HACCP Resources

There has been a great deal of talk about HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) for years. Although HACCP is required for many food manufacturing and processing industries, it is not required for retail food service. Retail food service includes health care and day care as well as restaurants, cafeterias, convenience stores, and all the other places that serve food.

Many establishments decide to implement HACCP anyway, as a proactive approach to keep food safe. Many more establishments probably have the pieces in place as policies and procedures, even if it is not called a HACCP program.

For anyone that is interested in implementing HACCP, the FDA has two very good resources. Managing Food Safety: A Manual for the Voluntary Use of HACCP Principles for Operators of Food Service and Retail Establishments and Managing Food Safety: A Regulator's Manual for Applying HACCP Principles to Risk-based Retail and Food Service Inspections and Evaluating Voluntary Food Safety Management Systems.

The first is a good "how to" manual. It also provides good information even if the goal is just to improve food safety, not implement a HACCP program. The second provides insight on how health inspectors may view an establishment. It provides more in-depth information. It certainly does not take the place of federal, state, and local regulations, however, and relates more to other retail food service than to healthcare.

To download either of these manuals, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/HazardAnalysisCriticalControlPointsHACCP/RetailFoodServiceHACCP/default.htm