HACCP Principles

Principle 1. Conduct a hazard analysis to identify hazards
associated with the food and measures to control those hazards. Hazards could be biological (ex: pathogens); chemical (ex: toxins); or physical (ex: metal fragments).
Principle 2. Identify the critical control points (CCPs)
These are points of the process at which the hazard can be controlled or eliminated.
Principle 3. Establish critical limits for each CCP
A critical limit is the criterion that should be met to ensure food safety in a product.
Principle 4. Establish CCP monitoring procedures
to ensure each CCP stays within its critical limits. Monitoring involves a series of observations or measurements to determine if the CCP is under control.
Principle 5. Establish corrective actions
if the CCP is not within the established limits. By applying corrective actions, the control of hazards is regained.
Principle 6. Establish verification procedures
to confirm that the HACCP plan is operating effectively and accordingly to written procedures. This verification may include reviewing HACCP plans, CCP records, microbial sampling (ex: testing time and temperature recording devices to verify that are calibrated and working properly)..
Principle 7. Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures
that demonstrate that HACCP is working properly. This includes monitoring documentation, actions taken to correct a potential problem, validation documents.