Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Training Service | in Dammam - Riyadh - Jeddah - Makkah

1. Introduction to HACCP and Food Safety

• HACCP system evolution including (NASA origins, Codex Alimentarius adoption, global implementation, regulatory requirements)

• Food safety importance including (public health protection, regulatory compliance, brand reputation, economic impact, consumer confidence)

• Foodborne illness overview including (pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, hazard sources)

• Regulatory framework including (Codex Alimentarius, FDA FSMA, USDA FSIS, EU Regulation 852/2004, ISO 22000:2018)

• HACCP benefits including (systematic approach, prevention focus, regulatory compliance, cost reduction, improved quality, market access)

• HACCP team formation including (multidisciplinary expertise, roles and responsibilities, leadership, training requirements)

• HACCP relationship with quality systems including (ISO 22000 integration, GMP, SSOP, prerequisite programs, food defense)

2. Prerequisite Programs Foundation

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) including (facility design, equipment, maintenance, personnel hygiene, sanitation per 21 CFR Part 110)

• Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) including (cleaning schedules, sanitizer concentration, pre-operational inspection, water quality)

• Personal hygiene requirements including (hand washing, health screening, protective clothing, jewelry restrictions, eating and smoking policies)

• Pest control program including (exclusion, monitoring, elimination, documentation, pesticide management)

• Supplier control including (approved suppliers, specifications, certificates of analysis, audits, receiving inspection)

• Allergen management per FDA major allergens including (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame, cross-contact prevention)

• Traceability systems including (lot coding, forward and backward tracing, recall procedures, mock recall exercises)

• Maintenance and calibration including (preventive maintenance, equipment calibration, measurement device verification, documentation)

3. HACCP Preliminary Steps

3.1 Assemble HACCP Team

• Team composition including (production, quality assurance, maintenance, sanitation, procurement, microbiology, regulatory expertise)

• Team leader selection including (authority, knowledge, communication skills, project management, decision-making)

• Training requirements including (HACCP principles, hazard knowledge, regulatory standards, documentation, verification)

• External expertise including (consultants, regulatory authorities, academic institutions, industry associations, when to engage)

3.2 Describe Product and Intended Use

• Product description including (ingredients, formulation, processing methods, packaging, storage conditions, shelf life)

• Intended use including (target population, preparation requirements, consumption method, special populations like infants or immunocompromised)

• Distribution method including (frozen, refrigerated, ambient, distribution chain, retail versus food service)

• Product characteristics affecting safety including (pH, water activity, preservatives, intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors)

3.3 Construct Process Flow Diagram

• Flow diagram development including (receiving, storage, preparation, processing, packaging, distribution, retail)

• Process step detail including (temperatures, times, equipment, ingredients added, critical parameters)

• Decision points including (rework loops, waste streams, hold points, inspection stages)

• Verification of flow diagram including (on-site confirmation, all steps included, accuracy validation, team review)

4. HACCP Principle 1 - Conduct Hazard Analysis

4.1 Hazard Identification

• Biological hazards including (bacteria, viruses, parasites, growth conditions, survival factors, pathogenicity)

• Chemical hazards including (allergens, mycotoxins, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, heavy metals, veterinary drugs)

• Physical hazards including (glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, bone, personal effects)

• Hazard sources including (raw materials, ingredients, processing, environment, equipment, personnel, packaging)

4.2 Hazard Evaluation and Significance

• Severity assessment including (health consequences, vulnerable populations, acute versus chronic, hospitalization, fatality)

• Likelihood determination including (historical data, complaint records, testing results, literature review, expert judgment)

• Risk categorization including (high, medium, low priority, hazard ranking, control necessity)

• Hazard analysis table including (process step, hazard type, significance justification, control measures, CCP determination)

4.3 Control Measure Identification

• Preventive control measures including (elimination, reduction, prevention of contamination, survival and growth control)

• Control measure categories including (formulation controls, process controls, sanitation controls, supplier controls)

• Multiple control measures including (hurdle technology, layered controls, redundancy, fail-safe design)

• Control measure effectiveness including (validation data, challenge studies, scientific literature, regulatory guidance)

5. HACCP Principle 2 - Determine Critical Control Points

• CCP definition per Codex Alimentarius including (step where control essential, prevents/eliminates/reduces hazard to acceptable level)

• CCP decision tree application including (systematic questioning, control measure necessity, reduction/elimination capability, subsequent step control)

• CCP versus control point including (critical for safety, preventive versus corrective, monitoring rigor, documentation level)

• Common CCPs in food industry including (cooking/pasteurization, cooling, metal detection, refrigeration, acidification)

• CCP numbering and identification including (sequential numbering, process step designation, hazard addressed, documentation)

• Multiple CCPs for same hazard including (pathogen reduction cooking, pathogen prevention cold storage, control sequence)

• Validation of CCPs including (scientific basis, regulatory requirements, challenge studies, historical data, expert review)

6. HACCP Principle 3 - Establish Critical Limits

• Critical limit definition including (maximum/minimum value, measurable parameter, safety boundary, regulatory basis)

• Critical limit parameters including (time, temperature, pH, water activity, salt concentration, chlorine level, metal detector sensitivity)

• Scientific basis including (regulatory standards like FDA Food Code cooking temperatures, published research, challenge studies, mathematical modeling)

• Regulatory critical limits including (pasteurization requirements, pathogen reduction standards, chemical residue limits, physical hazard specifications)

• Operational limits including (target values, action levels, buffer zones, process capability)

