HACCP & Food Safety

HACCP is a procedure devised to help ensure the production of safe food. Any business that plays a role in food handling must have in place a food safety management system.

It’s function is to control hazards by putting procedures in place. The aim of HACCP is to prevent and/or minimize biological, chemical, and physical hazards to acceptable levels. It works on prevention rather than detection of risks.

It consists of:

• Examining activity in your business and what could potentially go wrong.
• Identifying any ‘critical control points’ – these being areas you need to focus on to prevent hazards or reduce them to an acceptable level.
• Implementing procedures to ensure hazards monitored are controlled at each critical control point.
• If something goes wrong, establishing what action need to be taken.
• Ensuring that the procedures you have implemented are working correctly.
• Keeping appropriate records to demonstrate how your procedures are working.

It is sometimes thought that HACCP  can be complex and time consuming, but it does not have to be. It is most important to remember that food safety management procedures that are appropriate for your business are in place.