Examination of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles specifically related to meat and poultry; microbiological and process overviews; good manufacturing practices (GMP) and standard operating procedures (SOP) development; team-building and implementation into industry operations.
1. To introduce the student to the principles of HACCP, GMPs and SOPs.
2. To identify potential hazard categories&emdash; biological, chemical and physical&emdash; that pose a threat to foods (primarily meat and poultry) and characterize the control points or critical control points that can be monitored to effectively reduce or eliminate the hazards.
3. To assemble and lead a team to prepare a basic HACCP plan as an exercise to understand the steps and team dynamics necessary to design and implement a HACCP program at the plant level.
The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is a concept developed to prevent food safety problems from occurring rather than trying to identify them after they are present. HACCP was first extensively utilized to assure food safety by the Pillsbury Company in response to requirements imposed by NASA for "space foods" produced for manned space flights beginning in 1959. Today, through efforts by industry and government scientists, HACCP has become a system built on a solid foundation that can be used to identify hazards and ways to reduce or eliminate their entry into the food chain.
HACCP to date has been a voluntary program for food processors. However, rules have finalized by USDA and USDHHS to make HACCP mandatory for the nation's meat, poultry and seafood processors. This government mandate will necessitate the extensive training for industry managers in HACCP. More importantly, this mandate requires that HACCP and its underlying principles be taught at Texas A&M to students who must be prepared to design and implement HACCP plans in industry.
HACCP is a systematic approach to food safety consisting of seven principles:
1. Conduct a hazard analysis.
2. Identify the critical control points (CCPs) in the process.
3. Establish critical limits for preventive measures associated with each identified CCP.
4. Establish CCP monitoring requirements.
5. Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates that there is a deviation from an established critical limit.
6. Establish effective record-keeping procedures that document the HACCP system.
7. Establish procedures for verification that the HACCP system is working correctly.
The Food Processors Institute. 1995. HACCP: Establishing Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Programs, A Workshop Manual, 2nd Ed. (K.E. Stevenson and D.T. Bernard, Eds.). The Food Processors Institute, Washington, DC.
National Research Council. 1985. An Evaluation of the Role of Microbiological Criteria for Foods and Food Ingredients. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
NACMCF (National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods). 1992. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 16:1-23.
International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF). 1988. Microorganisms in Foods. 4. Application of the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system to ensure microbiological safety and quality. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, U.K.
This course will be team-taught by professors with backgrounds in HACCP, meat and poultry processing, and microbiology. Lectures will consist of delivery of basic material as well as group discussions led by professors and students.
Two in-class tests will be given throughout the semester (see Lecture Outline). These will be designed to determine the general understanding and specific retention of HACCP principles and concepts through the use of knowledge recall and problem solving exercises.
Students will be required to develop a Final HACCP plan for a specific process. Documentation describing elementary good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be attached to the plan.
Students will make presentations over their plans at various times during the semester. The following scorecard is how each presentation will be graded:
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_____ Presentation medium (5 points) |
Visuals such as slides or overheads |
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_____ Principles addressed (5 points) |
Thoroughness |
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_____ Preparation and responses (5 points) |
Sufficiency of knowledge base |
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_____ Overall assessment (5 points) |
Clarity of presentation |
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_____Total (20 points) |
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September 2 |
Course syllabus review and introduction to HACCP |
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September 4 |
HACCP regulatory overview |
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September 9 |
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) |
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September 11 |
Chemical and physical hazards and sampling |
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September 16 |
Microbiological hazards |
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September 18 |
Microbiological sampling |
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September 23 |
Process review & flow chart development |
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September 25 |
Process review & flow chart development |
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September 30 |
Team building |
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October 2 |
Team building |
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October 7 |
Process review & flow chart development |
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October 9 |
Grade A&emdash; In-class exam |
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October 14 |
Flow diagram construction |
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October 16 |
Work session |
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October 21 |
Principle 1&emdash; Conduct a hazard analysis & Principle 2&emdash; Identify the CCPs in the process |
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October 23 |
Work session |
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October 28 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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October 30 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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November 4 |
Principle 3 &emdash; Establish critical limits & Principle 4 &emdash; Establish CCP monitoring requirements & Principle 5&emdash; Establish corrective actions (Grade C&emdash; written plan over Principles 1, 2 & 3 due) |
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November 6 |
Work session |
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November 11 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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November 13 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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November 18 |
Principle 6&emdash; Establish effective record-keeping & Principle 7&emdash; Establish verification procedures |
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November 20 |
Work session |
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November 25 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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November 27 |
Thanksgiving Holiday |
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December 2 |
Grade B&emdash; Team presentations |
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December 4 |
Grade D&emdash; Seven Principles of HACCP in-class exam |
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December 9 |
Implementing HACCP, GMPs and SOPs |
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December 16 |
Grade E&emdash; HACCP Plan due |
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