Applying HACCP Principles Study Guide:

Lesson 1: Introduction:

A. Background

B. The workshop and this study guide

C. Managing food safety and self inspection

D. The HACCP plan and the HACCP team

Lesson II: Foodborne Illness

A. Reviewing the causes of foodborne illness

a. Potentially hazardous foods

b. Infections

c. Prevention of infections

d. Intoxications

e. Prevention of intoxications

B. Food safety hazards and prevention

a. Food safety hazards

b. Controlling hazards with HACCP

Lesson III: The Seven HACCP Principals

A. Preliminary HACCP activities

B. The seven HACCP Principles

a. Principle 1: Hazard Analysis

b. Principle 2: Critical Control Point

c. Principle 3: Critical limits

d. Principle 4: Monitoring

e. Principle 5: Corrective action

f. Principle 6: Verification

g. Principle 7: Record keeping

Lesson IV: Identifying hazards and determining critical control points

A. Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

a. Determining the risks of hazards

b. Preparing the food flow diagram

c. A typical food flow diagram

d. Hazard assessment

e. Preventive measures

B. Principle 2: Identify Critical Control Points

a. Definition of critical control point

b. Typical critical control points

c. Critical control point guidelines

d. Critical control point decision tree

e. Example of critical control point selection method

Lesson V: Critical Limits; Monitoring; Corrective Actions

A. Principle 3: Determining critical limits

a. Definition of critical limit

b. Sources of standards

c. Criteria used

d. Examples of critical limits

B. Principle 4: Establish procedures to monitor CCP

a. Definition of monitoring

b. Purposes of monitoring

c. Types of monitoring measurements

d. Procedures for monitoring

e. Thermometer usage

f. Other monitoring equipment

g. Monitoring records

h. Examples of monitoring

C. Principle 5: Take corrective action

a. Definition of corrective action

b. Importance of corrective actions

c. Examples of corrective actions

Lesson VI: Verification and Record Keeping

A. Principle 6: Verification

B. Principle 7: Record keeping

Lesson VII: The role of the regulatory agency and local requirements

Lesson VIII Overcoming barriers to HACCP implementation

A. Management commitment

B. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

C. Education and training

D. Facility design

Appendix A: Glossary

Appendix B: Advisory Board

Appendix C: Contact information

Appendix D: Bibliography

Appendix E: Professional Associations and Organizations

Appendix F Part I: Examples

A. Example 1: Identify potentially hazardous foods

B. Example 2: Prepare food flow diagram

C. Example 3: Identify hazards

D. Example 4: Identify preventive measures

E. Example 5: Using the decision tree

F. Example 6: Identify critical control points

G. Example 7: Establish critical limits

H. Example 8: Establish monitoring procedures

I. Example 9: Taking corrective actions

J. Example 10: Setting up a verification system

K. Example 11: Setting up a record keeping system

L. Example 12: Preparing a summary sheet

Appendix F Part II a Self-tests

Appendix F Part II b Answers to Self-tests

Appendix F Part III Fried Chicken Breast exercise to be used with "HACCP Systems for Food Service Operations" Tape 2

Appendix G Establishment specific menu item HACCP plan exercise (EXHIBITS G1-G11) packaged separately

Appendix I Philadelphia Department of Public Health Food Establishment Self Inspection Checklist

Appendix J Philadelphia Code and regulations governing food establishment personnel food safety certification

Appendix K Emergency preparedness

Applying HACCP Principles Study Guide:

A. Background

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) pronounced HAS-SIP is a logical system designed to identify hazards and or critical situations and to produce a structured plan to control these situations. Developed by the Pillsbury Company for the early US Space Program, HACCP has become the accepted method for ensuring safe foods worldwide.

Following its introduction to the food processing industry in 1971, HACCP has seen wide application in many different settings. In the 1993 FDA Model Food Code (Food Code), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled its HACCP concept for the retail and foodservice sector. The seven HACCP principles have been carried through each successive Food Code and have become the framework and spearhead for a variety of food safety initiatives.

The FDA feels very strongly that the success of HACCP in the food processing industry can be achieved in the retail and foodservice sectors. Annex V of the Food Code is designed to assist both regulatory and industry food safely personnel in applying HACCP. By applying the HACCP concepts as outlined in the code, both regulatory and industry personnel will have common references and standard methods for developing and implementing HACCP. Ordering information can be found Appendix E.

 

B. Compliance: The Home Study Course, video set and using this study guide

Select a menu item from your own menu and complete the Establishment Specific Menu Item HACCP Exercise required for 7.5 hours of home study credit. This exercise is found in Appendix G. You must complete all Exhibits G-1 through G-11.

