The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation, and control of food safety hazards that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level. HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.
Reference Definition by OECD: The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point(s) (HACCP) system is a set of procedures intended to predict food safety risks and prevent them before they happen. It entails identifying all the points in product processing and distribution where quality can be degraded (e.g., through improper temperature, improper handling, etc.) and checking those points to prevent problems (in contrast with procedures that check quality at the end of the processing and distribution chain, by which time damage may have already been done).
Related Definitions in the Project: The HSE Management
