HACCP Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures

For a successful HACCP program to be properly implemented, management must be committed to a HACCP approach. A commitment by management will indicate an awareness of the benefits and costs of HACCP and include education and training of employees. Benefits, in addition to enhanced assurance of food safety, are better use of resources and timely response to problems.

Record-keeping and documentation procedures should be simple to complete and include information that illustrates that the established standards are being met. Employees need to be trained on the record-keeping procedures and why it is a critical part of their job. Examples of records include time/temperature logs, checklists, forms, flowcharts, employee training records, and SOP's.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There is no formula for success, except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings." - Arthur Rubinstein (Polish-American pianist who is widely considered as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century, 1887 - 1982)

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Honey, they've shrunk the grocery packaging

A couple of weeks ago we talked about shrinking groceries and how less costs the same or more than it did before. Not all shrinking packages are a bad thing, as some packages can get smaller and/or use less overall materials without reducing the amount they hold.

This week, a look at shrinking grocery packaging that doesn't mean getting less for more.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters." - Francisco Goya (Aragonese Spanish painter and printmaker, 1746 - 1828)

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HACCP Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures

Examples of the successful implementation of HACCP by food establishments may be found throughout the food industry. During the past several years, FDA and a number of state and local jurisdictions have worked with two national voluntary pilot projects for retail food stores and restaurants. These projects involved more than 20 food establishments and demonstrated that HACCP is a viable and practical option to improve food safety. FDA believes that HACCP concepts have matured to the point at which they can be formally implemented for all food products on an industry-wide basis.

Verification procedures are activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan. An important aspect of verification is to determine if the plan is scientifically and technically sound. Also, that all the hazards have been identified and that, if the HACCP plan is properly implemented, these hazards can be effectively controlled. Verification can be accomplished by expert advice and scientific studies and observations of the flow of food, measurements and evaluations. Another means of verification is an on site review of the established critical limits. Each CCP will have one independent authority. This verification step provides an opportunity to make modifications to the plan if necessary.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures .

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Now what else is the whole life of mortals but a sort of comedy, in which the various actors, disguised by various costumes and masks, walk on and play each one his part, until the manager waves them off the stage?" – Erasmus (aka Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, Dutch humanist and theologian, 1466 - 1536)

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Honey, they've shrunk the groceries

Think carefully: when's the last time you actually bought a half-gallon container of ice cream? Many ice cream containers moved from 2 quarts to 1.75 quarts a few years ago. Recently, some have been reduced in size again to 1.5 quarts.

Somebody stop the madness!

This week, we look at the shrinking size of some groceries.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." - Lao-tze (philosopher of ancient China and a central figure in Taoism)

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HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "food code" or "food book") is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety under the aegis of consumer protection. The Commission's main aims are stated as being to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade. HACCP was adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1997.

If the criteria for a CCP is not being met, some type of corrective action must be taken. They must meet the standards established in Step 3, must be based on facts for normal working conditions and be measurable. Corrective actions may range, for example, from "continue cooking until the established temperature is reached" to "throw out the product," depending on the severity of the situation. HACCP plans should include who is responsible for implementing the corrective action and what corrective action was/will be taken, and they should be established in advance as part of the HACCP plan.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects." - Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories, 1854 - 1900)

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Beware of Bug Bites and Stings

Summer. Warm weather. Sunny days. Fishing. Bugs in your beer. Mosquitoes. Ticks. Ugh.

Hey, if it were all butterflies, dragonflies and lightning bugs, life would be grand. This week, we look at bug bites and stings.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Nothing is permanent in this wicked world. Not even our troubles." - Charles Chaplin (British actor, director, & screenwriter, 1889 - 1977)

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HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements

Traditional inspection is relatively resource-intensive and inefficient and is reactive rather than preventive compared to the HACCP approach for ensuring food safety. Regulatory agencies are challenged to find new approaches to food safety that enable them to become more focused and efficient and to minimize costs wherever possible. The advantages of HACCP-based inspections are becoming increasingly acknowledged by the regulatory community.

Monitoring is a plan which includes observations or measurements to assess whether the CCP is being met. It provides a record of the "flow of food" through the establishment. If monitoring indicates that the critical limits are not being met, then an action must be taken to bring the process back into control. The monitoring system should be easy to use and meet the needs of the food establishment, as well as the regulatory authority. It is important that the job of monitoring be assigned to a specific individual and they be trained on the monitoring technique.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton (English writer whose prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography and fantasy, well noted for his "Father Brown" stories, 1874 - 1936)

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