(page1)
this chapter is detailed investigation into the development of HACCP in the catering industry. it utilises the most up to date theory, research and experience to provide a comprehensive background to:
-the history of HACCP
-codex HACCP in practice
-the challenge of HACCP in small businesses
-the difficulties of HACCP in the catering industry
-a new method of applying HACCP in catering
14.2
in the 1950's when NASA scientists were developing the first manned space programme they faced the problem of how to ensure the safety of food eaten by the astronauts. They sought an approach through which they could achieve 100% assurance of food safety and soon realised that traditional end-product testing was not going to accomplish this.
in the search for a practical alternative NASA contractors studied the "Failure Mode Effect Analysis " system already in use by the US military. FMEA determines where critical risks occur within systems and then identifies strategies for controlling them. This preventative approach was identified as the way forward and a modified version to control food safety was developed. In this method the food production system was analysed to determine hazards, which were then ranked to identify the most important. The significant hazards were controlled at certain points in the process and all of this was monitored and audited via clear and extensive documentation and records HACCP in its prototype was thus developed and was in use by the NASA lunar programme that placed Neil Armstrong on tht moon in 1969.
(page2)
Since this time HACCP has grown to become the internationally recognized system of managing food safety and is now a legal requirement for food businesses in most countries of the world. For example, the European Union extended HACCP requirements to all food businesses, including catering, in January 2006.
The standard guidelines for applying HACCP principles were established in 1993 by the international standard setting organisation, the Codex Alimentarius Commission. These guidelines, which are referred to as 'classical' HACCP throughout this book, can be found in the Codex text pictured here, and downloaded free of charge at the Codex website.
14.3
There are three elements of Codex HACCP: pre-requisite programmes, preliminary procedures and seven HACCP principles.
Pre-requisite programmes
Food safety is achieved through the application of good practice with regard to the following elements:
1. The design and construction of premises to ensure the production of safe food.
2. The provision of adequate facilities to ensure the production of safe food.
3. The provision of suitable equipment to ensure the production of safe food.
4. The application of procedures and significant food safety hazards that arise during production. Theses hazards can be separated into those that are:
(page3)
a) General to the establishment (controlled through Good hygiene practices)
Within a food operation there are many general activities that are put in place to control food safety, for example: pest control; cleaning and disinfection procedures; equipment maintenance; induction training and personal hygiene practices. The control of generic hazards-common across all areas of the food operations- can be considered under the term Good Hygiene Practice (GHP).
b) Specific to the process/product (controlled through HACCP).
An examination of the operation of any food business identifies that in addition to the general hazards there are additional, operation-specific, significant hazards that need to be controlled to ensure product safety. HACCP is a system designed to manage these hazards.
Historically, the first three of these elements have formed the backbone of food legislation and hence, have been a focus for enforcement. The fourth element is less tangible, relies on people, changes on a continuous basis and is difficult to deliver, assess and enforce. it has, therefore, remained a poorly developed area of food safety control. The consensus view today is that the key to the control of 'operational' food safety hazards is the implementation of an appropriate food safety system and its effective management.
Figure 14.1 illustrates the four elements of safe food operation and clearly demonstrates that 1,2,3 and 4 can be regarded as pre-requires for HACCP.
Figure 14.1 Pre-requisites for HACCP 5
Specific hazards
General Hazards
Equipment
Facilities
Design and Construction
(page4)
14.3
The Codex model describes HACCP in terms of seven principles that are applied to each product/process in the operation. The procedure for implementing these principles is detailed in a twelve part protocol with five preliminary procedures, as demonstrated in Figure 14.2. This is often referred to as 'Classical HACCP'.
Figure 14.2 The Application of HACCP Principles
Pre-requisite Programmes
Preliminary Procedures:
(Assemble team, describe product, identify intended use,
construct flow diagram, confirm flow diagram on-site)
Principles One:
Conduct a hazard Analysis
Principles Two:
Determine Critical Control Points
Principles Three:
Establish Critical Limits
Principles Four:
Establish Monitoring Systems
Principles Five:
Establish Corrective Actions
Principles Six:
Establish Verification
Principles Seven:
Establish Documentation & Record Keeping
(page 6)
HACCP : The Twelve Steps
The five preliminary procedures, followed by the seven HACCP principles, form 12 steps to the implementation of HACCP.
Step 1: Assemble HACCP Team
The HACCP system relies on a team approach to the management to food safety. Whilst this was quite revolutionary in the 1950's, it is now commonplace in most industrial context. The former would require representation from all areas of the company (e.g. quality control, production engineering etc.) and is often referred to as the multidisciplinary element of the team. The latter refers to representation from all levels within the organisation (e.g. senior management, supervisors, food-operatives etc.) and can be referred to as the inter-hierarchical nature of the team.
Step 2: Describe Product
In order for the HACCP team to make decisions relating to the controls needed to ensure product safety, preliminary data needs to be assembled. This includes detail of ingredients, processing conditions, final product characteristics and instructions for use. Such information is essential for the team to undertake an accurate assessment of all hazards, from the receipt of ingredients, to the point at which the product reaches the customer.
Step 3: Describe Product
HACCP studies must be skilfully focused in order to keep the resultant HACCP plans manageable. This requires, amongst other things, a careful consideration of how the food products will be used in later stages of the food chain. For example, whilst vegetables that are to be eaten raw may require chlorination to reduce the risk of pathogens, this would be a totally unnecessary step if the vegetables were intended to be eaten cooked. It is also accepted that some hazards pose a greater risk to 'vulnerable' groups within the community such as the elderly or immuno-suppressed. It is therefore important to establish the target consumer group for all products so that controls developed to the HACCP study are appropriate.
Step 4: Constructing the Flow Diagram
The development and control of HACCP a systems is aided by a clear vision of the complex sets of relationships and processes involved. This is achieved through the construction of a detailed 'picture' or flow diagram of the steps involved in the production of the specific process/product under consideration in the HACCP study. Figure 14.3 is an example of a flow diagram for 'apple crumble'.
(page 7)
Step 5: On-Site Confirmation of the Flow Diagram
As discussed above, the accuracy of the flow diagram and the floor plan is of paramount importance to the success of the HACCP study. For this reason the process flow diagram must be checked for accuracy before the team can move on to the next task. The food production system should be observed under operational conditions to ensure that assumptions made regarding the process are reflected in reality and this task is often described as 'walking the line'.
(page7)
Step 6: Conduct a Hazard Analysis
Within the scope of the selected food operation, as described above, the team undertake discussions to identify any hazards that pose a significant risk to the consumer if not controlled. These hazards (that may be physical, chemical or microbiological) need to be either designed out of the system or controls through procedures developed by the HACCP team.
These procedures are termed 'control measures' and are defined as 'actions and activities that are implemented to eliminate hazards or reduce their occurrence to acceptable levels'. The control procedures form the basis of the 'documentation' required to demonstrate that HACCP a principles have been applied.
Step 7: Determine the Critical Control Points
HACCP requires the identification of steps in the process where control is essential for product safety. At these Critical Control Points (CCP' s) control measures need to be rigorously monitored and maintained to ensure that the product never fails to meet the required safety criteria.
The information evaluated by the HACCP team during hazard analysis is the basis for selecting critical control points. The hazard analysis identifies process st