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What is HACCP?

HACCP is a way of managing food safety hazards. Food safety management procedures should be based on HACCP principles.

HACCP involves:

  • Looking closely at what you do in your business, what could go wrong and what risks there are to food safety
  • Identifying any critical control points, the areas a business needs to focus on, to ensure those risks are removed or reduced to safe levels
  • Deciding what action to take if something goes wrong
  • Making sure that procedures are being followed and are working
  • Keeping records to show procedures are working

It is important to have food safety management procedures that are appropriate for your business.

Explaining hazards

A hazard is anything that is likely to cause harm. A food hazard is something that could make food unsafe or unfit to eat. It’s important that you are able to assess the risk in your business where hazards could be present so they can be removed or reduced to safe levels.

There are three main types of food safety hazards:

Microbiological

Involving harmful bacteria

Chemical

Involving chemical contamination

Physical

Involving objects getting into food

Allergen

Involving identification and control of cross contamination