HACCP system and how to apply it in food facilities in Saudi Arabia

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: It is a preventive system for assessing food safety risks and identifying critical control points in the manufacturing process that must be controlled to ensure product safety. It can be applied in all types of food facilities in Saudi Arabia such as (food manufacturing or packaging plants of all kinds – restaurants – central kitchens – hotel kitchens – retail stores that handle or store food – feed factories – and other facilities that handle, manufacture or deal with food. The HACCP system is the main pillar of food safety management systems (ISO 22000). However, before implementing the HACCP system, initial conditional programs must be applied, the most important of which are cleanliness, disinfection, pest control, facility planning, personal hygiene for food handlers, equipment preventive maintenance, equipment sanitary design, etc.

In the 1960s, Pillsbury, the main supplier of space food to NASA, was looking for an effective system to ensure food safety to astronauts during their flights, created what is called the HACCP system and since then it has developed and spread until it became the main pillar of any food safety management system.

The HACCP system is applied through 12 steps, including 5 preparatory and initial steps followed by 7 basic principles.

First: The five preparatory and initial steps for implementing the HACCP system

Step 1: Assembling the HACCP team:

It is a multidisciplinary team with the necessary training and experience to develop the HACCP system and has a leader. The following specializations must be present in the team:

• Production Specialist: to contribute to the details of production processes.
• Quality and Food Safety Specialist: has a good understanding of microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards.
• Maintenance Specialist: has practical knowledge of the manufacturing equipment design and its operation and the risks it may pose.
• Others: such as a purchasing or sales specialist.

Step 2: Product Description:

In which all the properties of the final product related to food safety are determined, namely: product name – ingredients or recipe – biological, chemical, and physical properties – shelf life – storage conditions – packaging – data card information – distribution method.

Step 3: Determine the intended use and users:

Here you must determine who the targeted individuals are – handling and preparation steps – and expected consumption methods

Step 4: Create a flow chart:

It is a graphical representation of the food production sequence steps from receiving raw materials to distribution. When creating flow charts, it must include the sequence of all manufacturing steps, raw materials, packaging materials, and re-operation

Step 5: Verify the flow chart on the ground:

The HACCP team verifies the accuracy of the flow charts by reviewing them on the ground during all stages and operating hours and modifying the flow chart when necessary.

Second: The Seven Principles of HACCP

Step 6 / Principle 1: List potential hazards, conduct a risk analysis, and develop control measures:

The HACCP team develops a list of biological, chemical, and physical hazards, and allergens for all manufacturing steps using information sources such as databases, scientific references, and legal requirements.

Then the level of each hazard is evaluated by its likelihood of occurrence and the severity of its effects on the consumer to determine the significant hazards (which of these hazards is necessary to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to acceptable levels to produce safe food).

Then we develop control measures for this hazard, which may be a measure from one of the above initial conditional programs or additional control measures within the manufacturing process.

Step 7 / Principle 2: Identify critical control points:

A critical control point is a step in which the necessary control measures are applied to control a significant hazard, as deviation in this step can lead to the production of unsafe food, critical control points can be identified through a decision tree such as the pasteurization step for milk, which eliminates the hazards Biological

Step 8 / Principle 3: Establish validated critical limits for each critical control point:

For each critical control point, the critical limits that separate the safe and unsafe product are determined, such as temperature and the time required for pasteurization.

The critical limits must be determined from scientific or legal references.

Step 9 / Principle 4: Establish a monitoring system for each critical control point:

Monitoring critical control points is the scheduled measurement or observation of critical limits at specific time intervals for the critical control point. The monitoring system includes (monitoring rate – monitoring instructions – monitoring officer).

Step 10 / Principle 5: Corrective actions:

Written corrective actions are established for each critical control point in the HACCP system to respond to deviations effectively. The actions taken include identifying and isolating the affected product. The decision is either to remanufacture (such as pasteurization) transfer the product to another use (such as animal feed) or destroy (such as when the product is contaminated with toxins).

Step 11 / Principle 6: Validation and Verification:

A. Validation of the HACCP plan:

Before implementing the HACCP plan, it is necessary to prove the validity of the critical limits and control procedures for each critical control point. This is done through references, scientific research, and validation studies.

B. Verification procedures:

After implementing the HACCP system, procedures must be put in place to ensure that the system is working effectively. These procedures include many activities such as reviewing the records of monitoring the control points, calibrating measuring instruments (such as a thermometer), analyzing samples, reviewing customer complaints, or internal audits on HACCP.

Step 12 / Principle 7: Documentation and record keeping:

Records and documents made during the implementation of the HACCP system must be kept, and thus we have a system that ensures the safety of products in our facilities.

Guidance for Consulting and Training

We have the knowledge and experience to help institutions and individuals comply with the requirements of the Saudi Standards and Quality Organization, the Food and Drug Authority, and other entities that impose legal and mandatory requirements in the Saudi market.

To qualify your facility, train its personnel and fulfill the required documents to implement the HACCP system.