HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, method and principles of food safety management

HACCP: definition

HACCP
=
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

The HACCP is before a whole method, a working tool, but is not a standard. A standard is a descriptive document, prepared by consensus and approvedl by a recognized organization of standardization (ISO for example).The origin of the HACCP proves that it is not a standard.

In addition, owing to the fact that the principle of the continuous improvement (the wheel of Deming, the PDCA) was included in the method, we can also define the HACCP as being a system of management.

The HACCP is so a system which identifies, evaluates and controls hazards which are significant to food safety (NF V 01-002).

Based on 7 principles, the installation of the HACCP is done while following a logical sequence of 12 stages, of which hazard analysis and determination of the critical control point (CCP).

The HACCP is interested in the 3 classes of hazards to food hygiene :

• biological hazard (virus, bacteria...)
• chemical hazard (pesticides, additives...)
• physical hazard (wood, glass...).

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