail going back to the first stage of the production process or completely throwing out potentially contaminated items before they can be pushed out to consumers. Corrective steps have to be identified in advance so that it is clear what steps need to be taken in the event of contamination.

The sixth HACCP food safety audit principle involves checking the system of monitoring itself. There should be a regular process in place that looks into equipment or tools that are needed for monitoring the production process. Monitoring devices and the different parts of the tools used in production should be in top condition to make monitoring effective and successful.

The seventh and last principle revolves around documentation. Every part of the system from hazard analysis to monitoring device evaluation should have detailed guidelines in place. Furthermore, these should be based on standards that are based on accepted and proven scientific research.

There is no doubt that following HACCP food safety principles is crucial primarily because it is the best way to ensure consumer well being. From a business perspective, it is also worth noting that following these principles is also essential to secure better business results. You'll be in business longer and have more clients if you make sure you have a solid system that can keep customers healthy and happy.

Build A Stronger Business With A Food Safety Auditor. Find One At http://www.iconsultingsolutions.com.au.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Hayley_Martin/621325

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4751065

No comments:

Post a Comment