Guidelines for HACCP implementation

As participants in the food chain, which extends from primary producers to consumers, EFFCA members apply the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles in order to guarantee the safety of their products.

Based on the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius, the HACCP procedures identify specific hazards at various points of the production process and set out preventive measures for their control. HACCP programs can be adapted to changes occurring in equipment design, processing procedures or technological developments.

In the guidelines prepared and adopted by EFFCA members (1), it is specified that :

• Each EFFCA member carries out the HACCP analysis under its own responsibility,
• Rules set in the HACCP User Guide published by the European program FLAIR must be followed (2),
• Possible hazards to customers must be carefully studied before starting an HACCP analysis,
• Analysis must be conducted for each step of the production line from the industrial strain collection to the final product, including transportation and storage.

The Guide lists the points that must be analysed : raw material and packaging material ; production equipment, including probes ; environment (working rooms) ; personnel ; media preparation ; heat treatments (sterilization, pasteurization) ; fermentation ; transfers ; liquid cultures as finished
products ; cleaning.

The Guide also deals with the quantitative evaluation of risks based on the consequences of the possible damages and the probability of their occurrence.

Probability can be measured by reference to company documentation, literature and statistical data.

Control of the HACCP analysis procedures must be carried out after every modification in process or changes in official regulations and, at least, every two years.

All documents pertaining to the monitoring of the HACCP system must be kept in the firm's documentation together with working instructions, records and procedures of the quality system (ISO 9000);

HACCP documents are internal documents.

(1) EFFCA Guidelines for HACCP implementation – EFFCA – 20-22 rue Brunel - CS 70080  – 75017 PARIS CEDEX 17 – Tel : 33 (0) 1 56 60 47 22 – Fax : 33 (0) 1 56 60 47 09

(2) HACCP User GUIDE – SEQUAL – 191 rue de Vaugirard – F – 75015 PARIS –
Tel : 33 (0) 1 45 66 99 44