6.3 Identification of Critical Control Points
Central to the implementation of the HACCP concept for in-process control is the identification of the critical control points. Since manufacturing techniques for canned fishery products vary greatly between plants, it follows that there will be different CCPs for different production lines. The CCPs for a canning process can be identified with the aid of a process flow diagram which should be constructed for the entire operation from the receipt of the raw and packaging materials through to transport and storage of the finished product. The standard symbols used in process flow diagrams are shown in Table 12.
Process flow diagrams provide a visual means of summarizing the entire sequence of production, and from this it is a simple step to identify CCPs. A typical list of CCPs for manufacture of canned fishery products (preserved by heat alone) is shown in Table 13. This list identifies those points in production where the manufacturer must establish specifications, a monitoring system complete with records, and a follow up system to confirm that any adjustments made achieve the desired effects. The frequency of monitoring and the test procedures to be used must also be specified. As the list may not be appropriate for all canning operations, it is important that manufacturers construct their own process flow diagram so that they can be sure no CCPs have been omitted or included unnecessarily.
6.4 critical Control Point Specifications
In commercial practice there are only a few specifications which are constant for all fish canners. Instead, manufacturers must select specifications which are relevant to each of their particular operations, while taking care that they fulfill the absolute requirement of product safety. Specifications should be set to reflect the desired