HACCP IMPLEMENTATION - A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEHACCP PLAN

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is winery acknowledged as the best method of assuring product safety and is becoming internat ionally recognized as a tool for controlling food borne safety hazards . There is much activity in the field of HA CCP but this is focused pr imarily on the generation of a HA CCP plan (principles 1-5). Although generation of the HACCP plan is a vital part of the HACCP process it i s just the beginning and must be implemented on the factory floor to b ecome a working system. This implementation cart be a difficult and ti me consuming part of the HA CCP process and is an area many food busin esses struggle with. In this paper we break down this implementation p rocess into three distinct elements, transfer of ownership of the HACC P plan, training to implement the plan and maintenance of the plan. Th e transfer of ownership of the plan is important because it is unlikel y that the HACCP study team will be responsible for the day to day run ning of the HACCP plan ir I the factory. This will normally be done by line operators or supervisors and it is important that they understan d the role of HACCP and are committed to it. Training of personnel is essential to ensure supervisors, managers and operators are able to ef ficiently implement the HACCP plan. Training should cover topics such as the sources of hazards, the role of CCPs, the controls and monitori ng procedures for which the individuals are responsible, and the docum entation requirements. The final element is the maintenance of the HAC CP plan. A system to pick up changes to the product and the process sh ould be in place which triggers a review of the HACCP plan before chan ges are made. This allows the change to be evaluated to ensure it does not introduce uncontrolled, or uncontrollable, hazards to the line. ( C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.