ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system is used to ensure that food can be eaten safely. It focuses on HACCP as an approach to microbiological hazards, describing the steps to be followed “from farm to fork.” Food production, processing, or preparation always follows a defined sequence. Food is usually safe; otherwise, foodborne diseases would be the norm rather than the exception. Most cases of foodborne disease occur due to mishandling. Monitoring is checking the effectiveness of the control measures: meeting critical limits, responding to deviations, and recording the results. The problem of egg contamination illustrates the difficulty of preventing hazards at the farm level. Public health officials in many countries have decided to require pasteurization, because cases of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis have been traced to consumers drinking raw milk for “health” reasons. Microbiological criteria to assess safety of lots or consignments of foods have only limited value, and their use should be discouraged.
