HACCP means Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.
The system begins by understanding a food, its ingredients, its process, its packaging, its intended consumer, and the conditions under which it will be stored and used. A trained HACCP team then identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards and determines which hazards require control.
When control at a particular step is essential to food safety, that step may be identified as a critical control point. The plan establishes the measurable boundary for control, how the operation will monitor it, what happens when control is lost, how the system is verified, and which records demonstrate what occurred.
What HACCP is designed to do
- Focus resources on significant food safety hazards.
- Prevent hazards or reduce them to an acceptable level.
- Define objective limits and immediate operational decisions.
- Create evidence that controls were applied as intended.
- Detect loss of control before affected food reaches consumers.
What HACCP does not replace
HACCP depends on effective prerequisite programs such as sanitation, supplier controls, allergen management, preventive maintenance, calibration, pest control, employee practices, traceability, and recall capability. Weak prerequisite programs force the HACCP plan to carry risks it was not designed to manage.
When HACCP is required or expected
HACCP requirements vary by product and regulator. Federal HACCP regulations apply to several sectors, including juice, seafood, and USDA-regulated meat and poultry operations. Customers and third-party food safety standards may also require HACCP-based systems for other foods. The applicable requirement should always be confirmed for the product, process, facility, and market.