HACCP: a total quality system for assuring food safety and quality

Food processors are being challenged to increase product safety while improving quality and productivity. These objectives can be achieved using total quality management (TQM) and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) programs. HACCP embodies many of the criteria of TQM. These include: customer satisfaction; interaction between organizational components; information feedback; documentation; auditing; management commitment and leadership; teamwork and trust between management and employees; and empowerment. HACCP is preventive and not after-the-fact testing dependent. HACCP programs have been implemented with varying degrees of success. Failure usually has been caused by not differentiating between critical control points (CCP´s) and control points (CP´s). CP´s must be controlled because of the need to anticipate and prevent potential regulatory and consumer-quality problems. The development of separate programs for these elements permits effective control without impacting on productivity