Complete the Establishment Specific Menu Item Food Flow Monitoring Exercise for the item you prepared the HACCP plan for. The form needed is found in Appendix H. Send in Exhibit H- 2.

C. Managing food safety and self inspection

The emphasis of HACCP is to prevent food safety problems by focusing on highly controllable points in the food production process. The basis of HACCP is sound scientific data, which identifies the most likely hazards and procedures, and their corresponding preventive measures. Once you have identified menu items with hazardous recipes, ingredients and processes, you can conduct a self-inspection that will help you to determine if they under control. HACCP places great emphasis on training your employees in their roles in your food safety program. Before attempting to conduct a self-inspection program it is vital for you to have trained your employees in what you are going to look for, so that they can do the best possible job.

A HACCP plan is the best tool for self inspection, but inspections can be done without one to ensure that the basic facility is being maintained, the environment is sanitary, equipment is in good working order, and that regulatory issues are in compliance; and if they are not, that corrective actions are being planned and carried out. The form recommended for use by the City of Philadelphia and a complete guideline for self-inspection is found in Appendix I.

Most foodborne bacteria need specific temperatures for a specific time in order to survive and grow. By monitoring temperatures and taking timely corrective action you can prevent dangerous bacteria from infesting your food.

The City of Philadelphia requires you to monitor food temperatures at critical control points during food production.

D. The HACCP plan and the HACCP team

The total elements of a HACCP program make up the HACCP plan; the terms HACCP program, HACCP system, HACCP process and HACCP plan are used interchangeably in this study guide. The HACCP plan is developed through the process of applying the seven HACCP principles to all hazardous food items; what results is a written program and procedure manual, which spells out exactly how your food safety system operates. It can be thought of as a blueprint for food safety and must be accurate in every detail. Much more than a manual, the HACCP plan is a working document that you must refer to constantly and keep up to date.

Before the creation of an actual HACCP plan, you must assemble the HACCP team. This requires that managers, maintenance personnel, servers, stewards, cooks, chefs and all those involved with the day-to-day operation of the facility be represented. This multidisciplinary team is known as the HACCP team. The team selects a leader (HACCP coordinator) and decides on a regular meeting schedule to review implementation and determine compliance with the plan.

 

A. Reviewing the causes of illness

Because HACCP is only involved with preventing illness, a basic understanding of the typical foodborne illness agents is necessary. We cannot all be microbiologists, but everyone who is in charge of food production should recognize the microorganisms that make foods unsafe and understand their potential for growth and survival in food products. With this knowledge you will understand the key concepts of HACCP and why the seven HACCP principles are developed the way they are.

Simply put, foodborne illness results from contaminated foods. The contamination may be physical, chemical, or biological in nature. The focus of this study guide is on biological contamination as it results in the greatest number of foodborne illness outbreaks. It must be pointed out that there is still a great need for you to control other types of contamination; these controls are usually placed in a Sanitation Standard Operations Procedure Manual (SSOP), and not managed in the HACCP system. SSOP’s are generally regarded as one of the necessary prerequisites for HACCP plan development.

Most foods can support the nutritional needs of some kind of microorganism, but certain foods you prepare everyday are placed in a high-risk category because they support the rapid growth of dangerous bacteria known as pathogens. We refer to them as "potentially hazardous foods" or PHF.

If your PHF are held at improper temperature (in the danger zone between 41° and 140° ) for greater than four hours, the numbers of bacteria can become too high.

While bacterial growth rates are important to control, some bacteria and other pathogens do not need to be found in high numbers to cause disease. Organisms sometimes referred to as "low-dose" pathogens or virulent bacteria, virus, and parasites, can cause disease in low numbers. Therefore, favorable conditions for growth of bacteria are not absolutely necessary to cause outbreaks. In fact, most foods can become "hazardous" if contamination with organisms like E. coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Shigella, Cyclospora, or Salmonella typhi occurs. A sufficiently high number of these pathogenic bacteria, parasites and virus may already be on raw foods, fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, failure to cook foods that may contain Hepatitis A, Norwalk virus, Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter, Vibrio vulnificus, and E. coli results in increased risk. Foods that require thorough cooking include eggs- (S. enteritidis) poultry (Salmonella, Campylobacter) ground beef (E. coli) and shellfish (Hepatitis A, Norwalk virus and Vibrio vulnificus). Fish should be thoroughly cooked to eliminate parasites.

All foodborne infections are caused by bacteria, virus or parasites ingested in foods. Symptoms such as fever and diarrhea are typical signs of infection, although other symptoms may be present. These symptoms are the result of the infectious agent invading the digestive system. It must be noted that some dangerous bacteria, virus and parasites can spread to other organs in the body upon entering the bloodstream and cause severe illness and death.

