Critical Review of HACCP: Strengths, Limitations, and Systems

This report provides a critical review of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, a systematic approach to food safety management. It begins with an introduction to HACCP, its principles, and its role in identifying and controlling hazards in food production. The report then delves into the benefits of HACCP, such as enhancing consumer confidence, reducing production costs, and facilitating record-keeping. However, it also acknowledges the limitations, including the need for technical resources and its focus primarily on safety rather than quality. The report further explores other food safety systems like FSSC, GAP, ISO22000, IFS, and SQF. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of food safety and the widespread adoption of HACCP principles globally, highlighting its flexibility and practicality in ensuring consumer food safety. The report also references various sources to support the critical review of HACCP.

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Critical Review of Haccp
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Introduction
Hazard analysis and critical control point is a systematic approach approved by codex
Alimentarius commission to detect and provide actions for hazard control in food production
(Soman, 2016; pp. 1-7). It identify hazards and provide measures that aims at prevention or
reduction of hazard to an acceptable levels. This paper aim at critically providing an evaluation
of effectiveness HACCP plan providing the limitation and strength of the approach in the
management of the hazards in the food production and safety management. This would also
touch on other systems adopted in safety pursuit in food production.
Hazard include any physical, chemical or biological conditions that would put the life of
consumers at risk when they consume the food (Hanumakonda, 2018; pp. 89). It focuses on
prevention rather than relying on the end product testing.
HACCP is applied all the way in the production cycle from the reception of the raw
material to the finished product. Implementation is monitored and should be guided on the
scientific basis (Mosher, 2016, pp.243). HACCP application should be compatible with other
standards systems like ISO 9000 for the proper administration systems of ISO 22000 in food
safety management systems. HACCP procedures and protocols are contained in a HACCP plan
which is a document prepared at each stage of production to manage hazards associated to that
level (Trafialek, 2014, pp.35-44)
It contain seven major principles; hazard analysis, identification of critical control points,
establishment of the critical limits, system to monitor ccp, corrective actions, procedures for
verification, and finally documentation and record keeping protocols. CCPs are those stages in
the production line where hazard must be controlled since management at the subsequent stages

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is difficult. Limits includes physical parameters like pressure, temperatures and time that are
altered to manage the hazards (Dzwolak, 2014, pp.132-137).
Benefits and Limitations of HACCP.
The core goal of HACCP in the production cycle is the protection of consumers’ safety
through prevention and reduction of the hazard to an acceptable levels. Although its focus is this
benefit, it has many benefits associated to its application as discussed in detailed at this part of
the paper (Kolanowski, 2014, pp.35-44)
Haccp help in the uplifting the consumer confident for the product and the company.
Customers’ safety is guaranteed. This benefit the product developers. Consumers tend to be
moved by products that are safer. This increases the sales and in return benefits the company
(Mensah, 2011; pp.1216-1225).
HACCP approach reduces the cost of production through reduction of the product
damages and reworks. This also reduces the time of production and enable the producers to hit
the target. Reworks arises as a results of damages leading to substandard products that call for
another chance in the production cycle. A good example is the Jam. It might fail to set or thicken
as a results of failure to observe the cooling and processing temperatures (Cavusoglu, 2017,
pp.124-130).
It reduces the risks of the recalls and withdrawals from the market. Low standard or
damaged products are always withdrawn from the market shelves. This action is associated with
the heavy insurance and liabilities. Proper HACCP applications helps in the avoidance of these
scenarios. Small sachet jam and sauces should always be packed under aseptic conditions.

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Whenever this step is avoided or skipped, products will bulged in the market shelves as a results
of multiplication of microbial load in the packet (Yuksel, 2017, pp.124-130)
The approach facilitate in the record keeping and documentation. This is a good
discipline when it comes to keeping evidence for future references. The progress at every ccp
point are kept on record. This aids in the solving of the similar problems that may arise in the
future. Haccp reduces and simplify the procedures by the authority for inspection because the
record keeping is already done (Korada, 2018, pp. 1-2)
HACCP provides a consistent product with high quality. This helps in the expansion of
the market share for the product and also increases the sale revenues. This is as a result of the
consumer confident on the products. HACCP at all the stages provides confidence on the
conformance of the product to the requirements and guidelines (Putta, 2018; pp.12-16)
Despites HACCP having lot of benefit in the guide to safety, it also has some limitations
and weaknesses. Haccp requires technical resources like humans and materials that may not be
there for use. It is costly to hire some of these resources and this leads to increased cost of
productions (Hanumakonda, 2018, pp.122-123)
HACCP system is concern only on safety and not quality. It ignore other status that are
very important to the product like quality. It deals with the safety of the consumers and not
quality. This can leads to products that are safe but are of poor quality (Varzakas, 2014, pp.124-
130)
The approach is time consuming. It involves the verification of the all steps in the
production cycles and this may be time consuming and sometimes fail to produce the answers. It
demands for the concentration of all the participants in the food production right from the farm

