In the era of global integration, products of the same kind must inevitably face intense competition. For survival and sustainable development on the market, the presence and application of a quality management system is of great significance to businesses and food processing facilities. In particular, the HACCP standard is considered a common system and is widely applied in Vietnam as well as the world.

What is the HACCP standard?

The HACCP standard, which stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe, and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level.

In many countries around the world, the HACCP standard is considered a mandatory criterion for the food processing industry. In Vietnam, this is equivalent to standard TCVN 5603:2008

What is the HACCP standard?

Why is HACCP important in the food industry?

The importance of HACCP is proven as it helps control any potential hazards throughout the food production process. By identifying and addressing possible hazards, manufacturers can ensure that their products are safe for consumption.

• The HACCP standard is the foundation of international law and manufacturing practice in all areas related to the food industry.
• This is the basis for authorities to consider and create favorable conditions for businesses in announcing compliance with food hygiene and safety regulations, at the same time reducing inspection frequency for establishments and periodic supervision on shipments.
• This is also the groundwork to help create favorable conditions for businesses in negotiating and signing domestic and export contracts.

The importance of HACCP in the food industry

Examples of HACCP standards

The principles set forth in the HACCP series can be effectively applied from farm to table. For example, a pasteurized milk facility needs to meet the following requirements:

• At the livestock farm, it is necessary to select and control the water as well as feed sources used in the feeding process. At the same time, procedures and measures are provided to ensure livestock health and the farm’s sanitary system.
• In the processing stage, there must be a clear working process to ensure that the pasteurized fresh milk is not contaminated from preliminary processing to the finished product, including how the milking process is carried out, storage temperature, pasteurization process, how the mixing stage is done, etc.
• At the storing stage, pasteurized milk must be stored at regular temperature in a separate storage area. It should not be stored in areas that are likely to contaminate the product.
• During transportation, the manufacturer must take actions to control where it is stored, distributed, and transported.
• At the stage of consumption, the product’s points of sale must have appropriate sanitation and storing systems according to the characteristics of the products. At the same time, the manufacturer must have instructions (usually printed on the package) so that consumers know how to use it correctly, preventing health related risks.

Basic structure of the HACCP standard

The basic structure of HACCP is divided into 10 parts:

1. Target
2. Scope of application and definition
3. Initial phase
4. Facility: Design and means
5. Operational control
6. Facility: Maintenance and cleaning
7. Facility: Personal hygiene
8. Transportation
9. Product information and consumer insights
10. Training

Apart from the above structure, the HACCP standard also includes an appendix which is considered as an orientation to help enterprises deploy and apply HACCP effectively in food safety management.

Principles of HACCP

The HACCP standard is built on 07 principles:

Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis. This principle needs to be followed throughout every stage of production, each potential hazard is identified and its severity is assessed to establish appropriate hazard control measures.

Principle 2: Determine the critical control points (CCPs). Each critical control point determines the preventive measure.

Principle 3: Determine critical limits of CCP such as temperature, time, pH,… and other critical limits that are capable of preventing, eliminating or reducing the hazard to acceptable levels.

Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures. Monitoring is a planned sequence of observations, identification, or measurements to assess whether a CCP is under control and to produce an accurate record for future use in verification.

Principle 5: Establish corrective actions. When a critical limit deviates, corrective actions should be established accordingly. This principle is set in order to eliminate products that do not ensure food safety during processing and production.

Principle 6: Establish verification procedures to ensure that any plan is effective in preventing identified hazards.

Principle 7: Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures to demonstrate that critical limits have been fully met and that the system is under control.

HACCP consists of 7 principles

The application of HACCP standards in Vietnam

To build a food safety management system that meets HACCP standards, businesses need to implement the 7 principles of HACCP as this is the basis for effective hazard analysis and critical point control.

The application of HACCP standards can vary depending on the actual situation of each firm. Regardless, the development of HACCP plans must follow 12 basic steps:

Step 1: Assemble the HACCP Team/Food Safety Committee. The HACCP team members must be well-trained, with proficient knowledge and experience to develop and apply the HACCP system.

Step 2: Describe the food (structure, ingredients, packaging methods, preservation methods, etc.) and its distribution. This is the basis for firms to build templates for future food safety control.

Step 3: Describe the intended use and consumers of the food to ensure that critical limits are appropriately established and controlled.

Step 4: Develop a flow diagram which describes the technological processes applied in the enterprise in a complete, clear and comprehensive way.

Step 5: Verify the flow diagram, ensuring that the diagram correctly reflects the process’ operations in reality.

Step 6: Analyze possible hazards and determine appropriate precautions to reduce the impact or to eliminate those hazards.

Step 7: Identify possible critical control points through the CCP decision tree. This is a logical and scientific diagram that businesses can apply to accurately identify CCPs at each stage of the same specific production and processing cycle.

Step 8: Establish critical limit points to eliminate or control a hazard that may occur in a certain CCP throughout operation.

Step 9: Establish monitoring procedures to ensure each CCP is controlled.

Step 10: Take corrective actions for each specific CCP to ensure their availability when a certain CCP goes unchecked.

Step 11: Implement procedures to validate, test, and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the HACCP system and its records.

Step 12: Develop record keeping procedures to ensure that HACCP plans are fully controlled.

New Star Paper is a company that produces paper cups and paper straws, applying modern production lines that are HACCP & ISO 22,000 certified. At New Star Paper, we use clean, environmentally friendly materials to deliver quality products, ensure health and safety for the community. For order-related queries and consultation, please contact our Hotline: 0364 667 155