Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a food safety management system that is widely used around the world, including in Malaysia. HACCP implementation in the Malaysian food industry has become increasingly important over the years, as it helps to ensure that food products are safe for consumption and free from contamination.
HACCP is a systematic approach to identifying and controlling hazards that can potentially cause foodborne illness. It involves seven principles, which are:
- Conduct a hazard analysis
- Determine critical control points (CCPs)
- Establish critical limits
- Implement monitoring procedures
- Establish corrective actions
- Implement verification procedures
- Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures
In Malaysia, the implementation of HACCP is highly recommended for all food manufacturers and processors, including those involved in the production of halal food products. This is to ensure that food products are safe and meet the requirements of the Malaysian Food Act 1983 and the Food Regulations 1985.
Step-By-Step Guide to Implement HACCP in your Production
Step 1: Hazard Identification
The implementation of HACCP in the Malaysian food industry starts with a thorough assessment of the production process, from the raw materials to the finished product. The first step is to conduct a hazard analysis, which involves identifying and assessing potential hazards at each stage of the production process. This includes identifying biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could potentially cause harm to consumers.
Step 2: Determine critical control points (CCPs)
Critical Control Points (CCPs) are the points or steps in the production process where control measures can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce potential hazards to an acceptable level. For example, if a food product is known to be contaminated with a pathogen that could cause illness, a CCP could be the cooking process, where the temperature and time of cooking is carefully controlled to ensure that the pathogen is eliminated.
Similarly, refrigeration may be identified as a CCP for a food product that needs to be kept at a certain temperature to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Packaging can also be a CCP, as it can prevent physical and chemical hazards from contaminating the food product.
Other examples of CCPs in the food industry include the washing of raw ingredients, the sterilization of equipment, and the use of preservatives. By identifying these critical control points, appropriate control measures can be put in place to prevent potential hazards from causing harm to consumers.
Step 3: Establish critical limits
Critical limits are the specific conditions or criteria that must be met to ensure that the hazard identified at the CCP is controlled or prevented.
For example, if the CCP identified is cooking for meat products, the critical limit could be the minimum temperature and time required to ensure that harmful bacteria are eliminated. This means that during production, the cooking process must reach and maintain the minimum temperature for the required duration to eliminate the hazard.
Step 4: Implement monitoring procedures
The purpose of monitoring is to verify that the process is under control and that the hazard identified at the CCP is being controlled within the critical limit.
The monitoring process is typically conducted at regular intervals, and it involves the use of physical and chemical measurements, observations, or testing. For example, a thermometer may be used to measure the temperature of the food product during the cooking process, or a pH meter may be used to monitor the acidity level of a food product during production.
Step 5: Establish Corrective Action
If the monitoring process indicates that a critical limit has not been met, corrective actions must be taken immediately to bring the process back under control. Corrective actions may include reworking or discarding the product, adjusting the process, or conducting additional testing.
For instance, if the cooking temperature of a meat product falls below the critical limit, the corrective action could be to cook the product for an additional amount of time or to discard the product entirely.
Step 6: Implement verification procedures
Verification is the process of evaluating the effectiveness of the HACCP plan to ensure that it is working as intended and is meeting its objectives. Some common verification activities that can be implemented in a HACCP plan include reviewing the critical control point (CCP) monitoring records to ensure they are being completed correctly and accurately, conducting periodic audits to ensure that the HACCP plan is being followed and is effective, and conducting product testing to ensure that it is safe for consumption.
Step 7: Establish documents & records
Keeping records and documents allows us to keep track of all the activities related to the HACCP plan. Some examples of documents and records that should be kept are
- Hazard analysis records (the likelihood and severity of its occurrence, and the steps taken to control it)
- CCP monitoring records
- Corrective action records (documents that record any deviations from critical limits and the actions taken to correct them)
- Verification and validation records (such as audits, inspections, and testing records)
- Calibration records
- Training records
- Supplier records
- Product traceability records (documents that detail the traceability of the finished product, including the lot number, production date, and distribution records)
Conclusion
Overall, HACCP implementation in the Malaysian food industry is essential to ensure that food products are safe for consumption and meet regulatory requirements. By following the seven principles of HACCP, food manufacturers and processors can identify and control potential hazards, resulting in safer and higher quality food products for consumers.
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