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Compliance / HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

HACCP is an internationally recognized, systematic preventive approach to food safety. Originally developed in the 1960s by the Pillsbury Company, NASA, and the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories to produce safe food for spaceflight, it is now codified in the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969, Rev. 2020) and referenced by FDA, USDA-FSIS, and regulators worldwide.

The seven HACCP principles

1

Conduct a hazard analysis

Identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards reasonably likely to occur and the preventive measures to control them.

2

Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)

Points in the process where control can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

3

Establish critical limits

Set maximum or minimum values (e.g., temperature, time, pH) that a CCP must meet to control the identified hazard.

4

Establish monitoring procedures

Schedule and method for measuring CCPs against critical limits, with assigned responsibility.

5

Establish corrective actions

Pre-defined steps to take when monitoring shows that a critical limit has been exceeded.

6

Establish verification procedures

Activities, other than monitoring, that confirm the HACCP plan is working effectively (audits, calibration, testing).

7

Establish recordkeeping & documentation

Maintain records of the hazard analysis, the HACCP plan, monitoring, corrective actions, and verification.

Temperature as a Critical Control Point

For chilled and frozen foods, temperature is almost always a CCP. The FDA Food Code sets refrigerated time/temperature control for safety food at 41°F (5°C) or belowand frozen food in a frozen state. Cooking, cooling, and reheating each carry their own critical limits. Continuous monitoring removes the gaps inherent to manual paper logs.

How FreshPulse helps

  • Continuous CCP monitoring with calibrated edge sensors.
  • Digital critical-limit alarms with documented corrective actions.
  • Automated verification reports and calibration records.
  • Tamper-evident, time-stamped records ready for any inspector.

Official sources

This page is informational only and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Always consult the original Codex and FDA texts and a qualified food safety professional.