Design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan to assure the safety of a bologna product produced by a meat processing plant
Bou Rached, L.; Ascanio, N.; Hernández, P.
Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion 54(1): 72-80
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-0622 PMID: 15332359 Document Number: 583300
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic integral programme used to identify and estimate the hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) and the risks generated during the primary production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption of foods. The development of an HACCP system has advantages, viz. it emphasizes more on the prevention than on the detection; diminishes costs; minimizes the risk of manufacturing faulty products; allows bigger trust to the management; and strengthens national and international competitiveness. The present work is a proposal based on the design of an HACCP program to guarantee the safety of bologna (special type) through the determination of hazards (microbiological, chemical or physical); identification of critical control points (CCP); establishment of critical limits; planning of corrective actions and the establishment of documentation and verification procedures. The methodology used to obtain the design of this programme was based on the 7 basic principles set by the Codex Alimentarius. In view of the fact that meat products have recently been linked to pathogens like Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, the HACCP plan included them as microbiological hazards in meat production.