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General Guidelines for Implementation of HACCP In a Poultry Processing Plant

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 General Guidelines for Implementation of
HACCP in a Poultry Processing Plant
Julie K. Northcutt and Scott M. Russell
Department of Poultry Science

M eat and poultry products are sensitive to micro-

organism contamination by bacteria, viruses
and parasites. After becoming contaminated, meat
USDA. This publication addresses general informa-
tion on HACCP, including how to design a HACCP
program and verify that HACCP is working. Facili-
and poultry provide an excellent environment for ties that are already using a HACCP program may
growth of bacteria. Bacterial contamination and find information in this publication useful as they
growth is a problem because it may result in food- monitor their programs and train employees on the
borne illness. To improve product safety, the meat principles and application of HACCP.
and poultry industries are adopting a process control
system known as “hazard analysis critical control
point,” (HACCP). The HACCP system improves
product safety by anticipating and preventing health
Developing an HACCP Plan
hazards before they occur.
HACCP is a system of extensive evaluation and
control over an entire food production process for
HACCP concepts are not new in the food in-
the sole purpose of reducing potential food-related
dustry. HACCP was first developed in 1959 by the
health risks to consumers. An HACCP program
Pillsbury Company while it was trying to produce
maintains safety and wholesomeness of meat and
microbiologically-safe foods for use in NASA space
poultry because potential hazards that may occur
flights. However, HACCP was not introduced to
during processing are anticipated, evaluated, con-
the public until 1971. Initially, interest in HACCP
trolled and prevented. A hazard is defined as any
was limited because it is a difficult system to imple-
biological, physical or chemical property that could
ment. A 1985 report from the National Academy of
cause a product to be unsafe for consumption. Pro-
Science Food Protection Committee renewed inter-
cessing plants are required to have a HACCP plan
est in HACCP by suggesting that it was the most
for each product. The following list includes general
effective method for ensuring food safety. In 1996,
steps for developing a HACCP plan:
the United States Department of Agriculture Food
Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) passed
1. Support of Management: The success of
a new regulation known as the “FSIS Pathogen Re-
HACCP depends upon the behavior and com-
duction/HACCP Regulation,” which requires meat
mitment of all plant employees to food safety.
and poultry plants to use HACCP in their opera-
Management must provide financial and philo-
tions. With the new regulation, the responsibility of
sophical support to HACCP because it dem-
providing safe foods rests on industry and not the
1
 onstrates an awareness of the benefits of the principles of HACCP to design a plan. The basic
program. Employees will not take HACCP seri- principles of HACCP are listed in Table 1 and
ously if it does not receive visible support from are briefly described below.
their supervisors and upper management.
Principle 1: Hazard Analysis. The first step
2. Establish a HACCP Team: HACCP is a pro- in designing a HACCP plan is to conduct an
gram for the entire company; therefore, a team analysis of hazards associated with each prod-
of individuals from different areas of production uct. During hazard analysis, the HACCP team
and processing should be involved in develop- evaluates all of the procedures concerned with
ing the HACCP plan. The team must include production, distribution, and the use of raw ma-
individuals with specific expertise, such as live terials for potential problems that could occur.
production, grow-out, processing, quality con- The HACCP team should list the type of prob-
trol, sanitation, microbiology, plant engineer- lem (biological, chemical or physical), and the
ing, and research and development. This should appropriate preventive action necessary to keep
make it easier to identify the hazards associ- the problem from occurring. It may be useful to
ated with each products. A HACCP coordinator draw a flow diagram detailing production steps
should be chosen to work with the HACCP team from live birds to the consumer and to present
and company management to develop, imple- the hazard analyses in a table format (Table 2).
ment and manage the HACCP plan. Figure 1 shows an example of a typical flow
diagram for raw poultry; however, diagrams
3. Product Description: Plants are required should be developed to fit the unique conditions
to have a HACCP plan for each product they that exist in each plant. Once a flow diagram
make. With each HACCP plan, a complete de- has been developed, it is important to check it to
scription of the product and the raw ingredients make sure that it is correct, and that steps have
that go into the product are required. Some of not been omitted.
the product description information that should
be listed for each product includes: Principle 2: Identify CCP’s. The next and
a. Product’s common name. most important step is to determine the criti-
b. How the product will be used. cal control points (CCP’s) in the process, or the
c. Type of packaging material. points at which a loss of control could result in
d. Length of product’s shelf-life, and at a biological, chemical or physical health hazard.
what temperature. CCP’s vary for different products, particularly
e. Where product will be sold. if your facility processes raw and fully cooked
f. Product’s labeling instructions. poultry. In some cases, it may be difficult to
g. Any special instructions for the product. decide if a processing step is a CCP. As a result,
many companies will establish too many CCP’s.
4. Employee Training: All employees should be A CCP decision tree, such as the one shown in
given HACCP training, but at levels relating to Figure 2, can be used to identify CCP’s. CCP’s
their responsibilities within the HACCP plan. should be noted on the flow diagram as part
Extensive training of line workers is critical of the HACCP documentation. An example of
because these are the individuals responsible for a CCP for a fully cooked product is the cook-
the product. Everyone at the facility in contact ing process because proper cooking eliminates
with the products should receive an overview pathogenic bacteria; however, after cooking,
of HACCP, as well as information regarding the care should be taken to keep the product from
companies HACCP policies and procedures. being contaminated again. While proper cook-
ing may be addressed in the plants standard op-
5. Principles of HACCP and Implementation erating procedures (SOP’s), it is also a CCP and
of a HACCP Plan: Once the HACCP team has should be listed as such. In raw products, patho-
been identified, the team should use the basic genic bacteria may be reduced and their growth