While a severe hazard to public health, the Human Immune Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (A.I.D.S.), has not been transmitted through foods or beverages and is not included in HACCP.

 

Cooking and reheating are critical control points for controlling infectious agents as the destruction of bacteria, virus and parasites through pasteurization (heating), will reduce infectious microorganisms to safe levels. The failure to pasteurize foods, and the subsequent survival of bacteria, virus and parasites results in many cases of illness.

A second classification of foodborne illness is known as intoxication. Intoxications come about when a food contains a poisonous compound or has been exposed to high numbers of toxigenixc microorganisms. Intoxications may sometimes occur when poisonous metallic or industrial compounds are unintentionally consumed in foods, but microorganisms that produce toxins are the biggest threat including bacteria, fungi and certain marine and fresh water algae. Preventing intoxications requires a more in-depth study of the nature of foodborne microorganisms.

Staph aureus is unique among the toxigenixc bacteria as it is not capable of spore production. Therefore cooking temperatures will destroy this organism. Unfortunately, toxins produced in foods prior to cooking will still remain. You will prevent toxin production by focusing on time and temperature controls for foods like ham, cream filled pastry, and other protein rich foods. Since Staph is commonly found on the skin of up to 50% of people, the need for thorough hand washing is also clear. Wounds and other skin lesions if infected contain very high numbers of Staph cells. Not allowing your workers to handle foods with bare hands, especially with exposed cuts and burns is also a preventive measure.

Clostridium perfringens is unique among the spore forming organisms in that it does not usually produce a heat stable toxin in foods. However, spores will germinate in foods when favorable temperatures exist for a sufficient time and bacteria may grow rapidly into the many millions of cells. When reaching the intestines, if the number of cells is high enough, a potent enterotoxin will be produced. Preventing this common foodborne illness is focused on the maintenance of rapid cooling techniques and hot holding temperatures to preclude spore germination. You must also reheat certain foods thoroughly as the bacteria can be destroyed after germination in foods and no heat stable toxin is usually produced.

Intoxications may be prevented in potentially hazardous foods by preparing and storing them at safe temperatures, especially if they have been cooked, or are in a ready to eat (RTE) form. Seafood has it’s own set of guidelines you must follow, beginning with proper receiving temperatures for scombroid related species of fish and verification of certified suppliers for shellfish. Seafood temperature control is critical during all phases of production. Seafood related intoxication is difficult to control, as toxin development may have taken place during or even before harvest. No one should consume wild mushrooms and they cannot be sold at retail.

B. Food Safety Hazards and Prevention with HACCP

Applying the standards in the Food Code is the best method for preventing foodborne illness. The Food Code is science-based in the sense that it relies on the public health principles of epidemiology to identify key concerns. The fields of food science and microbiology also support it. HACCP requires you to apply many of the Food Code standards below; standards not found in HACCP are found in SSOP.

A. Preliminary HACCP activities

B. The HACCP Process: Developing the seven HACCP Principles

Hazards for your specific menu items are evaluated systematically. Food flow diagrams are prepared for use at later steps and preventive measures are developed.

The most critical preventive measures essential for preventing foodborne illness are identified.

Standards are established for the preventive measures previously identified.

Standards established at critical control points are monitored on a predetermined frequency and the results documented.

Your role as a manager is to provide leadership and oversight assuring that employees continue to carry out their duties as previously trained.

In the retail sector, the first two principles of HACCP may be subject to more misapplication then in the food-processing sector where HACCP has been applied in a very consistent manner. The dynamic nature of foodservice makes conducting a hazard analysis much more complex, and therefore identifying critical controls is subject to greater error. It is imperative that two things occur; first, a very thorough analysis of the ingredients and actual production methods involved with preparation must take place; and second, a streamlining of the critical control point selection process must occur.

Recognizing where bacteria, virus or parasites may gain entry into a food, or steps leading to the growth or survival of pathogens is especially important.

You must avoid the following pitfalls when preparing HACCP plans:

During the hazard analysis many points of production will appear to be critical control points, actually, most preventive measures required by the Food Code are general in nature and not critical to any given process. Usually, control of specific pathogens can be accomplished in one step, but complex food production may expose food to several pathogens, requiring several critical control points.

A thorough understanding of the difference between critical and non-critical control points is needed to understand the HACCP process.

A. Principle 1: Hazard Analysis

There are several fundamental concepts that must be treated separately and understood in order to apply hazard analysis to a food product or a menu item. An actual HACCP plan must be bolstered by an SSOP manual, which sets control procedures for significant, but less quantifiable biological, chemical and physical hazards. This hazard analysis section is limited strictly to microorganisms and to temperature control issues.

