Name:
HACCP: Hazard analysis and critical control points

Description:
Food companies have a legal obligation to apply the principles of HACCP.

HACCP is a method to be applied by companies to guarantee the safety of their food products. This method is based on two important aspects: analysis of hazards (HA = hazard analysis) and determination of the points in the production process where these hazards are effectively controled (CCP = Critical Control Points).

The HACCP philosophy can be summarised in seven important principles:

1. The possible hazards inherent to a product are determined. Here, account is taken of both microbial hazards (product decay) and contamination (chemical impurities as well as foreign objects).
2. The points in the production process where the hazards can be effectively controlled must be established as critical control points (for example a sterilisation process).
3. For these critical points, limit values are set which must be respected (for example the minimum and maximum temperature and the duration of the sterilisation process).
4. At each of these points, the danger is controled by measuring the operation of the installation.
5. Corrective measures are established in advance, to be applied in case measurements indicate a deviation.
6. The whole system must be regularly monitored for its effectiveness and adapted to changes to the process or the product.
7. All operations in the company must be registered.

Manager:
The HACCP principles and guidelines for its application are included in the CODEX ALIMENTARIUS of the FAO and WHO.

Referenties :
Contact person Belgium: Mr Benoit Horion
Address:
FA Public Health, Safety of the Food Chain and Environment
DG Animal & Vegetable production and Foodstuffs
Arcadegebouw, 4de verdieping
Pachecolaan 19, bus 5
B-1010 Brussels
Tel: +32(0)2 210.46.18
Fax: +32(0)2 210.48.16
E-mail: benoit.horion@health.fgov.be
The web: www.belgium.be