HACCP

HACCP, Food Safety Certificate, Food Safety Management System

What is HACCP? HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and is the standard that provides a systematic approach to food safety. It is a preventive system that identifies all biological and chemical hazards that can make a food product unsafe and sets out the controls needed to manage them.

Which Sectors Use HACCP?

HACCP applies beyond the production stages of the food chain. It also covers preparation, packaging, and distribution. HACCP is used heavily in the seafood and aquaculture sector. In production, every process needs to be defined and every method documented so hazards can be controlled and prevented.

HACCP is a globally accepted food safety standard that protects food against chemical, microbiological, and physical risks. It identifies critical control points in hazard-prone areas, applies preventive measures, and evaluates them at every production stage to keep hazards from occurring or recurring. Critical control points cover staff training, production equipment, and the raw material supply chain.

HACCP is a food safety management system that any food business can apply. Putting it in place prevents food-related risks and hazards and triggers corrective and preventive action when needed.

The HACCP certificate is issued after an independent audit body checks the food production activities against the HACCP standard and the company qualifies for HACCP certification. The certificate is valid for one year, with surveillance audits each year.

HACCP was originally developed in the early 1960s for the US military and NASA. Traditional food safety practices were not enough to secure food destined for space, and NASA published a critical control points guide in response. The standard started in the US national space programme. Although NASA developed it, HACCP has since become an internationally recognised science-based food safety standard.

HACCP Principles

Corrective Actions:

These cover the actions to be taken when monitoring shows a critical limit deviation. Corrective actions stop a product whose critical-point value has deviated from reaching the level at which it could harm human health.

Who Should Apply the System

• Food production facilities
• Meat combine facilities
• Food ingredient production facilities
• Food retail outlets
• Catering companies
• Logistics and storage operations
• Slaughterhouses
• Farmers
• Suppliers of food equipment
• Packaging manufacturers
• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Any organisation that comes into contact with food can apply the HACCP system.
• HACCP Standards Series

When setting up a food safety system, there are other standards to apply alongside HACCP. ISO 22000 food safety standard is one of them. The guideline standards published alongside it are listed below.

What Are the Benefits of HACCP?

HACCP Manual

Once a HACCP system is set up in an organisation, certifying it with a HACCP certificate requires a manual that covers the procedures, references, and information related to the HACCP system. The HACCP manual contains:

• Introduction to the HACCP plan
• Organisation plan
• HACCP food safety policy
• Food safety objectives
• Scope of the HACCP system
• Duties and responsibilities
• HACCP team
• Product information
• Process information and diagrams
• Hazard analyses
• Quality control and critical control point limits
• HACCP verification system
• References to other systems
• HACCP appendices

Differences Between HACCP and ISO 22000

Our Other Food Certification Services:

• HACCP Certificate
• ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System
• BRC Food Safety Certification
• IFS Certificate
• GMP Certificate
• FSSC 22000 Certificate
• GFSI Certificate
• TS 13027 Hygiene Certificate
• Food Contact Contamination Certification
• Halal Certificate