The presence of ingredients known to have been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks including ground beef; shell eggs, certain seafood, or shellfish increase the risk for that menu item.

Unusual preparation methods requiring close monitoring, such as acidification of béarnaise sauce made from shell eggs, increases risk.

The need for advanced culinary knowledge to prepare a particular item safely such as meringue or ceviche increases risk.

Anaerobic conditions due to vacuum packaging or modified atmospheres are conducive to spore germination and toxin production; an example is sous vide. These methods increase the risks of hazards.

Once you have analyzed your recipe for potentially hazardous foods, analyzed your production, and classified your risks as low, moderate, or severe, it is necessary to create a food flow diagram. Food flow diagrams are simple block diagrams illustrating the steps in production for a particular menu item. Flow charts can be done in a number of ways, but they must be used along with the recipe in order to fully appreciate the procedures, ingredients, and preparation methods depicted.

Typical production steps have been described in Food and Beverage Management textbooks to control various aspects of foodservice, including cost control. This same scheme of control points is useful in understanding the sequence of events that takes place in food production for the purpose of describing food related hazards.

Steps in food production may not be obvious; it is vitally important that once the food flow has been described, that mangers talk with cooks and others involved with production to assure that no steps have been omitted and that the ingredients and procedures described are actually what takes place in the kitchen.

 

Refer to Example 2- Food Flow Diagram

 

Recognizing hazards results from determining the steps in production where foods can be exposed to contamination, where growth of bacteria can occur, or where foods must be cooked or reheated. By identifying these points, you will quickly see potential food safety problems. All that is required is to recognize that hazards can be placed in one of three main categories, contamination, growth of bacteria, or survival of microorganisms during pasteurization.

 

Refer to Example 3- Identifying Hazards

 

 

Preventive measures are the flip side of hazards. You must know and describe the measures commonly employed to control contamination, kill harmful pathogens and or prevent the growth of bacteria. Refer to the list of prevention methods for intoxication and infections previously described, and refer to the Food Code and Video 1 for further elaboration.

Refer to Example 4- Determining Preventive Measures

 

B. Principle 2: Identify Critical Control Points

The steps or points at which foodborne illness hazards can be eliminated or prevented are known as critical control points (CCP). Measurable and effective measures must be employed at a point to consider it a CCP for any particular hazard. A CCP may control one particular hazard at one particular step, i.e., cooking controls for infectious bacteria, but controlling other hazards such as spore germination, or toxin development during cooling requires another CCP. Therefore, many complex processes will have multiple CCP throughout the process. Still, in most processes there are usually only a few critical points as compared with the hundreds of general sanitation measures listed in the Food Code. Points at which hazards can be controlled but not reduced to safe levels, destroyed or prevented are simply known as control points.

A document known as the SSOP must be prepared to cover all preventive measures not controlled by CCP. Failure to do so will undermine the HACCP plan and may eventually lead to foodborne illness outbreaks.

 

There are actually three accepted definitions for CCP because CCP work in several ways to make food safe.

A CCP is a point, step or procedure in the food system where controls can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.

A CCP is the step where virus, bacteria and parasites are killed by cooking; or the control point that prevents or slows re-growth, spore germination, or toxin development.

A critical control point decision tree is a food item specific sequence of questions to ask about a particular hazard at each step of production. If questions are asked properly, the branches will lead to a determination as to whether the step in question is a CCP or not a CCP for a particular hazard.

 

Refer to Example 5: Critical Control Point Decision Tree

 

An example would be the cooling step of clam chowder. If we ask questions properly, we’ll find that cooling is a CCP for Bacillus cereus in clam chowder.

Complete Self-Test 3

 

A critical limit is a criterion that must be met for each preventive measure associated with a CCP to prevent or eliminate an unsafe condition.

The Food Code is the primary source for obtaining critical limit standards for the retail and food service industry. Key preventive measures and standards for cooking, cooling, reheating and storage are found within the first seven chapters of the Food Code. The Food Code should be consulted if you need assistance in defining standards. Inspectors, supervisors, managers, and administrators of the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health are also resources for Food Code requirements.

The scientific literature contains many useful studies about food handling practices and foodborne illness that can be used to determine safe food production standards. Such studies can be utilized if not in conflict with the Food Code.

Expert help is also available from academic institutions with hospitality management, culinary arts, and food science or public health programs. The contact numbers for Penn State University can be found in the Appendix E.

Of particular interest are the local county agricultural extension field offices. Many extension agents are well informed about food safety issues and are available for free consultations.

Whatever methods you use, the effectiveness of CL’s must be validated and the method of validation included in the HACCP plan. Therefore the best data for standards comes from the Food Code.

