HACCP

HACCP = Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

Hazard means the risk or danger of disease, injury or similar harm to human/animal health.

Hazard Analysis is the analysis of the likelihood of contamination of food, beverages, food and feed, including the raw materials used to produce them. The severity of this contamination is assessed, as well as why and how the hazard arose.

Critical Control Points (CCPs) are critical control points that indicate a specific stage of production, marketing or circulation at which there is a risk of contamination of food, drink, food and feed, and which we seek to control and eliminate the emerging hazard.

"The implementation of procedures based on HACCP principles is a statutory obligation that applies to the entire food chain from the field (agriculture, primary production) to the fork (final consumer)".

HACCP is a term based on the English name "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points" or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. Perhaps the best translation to describe what HACCP refers to is: "A system of critical points for controlling hazards based on analysis." It can be said to be a kind of system of precautionary measures designed to ensure the wholesomeness of food, beverages, food and feed during all activities related to the production, processing, storage, handling, transport and sale to the final consumer ('placing on the market' means holding food or feed for sale, including offering for sale or any other form of transfer, whether free or for consideration, as well as sale, distribution and other forms of transfer as such).

In the Czech Republic, the abbreviation HACCP quickly became part of the vocabulary of the professional and lay public, but in legislation we meet with the designation "System of Critical Points". The critical points system specifies the means and procedures necessary to prevent hazards that could endanger the health of the consumer before they can manifest themselves. It consists of anticipating and preventing biological, chemical and physical hazards rather than controlling finished products/raw materials.

The HACCP system can be applied throughout the food and feed chain (food processing plants, food service, food stores and warehouses) and in some areas of the feed industry and related areas such as packaging, tools, machinery and equipment, additives, cleaning and disinfectants. The Codex Alimentarius principles are taken as a basis, with the addition of requirements for improvement planning and system verification. The system identifies, evaluates and controls risks that could affect the safety of food, feed and foodstuffs. It is a prevention-based quality and safety management system for food, feed and foodstuffs.

Critical points are the technological sections, processes or operations in the production, distribution and sale of food, feed or foodstuffs where there is the highest risk of a breach of the health safety of the product. These points become the most important control points, which are monitored and evaluated or managed to eliminate possible contamination (e.g. compliance with technological procedures - heat treatment, cooling, freezing, handling of raw materials, crossing of clean and unclean parts of the operation, etc.). For each critical point, so-called critical limits are defined, which are characteristics (usually physical quantities such as product temperature) and values that must be monitored (e.g. maximum/minimum permissible temperature) and recorded.

The general requirements for the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and the conditions for its certification are set out in Ministry of Agriculture Bulletin No 2/2010 (September 2010).

The legislative requirements are based on Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs and Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down requirements for feed hygiene.

After the certification audit, a separate certificate is issued for each establishment.