Using HACCP in your business

Where to apply HACCP

With its ability to be used throughout the food chain, from primary production to final consumption, HACCP forms a key part of risk-based food safety programmes, such as:

• Risk Management Programmes (RMPs)
• Wine Standards Management Plans (WSMPs).

HACCP applications are relevant to all food sectors, but specific material such as Codes of Practice, guidance documents, models and templates are available for:

• Dairy
• Food service
• Honey and bee products
• Manufacturers of food and beverages
• Meat and game
• Plant products
• Poultry and eggs
• Seafood
• Stores (cold and dry)
• Wine

How to apply HACCP

Implementing HACCP involves applying HACCP principles to the extent possible to all direct processes and inputs within your food operation in line with the 7 overarching principles:

1. Identify hazards — Biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could be reasonably likely to occur in food ingredients should be identified along with available control measures. The MPI hazard database assists with information on reported food safety hazards that can occur in New Zealand food ingredients.
2. Determine critical control points (CCPs) — A CCP is a step at which control can be applied to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
3. Establish critical limits for each CCP — A critical limit provides the measure for separating acceptability from unacceptability at a CCP.
4. Establish CCP monitoring requirements — Suitable monitoring activities are necessary to ensure that the CCP is under control.
5. Establish corrective actions — These are the actions to be taken when monitoring shows a CCP is out of control. That is, a critical limit has been exceeded. Actions include: restoring control at the CCP, making decisions on product disposition, and preventing re-occurrence of the CCP failure.
6. Verifying the HACCP system is working as intended — Within-business verification is required to ensure that your HACCP application is complying.
7. Establish record keeping procedures — HACCP documentation must be correctly maintained, including: identification and analysis of hazards, CCP determination, and critical limit determination. Records are also kept for tracking CCP monitoring, corrective actions taken and HACCP system verification.

More information is available in MPI's HACCP standardisation document:

• Standardisation of HACCP [PDF, 120 KB]

Training and competency in HACCP

The success of HACCP requires full commitment and involvement of management and the work force. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has a unit standard designed for those who are required to have an in-depth knowledge of the application of HACCP principles.

A list of accredited training providers is also provided:

• HACCP principles unit standard — New Zealand Qualifications Authority