Critical limits must be readily measurable as they are designed to destroy pathogens, inhibit their growth and/or toxin production, and prevent unacceptable levels of contamination.

An example of critical limits at the cook step (CCP) for baked chicken is: "Cooking temperature in Oven 350° ; Bake uncovered; Measure internal temperature in thickest part of breast; Reach 165° for at least 15 seconds".

Refer to Example 7- Establishing Critical Limits

B. Principle 4: Establish Procedures to monitor CCP

Documenting that your food is being prepared safely is the most fundamental part of HACCP because you must be able to prove that your system is working. Therefore, you will spend considerable time monitoring. This is why it is very important to identify critical control points properly. Only essential areas need to be monitored under HACCP.

Without records there is no HACCP!

Monitoring is a planned sequence of observations and measurements designed to assess whether a CCP is under control at any given time. If done properly, monitoring will produce an accurate record of food safety information for future HACCP plan verification.

Continuous monitoring is the best method to spot trends leading to deviations and for detecting critical defects. Data-loggers and other electronic devices may be used. Time temperature integrators (TTI) are small devices used to detect the relationship between time and temperature. An irreversible color change (green to yellow) occurs on a grid when foods rise above a certain temperature, while a subsequent color change (yellow to red) indicates that excessive time was spent at unsafe temperatures. If continuous monitoring is not feasible, then monitoring frequencies must be consistent, and intervals short enough to spot a trend towards loss of control.

The persons assigned the task of monitoring should be trained and qualified. Supervisors, chefs, or managers are usually chosen, although other personnel may be assigned monitoring under various conditions. The fewest persons necessary for monitoring should be employed to avoid duplication. When a deviation or a critical defect occurs, corrective actions must be taken immediately and the activity recorded. There should also be a policy to inform the person in charge about the disposition of the food, if it was deemed unsafe. All persons must sign and date entries.

The records generated during monitoring represent the history of food safety for a particular food item. These records should include temperature logs, charts, graphs or other data representations such as spreadsheets if computerized. There are several data management programs for computers now on the market. There are even Internet based data management systems that allow networked computers to share information in real time.

An example is recording temperatures of steamed rice in a steam table. If the temperature drops below 140° for less than 2 hours, the rice can be brought back up to 165° within 2 hours, if more than two hours elapse, the product is discarded as a corrective action.

Refer to Example 8- Establish Monitoring System

 

C. Principle 5: Take corrective action

It is the duty of the person in charge (PIC) to take prompt, appropriate action if monitoring indicates a trend towards the loss of control at a critical control point. This prevents hazards from occurring. A corrective action plan is a plan of action to take at each CCP. Corrective actions are described ahead of time in the HACCP plan and recorded and saved when taken. The documentation is normally part of the monitoring form.

You must decide who will take these actions and what to do if the monitoring of CCP detects a problem. The CCP must be brought under control and the foods must be made safe or discarded.

A planned procedure to follow at a CCP when monitoring detects a trend toward loss of control or when a loss of control has occurred.

The type of corrective action depends on the critical control point where the defect occurred. For example, if you were cooking a pork roast to 155° and it was supposed to be cooked by 2:00 am and the third shift cook found the roast at 115° , the corrective action would be continue to cook the roast until the internal temperature reads 155° for at least 15 seconds. The corrective action plan should direct the cook to the Chef who then determines why the roast did not reach the final cooking temperature on time and ensures this does not continue to happen.

There may also be times when a critical defect occurs and your foods cannot be made safe. If this occurs, the only corrective action is to discard the food. If problems with control points continue, a re-evaluation of the HACCP plan should be made; the plan must be altered if the original controls do not work. HACCP is all about prevention, if a food cannot be made safely under a HACCP plan it should not be made at all.

A. Principle 6: Verification

Verification means the methods, procedures, and tests used to document compliance with the HACCP program.

Owners, management, supervisors and inspectors are held responsible for the safety of the foods served to the public- your customers. Therefore the records and procedures you follow must be available for review by all persons responsible for food safety. The purpose of looking at your records is to insure that your documentation demonstrates that hazards are properly identified and under control at all times.

A visual inspection of the operation and verification of all records by management is required on a routine basis. Regulatory visits provide a means of verification, but self-inspection will bring you far more benefits; HACCP is in fact a self-inspection program. The City of Philadelphia now requires you to perform self-inspections quarterly. A complete discussion of the Philadelphia self-inspection requirements is found in Appendix I.

B. Principle 7: Record Keeping

Records are the written evidence that your HACCP plan is controlling hazards. Auditing those records is a significant part of the verification procedure previously discussed.

