Food Safety Program Based on HACCP Principles by Ramadan Badran

GOALS FOR TODAY Understand how to write a HACCP Plan Understand the Manual you received. Utilizing the forms in the Appendix, begin writing your school/district’s HACCP, or Food Safety Plan.

Purpose of a Food Safety Plan Serving safe food is a critical responsibility for child nutrition programs and a key aspect of a healthy school environment. Keeping foods safe is also a vital part of healthy eating and a recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. When properly implemented, food safety programs will help ensure the safety of school meals served to humans across the environment.

HACCP’s Seven Principles Identify Hazards 2. Identify Critical Control Points 3. Establish Critical Limits Establish Corrective Actions Establish Monitoring Procedures 6. Establish Verification Procedures 7. Establish Record Keeping Procedures

Advantages of HACCP A food safety program based on HACCP Principles helps to reduce or eliminate potential food safety hazards and: Protects your customers Improves control of food processes

Advantages of HACCP, continued Provides a defense against complaints and legal action Complies with the law for Child Nutrition Programs Provides a process for continuous self-inspection and self-improvement

A HACCP approach helps to: Identify foods and procedures most likely to cause food borne illness Develop procedures to reduce the risk of an outbreak Monitor processes to keep food safe Verify that food served is consistently safe

Developing a Food Safety Plan Establish a food safety team Develop a program description Assess and strengthen prerequisite programs Assess standard operating procedures Develop standard operating procedures Determine the food processes for your menu

Developing a Food Safety Plan, continued Establish corrective actions Establish monitoring procedures Establish verification procedures Establish record keeping procedures Develop your written plan Develop a plan for employee training Establish Corrective Actions

Establish a Food Safety Team Elect one person to be “in charge” Engage all food service employees Share ownership Increase motivation Employee contributions are important

Establish a Food Safety Team, Continued Team is responsible for Assessment of current operations Development of the food service plan Implementation of the food service plan

Develop a Program Description Collect information needed to write plan Who is being served How is production accomplished How do facilities & equipment impact food production and service How food is purchased & stored

Assess Current Program Need strong foundation Assess prerequisite programs Prerequisite programs need to be in place before a HACCP based program can be effective. See Appendix B – Required Program Assessment

Assess Current Program, Continued Develop Standard Operating Procedures SOPs must be specific to each site and each type of production What Why How When Who See Appendix C – SOP Checklist See Appendix D – Sample Standard Operating Procedures – Pages 16 through 36

Determine the Food Processes for your Menu Categorize menu items No Cook Step – No cooking is done, so the menu item does not go through the temperature danger zone. Same Day Service – The menu item takes one complete trip through the temperature danger zone (during cooking) and is served. Complex Food Preparation – The menu item goes through both heating and cooling, taking two or more complete trips through the temperature danger zone. See Appendix E – Menu Worksheet

Determine the Food Processes for your Menu, continued Identify what measures need to be taken to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard from occurring. Control Measure – Any means taken to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards. Critical Control Point (CCP) – Operation (practice, preparation step, procedure) to which a preventative or control measure can be applied that would eliminate, prevent, or minimize hazards. Critical Limits – The time and/or temperatures that must be achieved or maintained to control a food safety hazard. See Page 7 of the Resource CNF/SNA

Establish Corrective Actions Preplanned (written) Procedures What problems might occur What specific action should take place Who will be responsible for the action Who will document the corrective action steps

Establish Monitoring Procedures Monitoring is critical Written documentation Remember, if it has not been written down, It has not been done!

Establish Verification Procedures Confirmation that a food safety program is working Provides the needed information to maintain an effective program update the program as needed

Establish Record Keeping Procedures The record keeping system should be: Simple Part of the daily/weekly routine Accurate Comprehensive Kept for at least one year (some districts choose to keep them for 3 years as they do other records) See page 9 of SNA/CNF handouts

Employee Orientation & Training Employee Orientation (new hire) Food safety concepts Signed by employee & supervisor Kept on file Ongoing and Progressive Appendix H, I, J, K

THE BOTTOM LINE ! ! EVERY STEP, FROM PROCUREMENT TO CLEAN – UP, MUST BE EVALUATED TO ENSURE THE FOOD SUPPLY FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS IS SAFE.