Companies producing food products require food safety training. The methods used in handling food substances from the moment processing begins to the final step of product delivery to the consumers are vital in maintaining the quality of the product. There are food training courses offered to people in industries handling foodstuff at different levels and varying training elements. HACCP training is among the most important types of training suitable for most employees. The training equips the trainees with skills that help ensure that the end food product is always safe for the consumers.
Importance of HACCP in the Food Industry
Food-borne diseases and allergic reactions are critical and may lead to adverse health effects. It is therefore essential to maintain good hygiene practices in every stage of food preparation and processing. The results of eating food contaminated by bacteria can vary from just comfort to a situation that threatens one’s life. Bacterial pathogens are known to multiply by cell division. If not controlled or eliminated immediately, they may cause even worse health effects and cross-contaminate other food products. Similarly, results due to a consumer reacting to the food product are usually critical since the allergic reactions are severe and escalate with time. Consumable food products need to be handled carefully without contamination to avoid allergens ending up in foods that should be free from a particular substance.
Principles of HACCP
- Hazard analysis or full risk assessment for all the processes handled during production is essential. Therefore, the evaluation is done for every stage to ensure that any potential hazards and risks are identified.
- Determine the control points for each stage of processing to ensure any risks that may arise are controlled.
- Establish the critical points in relation to the determined critical control points.
- Establish all the monitoring requirements suitable for each critical control point.
- Put in place the corrective actions if the critical points get exceeded to ensure the hazard remains controlled.
- Implement and establish procedures that are used to examine whether the HACCP system is properly working as intended.
- Record-keeping procedures are needed for traceability in case of any confirmations or issues that need verification.
HACCP Certification
The hazard Analysis and Control Points certification is a requirement for every business. The certification is proof that the food business is excellent and that it has developed a HACCP plan that complies with the given principles. The certificate is issued once the company is audited to ensure the system is functional and the plan used is authorized.
Conclusion
Food safety and control are essential in industries processing food products. This can be achieved by undergoing HACCP training that helps to ensure that a business complies and takes the customer’s safety as a critical issue. The HACCP provides several principles and guidelines that help to ensure consumer protection. HACCP training is therefore vital in enabling anyone handling any stage of food processing to understand what is needed and how to maintain the required standards.