HAZARD ANALYSIS: The process of collecting and evaluating information on hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide which hazards are significant for food safety and therefore should be addressed in the HACCP Plan.
B.K.Kolita Kamal Jinadasa, Research Officer, Post Harvest Technology Division, NARA, Colombo-15, Sri Lanka.
How then we do go about conducting a hazard analysis? It is basically 3 steps.
Hazard identification:
List all potential hazards associated with the product, raw materials and ingredients.
List all potential hazards at each processing step from receipt of raw materials to release of the finished product.
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Hazard identification Hazard evaluation. ¾ Establish control measures. ¾
Hazard identification – HOW?
Brainstorming session by HACCP team. Product description.
Hazard evaluation:
Identify the significant hazards at each step in the process.
y Nature & characteristics of product. y Raw materials & ingredients used. y Packaging storage & distribution. y Intended use & consumers.
Production flow diagram. y Activities conducted at each processing step. y Equipment used. y Potential cross-contamination & process delays.
y A hazard is significant if its prevention, elimination or
reduction to an acceptable level is essential to the production of a safe food.
The significance of each hazard should be assessed by considering its risk & severity.
Risk:
A hazard is significant & must be controlled if it is:
y Estimate of the probability or likelihood of occurrence of
a hazard.
y Reasonably likely to occur
Severity:
y Likely to result in an unacceptable health risk
y The seriousness of the adverse health consequences
(serious adverse health effects) to consumers.
or effects of a hazards.
Hazard significance:
Establish control measures:
Hazard severity
Describe the control measure (s), if any, which can be applied to each significant hazard.
Control measures are factors & activities that can be used to prevent or eliminate a foodsafety hazard, or reduce it to an acceptable level.
Significant hazard
High
Low Hazard risk Low
High
Control measures:
A control measure should be:
More than 1 control measure may be required to control a specific hazard.
A property of the product at that step (e.g. pH, water activity).
More than 1 hazard may be controlled by a specific control measure.
Or a feature of the process being carried out at that step (e.g. cook time & temp).
No effective control measure for a significant hazard – modify product formulation, process or step.
That can be measured & can be manipulated & controlled.
Examples of Control Measures:
Biological Hazards:
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Time/temperature control
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Heating/cooking
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Cooling/freezing
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Fermentation &/or pH control
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Addition of salt, other preservatives
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Drying
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Source/supplier control (e.g. raw materials from noncontaminated sources, microbiological specification)
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Inactivation/removal (e.g. freezing/candling for parasites)
Examples of Control Measures: Physical Hazards: ¾ source/supplier control (e.g. vendor certification, raw material testing).
Examples of Control Measures: ¾ ¾ ¾
Chemical Hazards source/supplier control (e.g. vendor certification, raw materials testing) production control (e.g. proper use & application of food additives) labeling control of finished products (e.g. sulphites in shrimps)
HAZARD ANALYSIS WORKSHEET: Ingredient/ Production step
Potential Hazard(s)
Biological Chemical
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production control (e.g. use of metal detectors, sifter screens, magnets, x-ray equipment)
Physical Biological Chemical Physical
Risk analysis:
Risk assessment. Risk management.
Risk communication.
Significant Justification Control Hazardfor decision in Measure(s) for Yes/No column 3 Significant Hazard