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levels to the table. This however, is not the case and in most of the time it is left at the hands of
the food processors who sometimes may avoid this approach in order to save on the cost
(Varzakas, 2014, pp.124-130)
HACCP demands for the technical detailed data which is updated regularly. This in most
of the cases is not possible because the training of staffs for this activities might take time. This
provide a challenge when the trained staffs are not available (Domselaar, 2017; pp.91-94).
Other Systems
Most systems are used all over the world in place of HACCP. These systems are used
with a goal to achieve maximum safety to the consumers on consumptions of the products.
Systems applications vary in different countries. Some of the systems are acceptable in some
nations while not acceptable in other countries (Hanumakonda, 2018, pp.122-123)
Food safety system certification standard (FSSC). This aims at integrating the
ISO22000:2005 in the food management systems standards. It is widely used in the food and
drinks industry around the world. This system is approved by the global food safety initiative
(GFSI) (Kinchla, 2015; pp. 308-317).
Good agricultural practices (GAP). This aims at the incorporation of clear procedures and
methods in the farm production. Certification to this standard provide terms for food safety and
quality and it ensure that the fresh produces meet the standard of acceptable chemical residues in
terms of the chemical, pesticides and fertilizer applications on the produces (Bashor, 2015; pp.
308-317)
ISO22000. This provides standards in the whole chain of production right from the farm
to the end product use. It involves the food systems management standards that guides every

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stage of food production. Unlike haccps, this system is very comprehensive and practical
(Micallef, 2017; pp.45-50)
IFS food standards- this system is specifically designed for retailer food products. Its
main intention is to evaluate supplier food safety and quality systems. It enables the
harmonization of both the suppliers and the retailers. This system is more specific compared to
HACCP and less inclusive (Bashor, 2015; pp. 308-317)
PAC system- this is based on HACCP and its main aim is on the packaging systems. The
system compared to HACCP is less inclusive and it is only relied when it comes to packaging
materials.
GMP system- this include all the practices that should be observed in the conformation of
the guidelines specified for manufacture of food products. It provide guidelines to ensure the
products are safe for consumption. This compared to HACCP is very inclusive and it include
everything even the facilities hygiene and equipment (Moody, 2015; pp. 315-317)
SQF- safe quality food system aims ensuring the quality food production emphasizing on
the Haccp principles. It provides independent certifications for food safety complying with the
international standards (Griffiths, 2017; pp. 450-456)
Food safety is very important when it comes to health. Food borne disorders in food pose
a threat to the lives of thousands of consumers around the world. Haccp is applied separately in
the prevention of physical, chemical and biological hazards (Moody, 2015; pp.315-317).
Chemical hazards includes postcodes residuals that are harmful to the consumers. Example of
these are mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and ochratoxins. Biological hazards include the group of
microorganisms that leads to food illness or food intoxication (Scotti, 2018, pp.12-17)

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Food illness is instigated by ingesting of food containing microbes that multiply when
they get into GIT. Food intoxificaton on the other hand is produced by the feeding of the food
containing microbes leading to excretion of toxins through metabolism. Physical hazards include
metal fragments and unwanted physical residues on the food (Scotti, 2018, pp.45-47)
Haccp is applied at each point and as specified by the Codex Almenterius commission.
HACCP applications follows a number of order. It starts by assembling of the HACCP team
which includes all the departments in the firm. This team is mandated with surveillance in the
process to identify the hazards. Description of the product is done to elaborate the safety
standards required. This involve the pH, water activity and acceptable microbial load. This is
followed by identification of the intended users of the products. It assist in the putting up on the
measures to control the hazards (Scotti, 2018, pp.237-238)
Different groups of consumer has different standards for food. Construction of the flow
diagram indicating the whole process. This helps to identify all the stages of the production.
After the confirmation of the flow diagram all the hazards associated with each steps are
highlighted and measures are put in place to manage the hazards. Critical control points are
determined by adoption of the decision tree diagram (Scotti, 2018, pp.97-100)
Generic Haccp model is used for specific products. Haccp system is approved and
acceptable in many countries. Most of the systems have been adopting haccp principles in the
management of the food safety. Food safety is managed systematically right from the reception
of the material to the finished products. The process ensure the quality is of the sound safety that
in turns leads to quality improvements (Bashor, 2015; pp. 308-317)

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Revision of the HACCP is done with assistance of the trained staffs. This helps in the
maintaining of the process safety leading to the safe products to the consumers.
Conclusion
HACCP should be a management system where safety of food is addressed by
identification of biological, physical and chemical hazards along the food chain. The system is
designed to be used in all sectors of food industry. It involves prerequisite systems like GMPs
which aids in the designing of the HACCP plan. This principles have been widely accepted and
is being practiced all over the world. This system consist both the benefits and limitations. Due
to its massive applications and acceptability it is evident that the benefits outrides the limitations.
Haccp is flexible and very practical in consumer food safety.
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Series). Food Protection Trends, 35(4), pp.308-317.

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Dzwolak, W., 2014. HACCP in small food businesses–The Polish experience. Food
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