HAZARD ANALYSIS OR CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS (HACCP)

Hazard Analysis or Critical Control Points (HACCP), enforced by such agencies as the US Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a scientific process control system for eliminating contaminants at critical areas in the food production and distribution process.

HACCP helps to prevent, as close to 100 percent as possible, harmful contamination in the food supply. To ensure safer food, the HACCP system is designed to conduct biological, chemical and physical hazard analysis; identify preventive measures and critical control points; establish critical limits; monitor critical control points; establish corrective action when deviations occur; and establish a record-keeping system and verification procedure.

HACCP requirements, endorsed by the United Nations Codex Alimentarius, European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, apply to meat, seafood and poultry plants; grocery stores; restaurants; and other food processing and handling facilities.