• Critical limits for biological hazards including (time-temperature combinations, lethality values, aw and pH combinations)

• Critical limits for chemical hazards including (allergen detection limits, maximum residue levels, cleaning chemical concentrations)

• Critical limits for physical hazards including (metal detector sensitivity, X-ray resolution, magnet strength, screen size)

7. HACCP Principle 4 - Establish Monitoring Procedures

• Monitoring definition per Codex including (planned sequence, observations, measurements, CCP control verification, trend detection)

• Monitoring methods including (continuous versus intermittent, online sensors, manual measurements, visual observation, sampling and testing)

• What to monitor including (temperature, time, pH, flow rate, metal detector function, visual characteristics)

• How to monitor including (calibrated thermometers, pH meters, timers, charts, checklists, automated systems)

• Frequency of monitoring including (continuous for critical parameters, batch testing, hourly checks, shift verification, risk-based intervals)

• Who monitors including (designated personnel, trained operators, competency requirements, backup personnel)

• Monitoring records including (values recorded, time stamps, operator initials, corrective actions, trend charts)

• Automated monitoring systems including (data loggers, SCADA systems, alarms, electronic records, real-time alerts)

8. HACCP Principle 5 - Establish Corrective Actions

• Corrective action purpose per Codex including (CCP control restoration, affected product handling, recurrence prevention)

• Corrective action components including (immediate action, product disposition, root cause investigation, preventive measures)

• Product disposition including (hold, rework, reprocess, divert to different use, destroy, release criteria)

• Process adjustments including (parameter correction, equipment repair, ingredient replacement, procedure modification)

• Root cause analysis including (5 Whys, fishbone diagram, investigation depth, systemic issues, documentation)

• Deviation procedures including (supervisor notification, investigation triggering, documentation requirements, review and approval)

• Corrective action records including (deviation description, actions taken, product affected, follow-up, effectiveness verification)

• Regulatory reporting including (reportable deviations, health hazard evaluation, recall consideration, authority notification)

9. HACCP Principle 6 - Establish Verification Procedures

• Verification definition including (methods and procedures confirming HACCP system effectiveness, validation versus verification)

• Validation activities including (CCP adequacy, critical limit sufficiency, monitoring capability, scientific basis confirmation)

• Verification activities including (calibration, direct observations, testing, record review, challenge testing, audits)

• Calibration procedures including (thermometer calibration, pH meter calibration, metal detector verification, frequency, standards, records)

• Testing and analysis including (finished product testing, environmental monitoring, verification of supplier controls, pathogen testing)

• Record review including (monitoring records completeness, corrective action documentation, trend analysis, signature verification)

• Direct observation including (CCP monitoring observation, procedure compliance, employee technique, equipment function)

• Verification frequency including (daily calibrations, weekly record reviews, monthly environmental testing, annual audits, revalidation triggers)

10. HACCP Principle 7 - Establish Documentation and Record-Keeping

• Documentation requirements per FDA HACCP including (HACCP plan, supporting documentation, records, SOPs)

• HACCP plan contents including (product description, flow diagram, hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification)

• Supporting documentation including (validation studies, regulatory justifications, scientific literature, expert opinions, challenge test results)

• Monitoring records including (CCP observations, measurements, operator identification, date and time, deviations)

• Corrective action records including (nature of deviation, actions taken, product disposition, investigation results, preventive measures)

• Verification records including (calibration logs, audit reports, testing results, record reviews, validation studies)

• Record retention including (regulatory requirements typically 2 years beyond shelf life, electronic versus paper, accessibility, protection)

• Document control including (version control, approval, distribution, change management, obsolete document removal)

11. HACCP Plan Development and Implementation

11.1 Writing HACCP Plan

• Plan format and structure including (executive summary, scope, team, product description, flow diagram, seven principles)

• Hazard analysis table including (process step, identified hazards, control measures, significance, CCP determination)

• CCP summary table including (CCP number, hazard, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification)

• Procedural documentation including (detailed procedures, responsibilities, forms, approval signatures)

• Plan review and approval including (team review, management approval, regulatory submission if required, effective date)

11.2 Training and Communication

• Employee training requirements including (HACCP awareness, CCP monitoring, corrective actions, recordkeeping, hygiene)

• Training methods including (classroom instruction, on-the-job training, competency assessment, refresher training)

• Communication systems including (shift handover, deviation reporting, management updates, continuous improvement)

• Training documentation including (attendance records, competency verification, training materials, effectiveness evaluation)

11.3 Implementation Challenges

• Resistance to change including (employee buy-in, cultural shift, resource constraints, competing priorities)

• Resource requirements including (equipment, testing, personnel time, training, documentation systems)

• Monitoring compliance including (supervision, audits, accountability, performance indicators)

• Continuous improvement including (lessons learned, system updates, emerging hazards, regulatory changes)

12. HACCP Audits and Regulatory Compliance

• Internal HACCP audits including (audit planning, checklist development, document review, site inspection, reporting)

• Audit scope including (plan adequacy, implementation effectiveness, record accuracy, corrective action closure, prerequisite programs)

• Regulatory inspections including (FDA, USDA, local health departments, preparation, cooperation, follow-up)

• Third-party certification including (GFSI schemes like SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, audit process, corrective action response)

• Non-conformance management including (finding classification, root cause analysis, corrective action plans, verification)

• HACCP plan modifications including (process changes, new hazards, regulatory updates, validation results, annual review)

• Recall readiness including (recall plan, mock recalls, communication protocols, product retrieval, effectiveness verification)