HACCP vs HARPC

HACCP (Hazard Critical Control Point)

Commissioned by researchers at Pillsbury and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the year 1960. The reason for implementation of HACCP was to develop a system to ensure safe processing and packaging of space food.

HACCP is a globally recognized risk-based preventative and systematic approach to identify hazard, assess risk and its control. HACCP is designed for controlling the food safety from farm to fork, all through the food supply chain system. Successful implementation of HACCP in a food manufacturing plant needs designing a HACCP plan, assembly of a HACCP team and following the seven universal principles of HACCP.

An inportant prerequisite of successful implementation of the HACCP plan is to train and educate the management and the employees of a processing plant. HACCP is a food safety system approached through analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement, handling, manufacturing , distribution and consumption of finished product.

Seven principles of HACCP

1. Conduct a hazard analysis.
2. Determine the critical control points (CCP).
3. Establish crticial limits.
4. Establish monitoring procedures.
5. Establish corrective actions.
6. Establish verification procedures.
7. Establish record keeping and documentation procedures.

HARPC (Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls)

HARPC is a food safety standards system which is an upgrade to the existing HACCP system. HARPC plan focuses on risk-based preventive controls rather than critical control points (CCP) as in HACCP plan. The HARPC plan is mandated by law under the FSMA act.

HARPC is a preventive control system mandated by FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act, 2011) to be implemented by all food establishments unless specifically exempted. It is applicable to all food manufacturing, processing, packaging, distribution, receiving, holding and or import facilities in the U.S.

HARPC plan works on a broader hazard assessment apart from biological, physical and chemical hazards. The scope of HARPC also consider risks such as naturally occuring hazards, unintentionally introduced hazards and intentionally introduced hazards, including intentional contamination, economic fraud.

Seven principles of HARPC

1. Assess the hazard
2. Institute Preventive Controls
3. Monitor effectiveness of the control
4. Establish corrective action measures
5. Establish verification measures
6. Follow proper and required recordkeeping
7. Reanalyze the plan once in every 3 years, or when needed.

Reference:

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/fsma/ucm334115.htm

The material presented in this post have been summarized using resources available on the public domain, this post is not intended for proFessional advice. Follow The Food Tech Club for more content and follow us on social media.