Introduction
The main objective of the HACCP system is to provide a
high degree (close to 100%) of assurance that a food
ready to be consumed will be free of pathogenic
organisms or their toxins.
The traditional method of examining microbiological
safety , storage stability, and sanitary quality of a food is
to test representative portions or samples of the final
product for the presence of some pathogens such as
Salmonella or the number or level of certain pathogens
(e.g., S.aureus and V. parahaemolyticus), different
microbial groups(e.g.,aerobic plate count, yeast and mold
Counts), and indicator bacteria(e.g., coliforms and
enterococci) per gram or milliliter of product.
The major disadvantage with these types of endproduct testings is that they do not provide
Close to 100% assurance about the safety, stability,
and sanitary quality of the products.
This aspect is particularly important with respect to
pathogenic bacteria, especially those that are highly
potent.
By analyzing samples from a batch of a product,
according to sampling plan and testing methods
recommended by regulatory agencies, it is not possible
to give a high degree of assurance(close to 100%) that
the untested portion of the end product is free of
pathogens.
Under certain circumstances, such as foods
consumed by the crew in a space mission or by
military personnel engaged in an important mission,
close to 100% assurance of safety of a food is
required.
HACCP was originally developed to produce foods
with high assurance of safety for use in the space
program. It has two components:
To identify the hazards associated with the
production and processing of a specific type of food,
and
To identify critical control points(CCP)I.e., the places
during processing of a food where proper control
measures need to be implemented in order to
prevent any risk to consumers.
Principles Of HACCP
HACCP Involves Seven Principles:
Principle 1
Conduct a hazard analysis to determine risks
associated at all stages, from growing raw materials
and ingredients to final product ready for
consumption.
The possible hazards that exist for a specific food or
ingredient from pathogenic microorganisms and their
toxins are determined. This is performed in two
segments:
*By ranking the specific food into six categories and
*by assigning each a risk category on the basis of
ranking for hazard categories.
Ranking of food for six hazard categories is based
on the following characteristics:
Hazard A. A nonsterile food intended for
consumption by high risk consumers(infants,
elderly, sick, and immunocompromised
individuals).
Hazard B. The product contains sensitive
ingredients in terms of microbial hazard.
Hazard C. The process does not contain a step to
destroy harmful microorganisms.
Hazard D. The product is subject to
recontamination after processing and before
packaging.
Hazard E. The possibility exists for abuse before
consumption that can render the product harmful
if consumed.
Hazard F. The product is not given a terminal heat
treatment following packaging and before
consumption.
A food is ranked according to hazards A through F
by using a plus(+) for each potential hazard . The
risk category is determined from the number of
pluses.
Category VI. A special category that applies to
nonsterile food to be consumed by high-risk
consumers.
Category V. A food that have five hazard
characteristics: B,C,D,E,F.
Category IV. A food that has a total of four hazard
characteristics in B through F.
Category III. A food that has a total of three
hazard characteristics in B through F.
Category II. A food that has a total of two
hazard characteristics in B through F.
Category I. A food that has a total of one hazard
characteristic in B through F.
Category 0. No hazard.
Principle 2
To control microbiological hazards in a food production
system, it is necessary to determine a CCP.
A CCP is any point or procedure in a specific food system
where effective control must be implemented in order to
prevent hazards.
All hazards in a food production sequence , from growing
and harvesting to final consumption, must be controlled at
some point(s) to ensure safety.
The CCP includes heat treatment, chilling, sanitation,
formulation control(pH, Aw, preservatives), prevention of
recontamination and cross-contamination, employee
hygiene, and environmental hygiene.
Application of CCP will destroy hazardous microorganisms
or prevent their growth and toxin formation in the product.
Principle 3
To control microbiological hazard at each
identified CCP, it is necessary to set up critical
limits such as temperature, time, Aw, pH,
preservatives, and in some cases aroma , texture,
and appearance.
One or more critical limit may be necessary at
each CCP, and all of them should be present to
ensure that the hazards are under control.
Principle 4
The CCP used for a specific food production must be
monitored to determine whether the system is effective in
controlling the hazards.
The monitoring can be continuous, such as in the case of
heat treatment(temperature and time) of a product.
If continuous monitoring cannot be adopted for a processing
condition, it can be done at reliable intervals which has to be
developed on a statistical basis to ensure that the potential
hazards are under control.
Monitoring is done by rapid chemical and physical methods
as microbiological methods require long time.
Bioluminescence could be effective.
All results of monitoring must be documented.\\\\
Principle 5
In case a deviation from the present HACCP plan is
identified from the monitoring system in a food
production operation, effective corrective actions must
be taken to assure product safety.
The corrective actions must demonstrate that it is
effective in controlling the potential hazards resulting
from the deviation of CCP.
The deviations as well as the corrective measures must
be documented in the HACCP plan and agreed on by the
regulatory agency before applying the plan.
The product produced by the new plan should be placed
on hold until its safety has been ensured by proper
testing.
Principle 6
Records of HACCP plan developed for a specific
food production should be kept in the plant.
In addition, , documents of CCP monitoring
and any deviation and corrective procedures
taken should be kept at the establishment.
The records must be made available to the
regulatory agencies.
Principle 7
Verification systems should be established to
ensure that the HACCP system developed for a
specific food production system is working
effectively to ensure safety to the consumers.
Both the food producer and the regulatory
agency have to be involved in the verification of
the effectiveness of the HACCP in place.
Verification methods include testing samples
for physical, chemical, sensory, and
microbiological criteria as established in the
HACCP plan.
The end of Food Microbiology Course
The main Reference(available online)
Bibek Ray
Fundamental Food Microbiology
CRC Press ISBN 0-8493-1610-3
Third Edition, 2005