1. A Layman’s Guide to HACCP at the Retail Level – What is Working and What is Not?
Gary R. Acuff
Professor, Food Microbiology
Head, Department of Animal Science
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
President, International Association for Food Protection

2. Responsibility for Food Safety
Production
Processing
Distribution
Retail
Consumer

3. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System
Seven Principles
Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Points
Critical Limits
Monitoring
Corrective Action
Verification
Recordkeeping
Has worked well for processing sector.
Application to retail operations more difficult.

5. Active Managerial Control
Incorporation of specific actions or procedures by management to focus control over foodborne illness risk factors identified by CDC.
Food from Unsafe Sources
Inadequate Cooking
Improper Holding Temperatures
Contaminated Equipment
Poor Personal Hygiene

6. Active Managerial Control
Preventive
Elements of effective food safety management may include:
Certified food protection managers
Employee training
Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Recipe cards (with critical limits)
Purchase specifications
Equipment and facility design and maintenance

7. Active Managerial Control
Preventive
Elements of effective food safety management may include:
On-going quality control and assurance
Employee health policy
Specific goal-oriented plans
Risk Control Plans (RCPs) outlining procedures for control of specific foodborne illness risk factors
Voluntary HACCP implementation

8. Ideal Progression for Retail HACCP Implementation (FDA)
Step 1 (Develop Prerequisite Programs)
Step 2 (Group Menu Items/Products)
Step 3 (Conduct Hazard Analysis)
Step 4 (Implement Control Measures and Establish Critical Limits)
Step 5 (Establish Monitoring Procedures)
Step 6 (Develop Corrective Actions)
Step 7 (Conduct Ongoing Verification)
Step 8 (Keep Records)
Step 9 (Conduct Periodic Validation)

9. Variable Products and Processes
“Textbook HACCP” not practical…
Focus on identified high-risk foods (cross-contamination by raw chicken)
Risk factors likely to be managed without the use of formal recordkeeping.
Monitoring extremely important (but may be by indirect measurement).

10. Process Approach to HACCP
Establish control of food preparation processes rather than individual food items.
Divide into 3 food preparation processes
Process 1: Food Preparation with No Cook Step
Process 2: Preparation for Same Day Service
Process 3: Complex Food Preparation

11. Process Approach to HACCP
Control measures will generally be the same, based on the number of times the food passes through the temperature “danger zone.”
From FDA Regulator’s Manual

12. Process Approach to HACCP
Baked Chicken vs. Meatloaf (Example from FDA Regulator Manual)
Unique hazards, but grouped together in the “Same Day Service” category (Process 2).
Salmonella, Campylobacter, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens all hazards in chicken.
Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, B. cereus, C. perfringens hazards in meatloaf.
Different hazards, but same control measure (cook to proper temperature).
Proper hot holding or time control for sporeformers.

13. Prerequisite Programs
Good Retail Practices (GRPs)
Vendor certification programs
Training programs
Allergen management
Buyer specifications
Recipe/process instructions
First-In-First-Out (FIFO) procedures
Other Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Prevent temperature abuse

14. Overall Keys to Success
Know food source (suppliers)
Control in-house operations
Critical limits from FDA Food Code
Demonstrate support by management
Maximize employee training
Utilize a process approach
Consumer education

15. What Is Expected of Consumers?
First time in the food safety chain that consumers become involved.
Display of retail market program information influences perception of retailer’s concern for food safety
May influence consumers to also handle food safely
Provide consumer education information

16. Example - “Be Food Safe”
Partnership for Food Safety Education and USDA
Consumer education campaign based on “Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill”
Platform developed for retailers to display
Consistent, simple food safety message

17. Retail Market Interviews
HACCP voluntary in most cases
Implemented to protect consumer
Implemented to protect company
Wide range of implementation of HACCP
Some follow full 7 principles
Employ a HACCP Coordinator
Some implement as an “overlaying system”
Most common weakness in system
Employee turnover
Loss of training investment

18. Relies heavily on employees
Success
Relies heavily on employees
A variety of training is provided (some in-house, most not)
General HACCP training
Online training
“University” for specific area
Cheese, meat
Interactive workgroups

19. Relies heavily on employees
Success
Relies heavily on employees
Must work on existing mindset, from Corporate to bottom level.
Change way of thinking
“Food safety takes pictures of us.”

20. Monitoring and Recordkeeping
From simple to complex
Depends on process, employee
Some keep logs, others do not
Very important in case of illness, however
Experience with foodborne illness – keep logs
Recordkeeping most difficult part
Innovative methods
Seek employee input
Some not sure of accuracy (seeking automation)

21. Varies significantly Corrective Action Who to call What to do
Specific items and processes

22. Difficult to communicate need to employees
Verification
Difficult to communicate need to employees
Aversion to redundancy
May use third-party groups
Need to maintain anonymity
Employees may change behavior

23. Intensive recordkeeping Complex process Difficult equipment
What Does Not Work?
Employee turnover
Intensive recordkeeping
Complex process
Difficult equipment
Too much guesswork

24. Get basics right (gmps), then implement HACCP-like program Employees
What Works?
Get basics right (gmps), then implement HACCP-like program
Employees
Convince employees of importance
Partnership – employees, management, customers, health department

25. Employees What Works? Provide a varied education program
Frequent updates
Keep it simple and focused
Total support from corporate and upper management (“Top Down”)
Personalize the customer (incentive)

26. Employees Customers What Works?
Make the job easier but make sure the employee understands why it is important.
Meet the needs of employees to meet the needs of customers
Must feel a part of the company and the plan
Customers
Make sure customers see implementation

27. Favorite Quote
Creative people may try new and different things to be more exciting. Sometimes that throws the system off. So you can’t “cookie cutter” everything. We hate to harness the creativity, but we want the system to work.
Requires a delicate balance of allowing creativity and controlling risky behavior.