Record keeping is a concept that sets HACCP apart from the traditional approach to food safety. Because you keep records of compliance, there is a clear picture of food safety. This will help to establish your "due diligence" in preventing the transmission of illness to customers and to employees. Records related to compliance at CCP will be helpful to regulatory staff and they may request to see them. Proprietary information can be kept secret.

The City of Philadelphia is one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to require specific HACCP knowledge among its food establishments and to test that competency with the submittal of a HACCP-based exercise.

This study guide, films, and the exercises that follow will prepare you to complete a HACCP-based exercise for one or more of your own menu items. For your 7.5 hours of home study credit you must complete the Establishment Specific Menu Item HACCP Plan exercise in Appendix G. To get full credit from the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, you must also submit the Food Handling Evaluation Record Log for a specific menu item found in Appendix H. You will learn this method in more detail by doing the Fried Chicken Breast Exercise in Appendix F Part III of this study guide. Although that exercise is for Fried Chicken Breast, you will be able to follow the same pattern for any menu item that you select. You need not create a temperature monitoring form as that form has been provided for you in Appendix H EXHIBIT H-2.

 

A. Management Commitment

In order for food safety and HACCP to succeed in your organization, upper management must be visibly supportive. There must be a strong commitment to the HACCP principles; especially those that are time consuming such as monitoring, record keeping, and verification. A powerful tool for communication is the company mission statement, representing the goals of the organization in creating and maintaining a HACCP system.

True commitment comes from a sincere belief that food safety is good for the company and that HACCP will not only improve food safety but added dividends such as lower labor and food cost will follow -and they do. Another benefit is that improving sanitation also improves morale; it therefore lowers turnover rates of employees.

Although the benefits far exceed the costs there are some concerns. Training is a major investment in time. There are training tapes on the practical application of HACCP available from several sources that you will find in Appendix E, and workshops are available through professional organizations and through Modern Food Safety Solutions. Because HACCP is so specific, when you alter your ingredients or change production measures it is possible to introduce new hazards that are not controlled by the existing system. This requires you to revamp the hazard analysis and keep up with new critical controls for new processes. Computer based systems are now available to develop HACCP plans and to update records; these should be evaluated; firms specializing in HACCP data management can be found again in Appendix E.

Management commitment is needed to allow managers the time and the resources necessary to keep HACCP going. Commitment means you are assured a high likelihood of safe foods and a low probability of outbreaks, death, investigations, and lawsuits.

B. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

C. Education and training

The key to a successful HACCP program is trained staff. Education and training is required to make HACCP work. Training must be ongoing and targeted to the specific needs of your employees. General food safety education is needed as well. The depth is dependent upon your employees’ educational and foodservice backgrounds and the scope of the operation.

An overview of the HACCP program is necessary to acquaint employees with the concept. Once it is grasped then individual duties in regards HACCP must be developed. You should stress critical control points during training.

As implementation progresses there will arise a need for further instruction and one-on-one and group sessions. For example, monitoring will clearly be ineffective if your employees have not completely understood how to use thermometers or don’t know where to find them. Your monitoring system can fail due to the lack of a pencil.

The HACCP team should be very involved in all aspects of HACCP but especially in training. Qualified trainers should be sought out for the initial training on HACCP concepts unless you have senior staff fully familiar with both general sanitation and HACCP. Ongoing training conducted by you and your staff focusing on the procedural elements of HACCP is advised, however.

D. Facility design

HACCP can be performed effectively even in poorly designed kitchens, but it cannot be carried out efficiently. To carry out HACCP and get the full benefit from it, there are many facility design considerations.

Traffic patterns that lead to cross contamination, lack of adequate storage, lack of sufficient preparation or service areas all increase the probability of hazardous situations and make monitoring functions difficult. If equipment is insufficient then foods are more likely to become hazardous through ineffective processing or time and temperature abuse. Good managers can overcome some of these problems but typically it requires changes in equipment, re-designing and reorganization of the layout for real correction.

Architectural design firms that understand traffic patterns, preparation practices and the best location for equipment are occasionally available. Qualified HACCP experts can get the most out of a design in regards food safety. Remember to contact plans review personnel in the health department. Regulatory personnel must also review specifications to determine if the layout and equipment meet code. Preparing a HACCP plan before designing a food facility will help to insure that the necessary features are provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A: Glossary

Acceptable levels: the presence of a hazard below the threshold for causing disease

Anaerobic: a condition of no oxygen

Anaerobic pathogen: a disease-causing organism capable of growth in atmospheres containing no oxygen

Bacteria: single celled microorganisms classified as simple plants

Bacterial growth: the increase in numbers of cells through the process of cell division

Biological contamination: the presence of microorganisms or their byproducts at unsafe or undesirable levels

