Food safety Assignment - Essay Example

According to Paster (2007), “HACCP is a system composed of seven principles that are meant to be applied to a written food safety program focusing on the food in your operation” (p. vii). There are five star points that make up the basic system: pre-requisite programs (master), food defense (apply), principles 1 and 2 (hazard analysis and determine CCP, principles 3, 4, and 5 (critical limits, monitoring, and corrective actions), principles 6 and 7 (verify and record keeping). Certification is required in an education of the system and it expires every four years, thus it is important to keep up certification requirements as they need they need to be renewed (Paster, 2007).

The first reason it is implemented is because it is a requirement in the food service and preparation industry. Without having someone certified for HACCP, a restaurant cannot legally operate. The primary social reason for having HACCP systems in a food preparation and service establishment, however, is so that the public safety has been protected. This system is designed to optimize systems so that prevention of food contamination is of primary concern. The major reasons can be listed as follows: management of product safety, prevention of product safety incidents, limitations of traditional quality control, external pressures, foundation for the development of effective product management systems (Mortimore & Wallace, 1998).

According to Tucker (2007), “(HACCP) needs to be supported by prerequisite programs and be part of a broader food safety management system” (p. 41). Tucker (2007) states that the World Health Organization identifies prerequisites as “Practices and conditions needed prior to and during the implementation of HACCP and which are essential for food safety” (p. 41). The different types of prerequisites carry a wide scope of functions, which include: hygiene