HACCP

 

It is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe, and designs measurements to reduce these risks to a safe level. In this manner, HACCP is referred as the prevention of hazards rather than finished product inspection. The HACCP system can be used at all stages of a food chain, from food production and preparation processes including packaging, distribution, etc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) say that their mandatory HACCP programs for juice and meat are an effective approach to food safety and protecting public health. Meat HACCP systems are regulated by the USDA, while seafood and juice are regulated by the FDA. The use of HACCP is currently voluntary in other food industries. 

Helpful websites: 

• http://www.foodsafety.gov/
• http://www.fda.gov/

Excercise: 

To choose, from the menu of a restaurant, one meal of each course, and then identify if it could cause an illness or sickness 

The Executive Café Bella Vista, Panama City
Course	Name of the dish	Possible bacteria	Prevention
Appetizer	Bruschetta	Salmonella (Found in cheese)	Separate cooked foods from ready-to-eat foods. Do not use utensils on cooked foods that were previously used on raw foods and do not place cooked foods on plates where raw foods once were unless it has been cleaned thoroughly.
Main course	Fajitas	Clostridium perfringens (Found in poultry)	Thoroughly cook foods, particularly meat, poultry, and gravies, to a safe internal temperature.
Dessert	Fruit cake	Norovirus (Found in fruits that were infected by touching)	Wash hands frequently with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after using the bathroom and before preparing food.