2
 controlled using a well designed HACCP plan, Principle 6: Recordkeeping. Documenta-
but elimination requires additional measures. tion of a formal HACCP plan for all products is
required by USDA-FSIS. Detailed records must
Principle 3: Establish critical limits. Once be kept of data recorded at CCP’s. Effective
the CCP’s have been determined, a critical limit record keeping includes:
or the amount of acceptable deviation has to be ∙ List of HACCP team members and their
established for each CCP. Critical limits are set responsibilities.
for product safety and not product quality. For ∙ Date all records. Identify all products and
example, the critical limit for frozen raw poultry their intended use.
storage and shipping would require the product ∙ HACCP flow diagrams with all CCP’s.
be held below 41 degrees F, which does not ∙ List of all critical limits and preventive mea-
constitute frozen but prevents bacterial growth. sures.
In a cooked product, an example of a critical ∙ Monitoring and verification plans.
limit would be that an internal temperature of ∙ Course of action when a critical limit devia-
the product reach at least 160 degrees F. tion occurs, and person(s) responsible for
corrective actions.
Principle 4: Monitoring critical limits. All ∙ Procedures for product handling when de-
CCP’s must be monitored to insure that the pro- viation from critical limit occurs.
cess remains within critical limits. The HACCP ∙ Appropriate product packaging information
team needs to establish methods not only for and expected product shelf-life.
monitoring each CCP, but also for determining ∙ HACCP check off sheets for each shift that
the frequency of CCP evaluation. Monitoring must be signed upon completion of a step.
methods should be appropriate for online use ∙ HACCP plan reviews, date of reviews, and
and should provide a simple but rapid assess- reviewer’s initials.
ment. Visual observations, aroma, and measure- ∙ Records of all deviations.
ments of temperature, pH, moisture, fat, etc. are
commonly used to monitor poultry processing Principle 7: HACCP Verification. Once es-
CCP’s. Traditionally, microbiological testing tablished, each HACCP plan will change as the
has not been used to monitor CCP’s because company adds new products, updates old prod-
procedures are time consuming; however, with ucts, installs new equipment, or changes product
the advent of new rapid methods, microbiologi- handling procedures. It is important to periodi-
cal testing could provide valuable information cally verify that the HACCP plan is working.
within minutes. Verification procedures may include:
∙ Routine check of all HACCP plans and
Principle 5: Corrective action. In addi- records.
tion to monitoring CCP’s, procedures should be ∙ Routine check of monitoring procedures and
developed to describe what steps will be taken equipment.
if the process goes out of control. The corrective ∙ Random microbiological sampling of all
action plan must include: 1) who is responsible product contact surfaces, as well as a portion
for regaining control of the process, 2) how to of the product.
regain control, 3) what to do with the product ∙ Official evaluation of product.
that was produced during the loss of control, ∙ Review of all critical limit deviations and
and 4) how to handle a product recall. product handling.

3
 Conclusion References
HACCP was designed to prevent hazardous National Food Processors Association’s Microbiol-
products from leaving the manufacturing or pro- ogy and Food Safety Committee, 1993. Imple-
cessing facility. The key to the success of HACCP mentation of HACCP in a food processing plant.
is employee training, behavior and attitude. Some J. Food Prot. 56:548-554.
companies are under the misconception that they Stevenson, K. E., and D. T. Bernard (ed.), 1995.
already have a HACCP plan because they are HACCP - Establishing Hazard Analysis Critical
adequately controlling all areas where safety could Control Point Programs. The Food Processors
be compromised. The difference is that, rather than Institute, Washington, D.C.
monitoring isolated processing steps, an HACCP Tompkin, R. B., 1990. The use of HACCP in the
approach controls the entire production process as production of meat and poultry products. J.
an integrated system. Food Prot. 53:795-803.

Although HACCP provides insurance that poul-

try is safe, there is no way to completely eliminate
all hazards. HACCP is most effective when used
with other control systems. Total Quality Manage-
ment programs and Standard Operating Procedures
should be used along with HACCP to improve prod-
uct safety, product quality, and plant productivity
by providing intimate knowledge of the production
process, production environment and processing
equipment.

4
Table 1. Principles of HACCP as Defined by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological
Criteria for Foods
Principle HACCP Steps
1 Conduct an analysis of the hazards in your plant. Make a list of all processing steps
where a hazard might occur.
2 Identify all critical control points (CCP’s) in the process. CCP’s are critical to the safety
of the product.
3 Establish a critical limit for each of the identified CCP’s.
4 Establish CCP monitoring requirements.
5 Establish corrective action to be taken if the CCP deviates from the critical limit.
6 Establish effective record-keeping procedures to document the HACCP program.
7 Establish a procedure to verify that your HACCP program is working.

Table 2. An Example of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (CCP) Assessment
Product Identity: Chicken Nugget
Process Step CCP Type of Hazard Critical Limits
1. Receiving raw products Yes Physical (quality) Receive product only if <45 degrees F,
Biological (contamination) no abnormal appearance or smell
2. Cooking Yes Physical (quality) Must be cooked to internal
Biological (contamination) temperature >160 degrees F
3. Freezing Yes Physical (quality) *Must be cooled to a temperature
Biological (contamination) <41 degrees F
*Note: Although 41 degrees F does not adequately freeze product, it is the limit for restricting micro-
biological growth.

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Figure 1. Example of Poultry Processing HACCP Flow Diagram.

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Figure 2. CCP Decision Tree (Stevenson and Bernard, 1995)

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