Chapter 21
The HACCP and FSO Systems
for Food Safety
Among the desirable qualities that should be associated with foods is freedom from infectious
organisms. Although it may not be possible to achieve a zero tolerance for all such organisms under
good manufacturing practices (GMP), the production of foods with the lowest possible numbers is the
desirable goal. With fewer processors producing more products that lead to foods being held longer and
shipped farther before they reach the consumers, new approaches are needed to ensure safe products.
Classic approaches to microbiological quality control have relied heavily on microbiological determinations of both raw materials and end products, but the time required for results is too long for many
products. The development and use of certain rapid methods have been of value, but these alone have
not obviated the need for newer approaches to ensuring safe foods. The hazard analysis critical control
point (HACCP) system is presented in this chapter as the method of choice for ensuring the safety of
foods from farm to table. The outline of a newer concept, Food Safety Objective (FSO), is presented.
When deemed necessary, microbiological criteria may be established for some ingredients and foods,
and these in connection with sampling plans are presented as components of the HACCP system.
HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEM
The concept and early history of the HACCP system are presented in the previous edition of this
text. The presentation that follows is not intended to be used alone to establish an HACCP program
in either a food production plant or food service establishment. For these purposes, a more detailed
HACCP reference should be consulted.
4,7,9,13,14,24 More general information and background can be
found in references 5, 18, 22, 23.
The objective of this section is to provide a general overview of what HACCP is, and examples of
how one might go about setting up an HACCP system.
HACCP is a system that should lead to the production of microbiologically safe foods by analyzing
for the hazards of raw materials—those that may appear throughout processing and those that may
occur from consumer abuse. It is a proactive, systematic approach to controlling foodborne hazards.
Although some classic approaches to food safety rely heavily on end product testing, the HACCP
system places emphasis on the quality of all ingredients and all process steps on the premise that safe
products will result if these are properly controlled. The system is thus designed to control organisms
497
The HACCP and FSO Systems
for Food Safety
Among the desirable qualities that should be associated with foods is freedom from infectious
organisms. Although it may not be possible to achieve a zero tolerance for all such organisms under
good manufacturing practices (GMP), the production of foods with the lowest possible numbers is the
desirable goal. With fewer processors producing more products that lead to foods being held longer and
shipped farther before they reach the consumers, new approaches are needed to ensure safe products.
Classic approaches to microbiological quality control have relied heavily on microbiological determinations of both raw materials and end products, but the time required for results is too long for many
products. The development and use of certain rapid methods have been of value, but these alone have
not obviated the need for newer approaches to ensuring safe foods. The hazard analysis critical control
point (HACCP) system is presented in this chapter as the method of choice for ensuring the safety of
foods from farm to table. The outline of a newer concept, Food Safety Objective (FSO), is presented.
When deemed necessary, microbiological criteria may be established for some ingredients and foods,
and these in connection with sampling plans are presented as components of the HACCP system.
HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP) SYSTEM
The concept and early history of the HACCP system are presented in the previous edition of this
text. The presentation that follows is not intended to be used alone to establish an HACCP program
in either a food production plant or food service establishment. For these purposes, a more detailed
HACCP reference should be consulted.
4,7,9,13,14,24 More general information and background can be
found in references 5, 18, 22, 23.
The objective of this section is to provide a general overview of what HACCP is, and examples of
how one might go about setting up an HACCP system.
HACCP is a system that should lead to the production of microbiologically safe foods by analyzing
for the hazards of raw materials—those that may appear throughout processing and those that may
occur from consumer abuse. It is a proactive, systematic approach to controlling foodborne hazards.
Although some classic approaches to food safety rely heavily on end product testing, the HACCP
system places emphasis on the quality of all ingredients and all process steps on the premise that safe
products will result if these are properly controlled. The system is thus designed to control organisms
497