HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. HACCP is an industry-wide effort approved by the scientific community as well as regulatory and industry practitioners. This effort is designed to focus specifically on food safety, including food safety in retail establishments.
This training manual has been designed to provide a simple and logical approach for introducing a HACCP-based food-safety training program for employees of retail establishments. The manual provides the necessary information and references for developing a HACCP plan. Such a plan is intended to produce a system having a step-by-step analysis and resulting in procedures to be followed, including the much-needed documentation of those procedures.
The first five chapters introduce basic information about HACCP and its relationship and applications to retail food operations. An important aspect of these chapters is the information related to prerequisites to HACCP and the Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) in retail stores. These first chapters will help first-tier managers understand the importance of, and responsibility associated with, such a program. Mangers will find the information they need to form executive decisions that promote food safety.
Chapters six and seven deal specifically with aspects related to understanding the HACCP principles and creating HACCP plans. In these chapters, the biological, physical, and chemical hazards of the different food categories are identified. The seven HACCP principles are presented and discussed. This information leads to the creation and the implementation of a HACCP plan, including the requirements of the plan, the HACCP team, products and categories, employee training records, and recall procedures.
Preparing the HACCP plan is the initial step. Once the plan has been prepared, it is necessary to validate and verify that the plan works after it is implemented. Chapters 8 and 9 discuss the implementation of the plan and maintaining the plan. Chapter 10 provides sources of regulations pertaining to HACCP.
Chapter 11, the last chapter, consists of the appendices that support the HACCP program. Included are examples of the tasks that are to be performed and supporting information on the technical and regulatory aspects of the HACCP plan. These appendices are provided to give examples to help the retail store in how to prepare, implement, and practice the HACCP concept.
Having a HACCP plan in place and following it will result in practices that will aid in further ensuring safe food for consumers as well as providing proof of those safe practices through documentation.
Authors and Acknowledgements | Chapter 1 | Table of Contents