If you operate a business that potentially impacts the health and safety of food consumers, then you know that having a proper plan in place to safeguard food originating from your facilities is vital. While this is particularly important for points of origin for various types of meat or dairy products, it is also more generally important for any business that handles food.

HACCP is one systematic approach to identifying and controlling potential points of contamination. While it is not the only such approach, it is well established, internationally recognized, and science-based, and so it is rapidly becoming a global industry standard.

What is HACCP?

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. As the name implies, this is a system which focuses primarily on risks. Critical control points refer to points in any production or preparation process where a failure to adhere to proper safety procedures has the potential to cause harm to consumers. In HACCP parlance, this is referred to as a critical control point exceeding its critical limits.

In addition to being risk-centric, HACCP is a consumer-centric system as well. This means that the focus when identifying critical control points is on identifying areas where potential dangers will trickle down to consumers, no matter how far removed from final food consumption your facility is in the production chain.

The ultimate purpose of using HACCP is to create a food plan that not only identifies these risks but also establishes methods for monitoring them and correcting issues as they are detected. This plan additionally provides methods for verification and record keeping.

Who Needs a HACCP Plan?

If your business operates in New Zealand, then the Food Act 2014 likely requires you to have an established food control plan. There are various specific requirements that your food control plan must meet depending on the type of food that your business handles.

The New Zealand MPI offers a tool that you can use to determine the specific food plan requirements for your organization. Depending on the type of business that you run, you may be able to use a simple template food plan to fulfill your requirements.

Do Your Employees Require HACCP Training?

HACCP is a valuable system for use in any business that deals in food preparation or production, so having a management-level employee with HACCP training is generally beneficial. If your business is required to develop a custom food plan, however, HACCP training is vital. Since your plan will need to be independently evaluated, it will pay off over the long run to do it right the first time.

Having one or more employees trained in HACCP is not only useful for the initial creation of your plan but also to ensure that it is followed as a part of normal operations. Ultimately, HACCP training NZ can help to ensure both that your business adheres to regulations and that it operates as safely as possible.