Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic and preventive approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates, and controls potential hazards in the food production process. Developed to ensure the safety of food for astronauts, HACCP has become a widely accepted and applied method in various food industries around the world. It is based on the principle of identifying and addressing hazards at critical points within the food production process, from raw material acquisition to consumption.

The key principles of HACCP include:

1. Hazard Analysis:
   • Identify and assess potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards that may occur at any stage of the food production process. Hazards can include microbiological contamination, allergens, chemical residues, and physical hazards such as foreign objects.
2. Critical Control Points (CCPs):
   • Determine the critical control points in the process where control measures can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the identified hazards to acceptable levels. A critical control point is a step or procedure at which control can be applied, and if the control is lost, a hazard can occur.
3. Establish Critical Limits:
   • Set critical limits for each critical control point, which are the maximum and minimum values to which a biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard.
4. Monitoring:
   • Establish monitoring procedures to observe and measure critical control points at specified intervals. This helps ensure that the process is under control and that critical limits are being met.
5. Corrective Actions:
   • Develop corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates that a critical limit has not been met. This involves identifying the cause of the deviation, taking corrective actions to bring the process back into control, and addressing the affected product.
6. Verification:
   • Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working effectively. This involves periodic reviews, testing, and evaluations to ensure that the system is preventing or controlling hazards.
7. Documentation and Record Keeping:
   • Maintain documentation of the HACCP plan, including hazard analyses, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities. Accurate record-keeping is crucial for demonstrating compliance and facilitating audits.

HACCP is widely used in the food industry to meet regulatory requirements and ensure the production of safe and high-quality food products. It is a preventive approach that focuses on identifying and controlling potential hazards before they can cause harm, rather than relying solely on end-product testing. The application of HACCP principles is often a prerequisite for certification in various food safety management systems, including ISO 22000.