Australia’s HACCP programs are based upon criteria established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standard setting body established jointly by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
There are seven fundamental steps in HACCP aimed at identifying hazards in food production, controlling hazards at critical control points in the process, and verifying that the system is working properly. The key element of the HACCP system is its preventive nature, meaning that potential food safety hazards are controlled throughout the process.
The seven fundamental steps in HACCP are:
- Hazard assessment,
- Critical control point (CCP) identification,
- Establishing ‘Critical Limits’,
- Monitoring procedures,
- Corrective actions,
- Documentation
- Verification process.
When these seven components work in concert, any indication that contamination or other loss of control issues have surfaced triggers a plan of action ensuring that potential hazardous products do not reach the consumer.