Is HACCP only Applicable to Professionals?

IS HACCP ONLY APPLICABLE TO PROFESSIONALS?       PART 2

Re-cap                                                                              

In part 1 of this subject, I explained the paper work involved in practicing HACCP professionally. 

If identifying all these critical control points is so important to ensure food safety standards, what happens when all these carefully taken measures are done away with at home?

Well, as a consumer we trust the manufacturer, especially when they have a HACCP logo on their packaging label. When we come home after the purchase, we open the packaging. Maybe we use a part of it, store the balance in the refrigerator and that is it. 

Let us look at this example.  When a manufacturer uses a table model can opener and the internal part of the opener (where the knife is placed) is rusty, this becomes a critical control point by HACCP standards and the manufacturer will be required to rectify this Critical Control Point by replacing the can opener with one made of full stainless steel.

Practicing HACCP at Home                                                                   

When we have the same issue at home, there is no more issue. Because 

nobody realizes or notices that some rust in a can opener is actually not too good for you and your family.

Surely we all hold the health of our family at heart. Practicing full HACCP at home is unthinkable. We simply do not do that. 

Practicing good hygiene and keeping some of the HACCP principles in mind is however a good idea.

Implementing:

                                                                 

Re-packing is a good practice, when you use part of a product from a can, you will not be able to close the can again. If that is the case place the balance content of the used can in a vacuum pouch and vacuum. 

If it is liquid (soup for example), you can freeze the balance in the pouch and vacuum after freezing.

                                                                              

Re-Pack

Most if not all of products available in the market can be treated this way. Products bought in jars, cans and other types of packaging. The products do not only stay in better condition but their shelf life is prolonged and they will not be subjected to hazardous bacteria that accumulate on the inside of jar lids and lids of half opened cans anymore. 

When you pre- prepare foods before vacuuming, ensure that your work station is clean and that you do not mix raw and cooked food products. Clean chopping boards and utensils before use and when you switch from meat to fish to fruit to vegetables. Best is to use dedicated chopping boards but not everyone does or can do that.  

                                                                      

Find your Vacuum Sealer  www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca

Keep your vacuum sealer clean especially the seal strip. It is likely you do not use the vacuum sealer everyday and it is therefore important that hazardous bacteria have no accumulation opportunities during storage of the machine.

Applying HACCP principles will help you to achieve better home cooking practices. Your vacuum sealer is a perfect tool and aids you again.

The question was:

Is HACCP applicable at home? Yes it is, nobody expects you to fill in all the forms like manufacturers are required to do. The main principle of HACCP is food safety and that is something that can be achieved. 

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn

Is HACCP only Applicable to Professionals

IS HACCP ONLY APPLICABLE TO PROFESSIONALS?       PART 1

What is HACCP

HACCP means, the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points.

It is a system designed to improve manufacturing standards in food safety, hygiene and traceability. HACCP is a system of prevention and not meant to check on finished products. We can actually split the abbreviation HACCP into half.

Hazard Analysis means, to analyze what the hazards are, and Critical Control Points means, identifying where the hazards occur and take preventive measures to avoid future occurrences.

Practicing HACCP in food manufacturing

Practicing HACCP involves an extensive flow of paper work, starting at the very beginning of the manufacturing process until the product is ready for packing. HACCP is designed to detect shortcomings in the manufacturing process that may have been practiced without the knowledge of the manufacturer.

Practice is, every single step an ingredient goes through during manufacturing is recorded and must be accounted for. If during HACCP inspection by external inspectors the manufacturer fails to explain the absence of record of one of the steps, that step becomes a critical control point to be rectified.

Required steps to follow                           

An easier understanding is made with a practical example. 

Let’s say you manufacture tomato sauce and you use canned tomatoes as an ingredient. You are not responsible for the manufacturing of the tomatoes but you are responsible for the purchases you make buying cans of tomatoes from a by you chosen trusted supplier. Your HACCP record must therefore show:

1. Brand and supplier of the tomatoes

2. Delivery date

3. The date when you used the tomatoes (if not the total delivery, then how much of it)

4. In which production batch you used the tomatoes and when (a batch number must show that)

5. What you made with the tomatoes (in this example tomato sauce)

6. Identification of packing (retail or direct end user e.g. restaurant)

7. Where the batch went to and when (your customer)

Every step of the procedure has a form and personnel responsible have to record the required information on the forms. every form has again a number of details that needs recording. From your storekeeper until customer service that received the order of purchase.

Traceability                                                        

The whole objective is to make a product traceable with this paperwork and for an external auditor to be able, provided all parties involved follow the HACCP system, to actually quickly find the source of an unwanted occurrence. 

This means that when a person becomes ill from eating a pizza in a restaurant with your tomato sauce on it, the source and when and how this happened can quickly be found to curb the possible recurrences of the mishap.

Many, often too many steps in the food supply chain are not traceable. HACCP makes food production safer and with that more people are getting a better understanding of good manufacturing practices.

In part two of this subject I have a look as to how we can apply HACCP in home cooking and the function of a vacuum sealer in the HACCP process.  

www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca 

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn