Setting Standards or Limits for CCPs

The next step in designing a HACCP food safety system is setting up procedures for CCPs. At each such point, food workers need to know what standards must be met, what procedures to follow to meet the standards, and what to do if they aren’t met. To reduce the chances for making mistakes, these standards and procedures are written out. Whenever possible, they should be included in the operation’s recipes. In you will see how CCPs are incorporated into a standardized recipe.

Some procedures are general and include the sanitation rules discussed earlier in this chapter. For example: Wash hands before handling food and after handling raw foods; hold foods above 135°F (57°C) or below 41°F (5°C). Others apply to specific items. For example: Cook a beef roast to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) and ensure that it stays at that temperature for at least 4 minutes. The minimum internal cooking temperatures discussed are an important part of the standards of a HACCP system.