Chemical contamination: the presence of chemical substances at unsafe or undesirable levels

Ciguatera: a disease caused by the ingestion of marine fish contaminated with cigua-toxin

Contamination: the presence in a food of undesirable or unsafe levels of harmful substances

Continuous inspection: monitoring which occurs continuously, and the records produced for verification purposes

Continuous monitoring: an unbroken series of measurements or observations at a critical control point

Control point- any point in a food production system where hazards can be controlled

Corrective action plan- the written document describing the procedures to follow if monitoring detects a deviation from standards at a critical control point

Critical defect: failure of control at a critical control point leading to unacceptable risk of a hazard

Danger zone: the temperatures most favorable for bacterial growth in a potentially hazardous food

Deviation: Failure to meet a required critical limit resulting in a risk of a hazard

Enterotoxin: a toxin produced in the intestines

Flow chart: a food flow diagram that depicts the sequence of steps necessary to prepare a menu item or food product

Flow of food: the path that foods travel from receipt to service during preparation

Foodborne illness: a disease caused by the ingestion of contaminated foods

Foodborne illness outbreak: transmission of disease from a food establishment, food employee or product to two or more people who experience a similar illness

Food Code: a model code published by the US Food and drug Administration, although not a federal requirement it is adopted by all levels of government as a consistent standard to insure that food is safe and properly protected and presented at retail and foodservice establishments

Germinate: to evolve from an inactive state to an active state

HACCP plan: means a written document that delineates the formal procedures to following the seven HACCP principles

HACCP team: an interdisciplinary group responsible for developing and implementing the HACCP plan

Hazard: a biological, chemical or physical property that may cause an illness or other health risk

Infection: a disease caused by microbes that invade and multiply in the body, organs, tissues or cells

Intoxication: an illness caused by poisonous chemical compounds produced by some types of plants or animals or through the addition of harmful chemical substances

Pasteurization: heat treatment of foods to reduce the number of bacteria, parasites and virus to safe levels

Pathogen: a disease-causing agent, usually of biological origin.

Plans review: a function of government and a step in the remodeling or design of food facilities to insure compliance with codes.

Person in charge: the person present at the food establishment in charge of the operation

Physical contamination: the presence of foreign objects in food at dangerous or undesirable levels

Potentially hazardous foods: foods which have the qualities necessary to support the rapid growth of pathogens consisting of eggs, seafood, meat, poultry dairy products, cooked vegetables, garlic in oil, sprouts, cut melons and other foods

Preventive measures: an action to exclude, destroy, eliminate, or reduce a hazard or prevent contamination through effective means and physical, chemical or other factors that can be used to control a hazard

Product: the output that a food facility provides to a customer

Risk: the estimate of the likely occurrence of hazards

Scombroid poisoning; a foodborne illness characterized by mild to severe neurological symptoms including tingling in face and extremities, burning or tingling sensation of mouth and lips, rapid heart beat, rash, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and prostration

Severity: the seriousness of a health hazard

Self-inspection: a process by which a food facility identifies, records and corrects critical safety measures and regulatory issues by monitoring food handling practices, equipment and the environment

Sous vide: French for under a vacuum. Foods partially cooked for later service, packaged without air for re-thermalizing at a later step in production

Spore: in a bacterium the hardened seed like structure caused by a thickening of the cell wall allowing the cell to resist drying and harmful environmental effects

Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure: written plans for maintenance, cleaning, personal hygiene, sanitizing, storage, service and receiving that support the HACCP system

Standards: measures to use as a comparison for quality and safety

Toxin: poisonous chemical substances produced by plants, animals, bacteria and virus. Toxin may be produced in the food itself or in the victim

Toxigenixc: capable of toxin production

Traditional inspection: the use of observations and measurement of food hygiene, general sanitation, personal hygiene and facility and equipment maintenance to create healthful conditions

Virulent: describes the degree of capability to cause disease

Virus: an infectious agent that is capable of reproduction only in a host cell

Appendix B: Advisory Board

Mr. Larry Robertson, R.S.

Manager of Specifications and Product Resources

Darden Restaurants

PO Box 593330

Orlando, FL 32859-3330

407-245-4784

FAX 407-245-5173

Debby Newslow ASQC/CQA

Contact Debby Newslow at newsdl@aol.com 
1-888-662-7922
Fax: 407-290-0252

G. Michael Harris, M.S., C.E.C., C.C.E.

Professor of Food and Beverage Management

Bethune Cookman College

640 Dr. Mary McCleod Bethune Blvd

Daytona Beach, Fl 32114-3099

Ph 904 255 1401 ext. 471; FAX 904 257 5960

E mail drchef@bennettandco.com

Appendix C: Contact information

Roy E. Costa, R.S., M.S.

