HACCP Certification | HACCP Process & Preventive Control Plan Compliance

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. It is a process designed to assure food safety, prevent problems, increase food safety standards, ensure you comply with the law, and organize your process to produce safe food. A HACCP plan consists of 7 principles, including:

• Hazard Analysis
• Identifying Critical Control Points (CCP)
• Establishing Critical Limits
• Observing And Tracking Procedures
• Corrective Actions
• Verification Protocols
• Documentation & Record Keeping

These principles may seem obvious but implementing and maintaining them through a food organization is a significant undertaking and, in some cases, an organizational cultural shift (possibly a transformational change) that starts from the management level who needs to integrate the HACCP plan into the organization.

PCP stands for Preventive Control Plan, which is similar in some respects to a HACCP program. But PCP focuses more on written documentation and traceability aspects to identify and control risk to food and food animals. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a PCP allows you to:

• identify and describe the biological, chemical, and physical hazards associated with food
• document how you intend to control hazards
• provide information you can use to develop your plan
• demonstrate through records that you have implemented in your plan

Preventive Controls must be in place as part of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). To determine if a HACCP or PCP program is right for your organization and how we can implement one of these programs to fit your food-related activities, feel free to contact us.

HACCP and PCP require organizations (food manufacturers, food transporters, food importers, food storage facilities, and food caterers) to be compliant with certain standards and processes in their system for HACCP certification. Since HACCP is a food safety and quality management system, any firm that is working in the industry must apply for HACCP certification. For the successful accreditation of the certificate, they need to complete HACCP audits.

Process Improvements- HACCP certification helps in improving processes and reducing customer complaints.

Better Understanding- The certification allows a better understanding of issues related to food packaging throughout the organization.

Global Standards- You’ll follow an auditable, clear, global standard to bring together all parts of your Food Safety Management System.

Reduction of Product Recall- Proper implementation of HACCP and PPC setup will reduce product recall, product withdrawal, re-process of food, non-compliance issues, and non-conformances.

Whether you need to comply with the Canadian Preventive Control Plan (PCP) requirements or seek Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)certification, you will need HACCP. Our experts will help you get your food manufacturing or food warehousing business HACCP-certified by developing a comprehensive HACCP plan and implementing your food safety system to pass a certification audit.  Moreover, we ensure your Preventive Control Plan (PCP) stays compliant with the SFCR.

1. Chemical hazards
2. Allergens
3. Microbiological hazards like yeasts, viruses, or molds
4. Physical hazards

A critical control point is defined as a step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level. The potential hazards that are reasonably likely to cause illness or injury in the absence of their control must be addressed in determining critical control points.

The Food Safety Enhancement Program (FSEP) is one example of a type of preventive control plan (PCP). FSEP is based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles and, for many years, this program has been implemented by meat, dairy, processed fruits and vegetables, shell eggs, processed eggs, honey and maple food operators as well as hatcheries. FSEP specifies the requirements for an effective HACCP system to ensure food is prepared under sanitary conditions and is safe to eat.

Prerequisite programs are steps or procedures, including GMPs and SSOPs, which control the operational conditions within a food establishment and promote environmental conditions that are favorable for the production of safe food. Prerequisite programs are the foundation of a Food Safety/HCCP system.

The records also need to include information about the HACCP plan. Record should include information on the HACCP Team, product description, flow diagrams, the hazard analysis, the CCP’s identified, Critical Limits, Monitoring System, Corrective Actions, Recordkeeping Procedures, and Verification Procedures.