HACCP

HACCP stands for the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. In 1995 the FDA issued seafood regulations based on the principles of HACCP. HACCP was developed in response to new challenges in food safety in the United States. One of the most important challenges was the increasing number of food pathogens - the direct cause of food-borne illness. There is also an increasing public health concern about chemical contamination of food. Finally, the need for HACCP is further fueled by the growing trend and varying standards involved in international trade.

HACCP is a preventive system of hazard control, rather than a reactive one. HACCP ensures food safety by identifying hazards, establishing controls, and monitoring the controls. The seven principles of HACCP include:

1. Conduct a hazard analysis.
2. Identify the critical control points in the process (CPP)
3. Establish critical limit for the preventive measures with each CCP identified.
4. Establish CCP monitoring requirements.
5. Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates a deviation.
6. Establish procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working correctly.
7. Establish effective record-keeping procedures that document the HACCP system.