HACCP is a pro-active safety management system, which is not reliant on testing the finished food product. It was developed in the 1960s in the US for use in the space industry.

The System
The principles on which the system is organised are as follows:
1. Identify any possible hazards (including potential allergens) and the measures which could be used to control them.
2. Establish the ‘critical control points’ - the points in the operation where risk and hazard occur.
3. Establish ‘critical limits’ - the amount of a contaminant, a bug or bacteria which are acceptable. In the case of allergens the critical limit should be zero.
4. Establish a system by which the ‘critical control points’ can be monitored.
5. Devise a course of action which can be followed to correct any problems.
6. Establish procedures to verify all the above actions
7. Establish a system of documentation and record keeping through which the system can be monitored and regulated.

What is needed to implement it?
For it to be possible to set up such a system the factory must already have and/or use:
1. Standard sanitary operating procedures
2. Good manufacturing practices
3. Pest control
4. Chemical control
5. A system by which they can trace and recall products.
6. A system to deal with customer complaints.
7. A system for controlling allergenic material.

What are allergens?
For the purposes of a manufacturer an allergen is a ‘chemical hazard’ - along with naturally occurring
mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi or moulds), intentionally added preservatives and unintentionally added agricultural
chemicals, sanitizers or lubricants.

It is, of course, the protein within the food that is allergenic.Of the 12 major allergens (see page one) it is the top eight (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soyabean products, wheat , fish and shellfish) which account for 90% of serious reactions.

Allergen control
In a factory allergens need to be controlled at three main points:
• Recipe formulation
• Where and when the raw materials arrive
• The processing of the food.

The factory needs to:
1. Have tight control over the formulation of the recipe and the ingredients, especially if ‘rework’ is being used. (‘Rework’ is when there is ingredient left over after the first manufacturing run which is ‘reworked’ into another run of what may be a different product. This is very common in, for example, chocolate and confectionery manufacture.)
2. Ensure that allergen and allergen free ingredients are kept in separate containers, use separate utensils and are worked by separate people
3. Clean and disinfect a line after an allergen is run on that line
4. Regularly inspect all equipment for allergen build up and ensure regular dust collection.
5. Confirm that the label is correctly set up and that it matches the product for which it is being produced.
6. Set up comprehensive monitoring, documentation and corrective action should an allergen be discovered.

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