Professor Hospitality and Tourism Institute

Valencia Community College

2694 Magnolia Road

DeLand, Florida 32720

Office: 904 734 5187

FAX: 904 943 9602

George DeMirjian B.S., R.S.

Modern Food Safety Solutions

708-A Cedar Street

Riverton, N.J. 08077

1-888-665-3070

Appendix D: Bibliography

Cichy, R.F. (1994) Quality sanitation management

East Lansing MI

Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Motel Association

Corlett, D.A., and Pierson, M.D. HACCP, Principles and Applications, ed. Chapman and Hall, New York. 1992

Education Foundation of the National Restaurant Association, (1999). ServSafe Course Book,

Food and Drug Administration (1998) Food Code-1997, Recommendations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Tisler, J.M. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (1994) FDA’s application of HACCP to retail food systems.

IAFP (International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians (1991) Procedures to implement the hazard analysis and critical control point system. IAFP document. 502 E Lincoln Way. Ames, IA 50010-6666, USA.

LaVella, B.W., & Bostick, J.L. (1994). HACCP for food service professionals. St Louis, LaVella Food Specialists.

Loken, J.K. (1995) The HACCP food safety manual. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

NFPA. 1995. HACCP. Establishing Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Programs. A Workshop Manual. National Food Processor Association, Washington, D.C.

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (1994). The role of regulatory agencies and industry in HACCP. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 21,187-195.

Schmidt, R.H. (1995) Hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP): overview of principles & application. University of Fl., Gainesville.

Snyder, O.P. (1991) food safety technical standards report. Journal of Foodservice Systems, 6, 107-139.

Appendix E: Associations and Organizations for Future Reference

American Hotel Motel Association

The Educational Institute

800 North Magnolia Avenue

Ste. 1800

Orlando FL 32803

1 (800) 344-4381

The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association

Technical Education Division

250 South Wacker Drive, Suite 1400

Chicago, IL. 60606-5834

(312)-715-1010

1 (800) 765-2122

Food and Drug Administration

Division of HACCP Programs

200 C Street SW

Washington, DC 20204

Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management

830 Transfer Road, Suite 35

St. Paul, MN 55114

(612) 646-7077

International Association for Food Protection

(IAFP)

502 East Lincoln Way

Ames, IA 50010-6666

(305) 977-0767

National Environmental Health Association

720 South Colorado Blvd.

Denver, CO 80222

(303) 756-0909

LaVella Food Specialist

332 Halcyon

St. Louis, MO 63122

(314) 822-9304

FAX (314) 822-9304

John Byrnes

Penn State University

Penn State Cooperative Extension

4601 Market Street, 2nd floor

Philadelphia, PA 19139

Phone: (215) 471-2220

The National Restaurant Association

1200 17^th Street NW

Washington, DC 20336-3097

(203) 331-5900

Contact: National Technical Information Services

Springfield VA 22161 - CALL 1 800 553 NTIS

Norback, Ley & Associates LLC
3022 Woodland Trail
Middleton, WI 53562 USA
Telephone: (608) 233 3814
Fax: (608) 233 3895
Email: nla@norbackley.com
Web Page: www.norbackley.com

Steton Technology Group

2711 Santa Clara Drive

Santa Clara UT 84765

Phone: (435) 656-5655

Fax: 435 656-5860

City of Philadelphia

Office of Food Protection

321 University Avenue

2^nd Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Appendix F- PART I: APPLYING HACCP PRINCIPLES TO A MENU ITEM

Example 1

10 Vidalia onions

1 qt. Cooking oil

2 # 10 cans of mushrooms

12 heads of broccoli

5 lbs of short grain rice

5 # 10 cans of salmon

1 flat of eggs

12 quarts of cream sauce (see recipe)

2.5 lb block of Romano cheese

Cook the rice following the steamed rice recipe and HACCP handling instructions. Prepare cream sauce following the cream sauce recipe and HACCP handling instructions.

1. Dice and sauté onions in oil in tilt skillet

2. Add mushrooms and broccoli, cook 1 to 2 minutes

3. Combine vegetables with cooked rice, drained salmon, and eggs in large steam jacketed kettle (do not cook)

4. Stir cream sauce into salmon, egg, rice and vegetable mixture-mix thoroughly

5. Portion evenly into 10 greased baking pans

6. Top with grated Romano cheese

7. Bake in 350° oven until bubbling

 

can); mushrooms and broccoli (upon cooking).

Example 2.

Create a Food Flow Diagram for Salmon Broccoli Casserole

Identification of hazards of contamination, growth or survival at process steps