Understanding HACCP Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

When conducting a hazard analysis, your first task is to comprehensively identify all potential hazards that might occur throughout the food production chain. HACCP categorizes these hazards into distinct types: 

Biological hazards include microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and yeasts that can cause foodborne illness. Examples include Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum and Campylobacter. These pathogens are particularly concerning because they can multiply rapidly under favorable conditions and cause severe illness.

Biological hazards industry-related examples:

• Bakery: Mould contamination due to high humidity during storage of flour.
• Poultry Slaughterhouse: Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw meat.
• Sushi Restaurants: Parasites such as Anisakis in raw fish.
• Juice Production: E. coli in unpasteurized juice.

Chemical hazards encompass a wide range of substances that could contaminate food products, including:
- Cleaning agents and sanitizers
- Pesticides and agricultural chemicals
- Equipment maintenance products like oils and lubricants
- Food additives at incorrect levels
- Environmental contaminants
- Allergens (often categorized separately as the fourth type of hazard)

Chemical hazards industry-related examples:

• Catering kitchen: Dishwashing detergents improperly rinsed from utensils.
• Tea packaging unit: Pesticide residues in imported dried herbs.
• Chocolate production: Allergens (e.g., nuts) cross-contaminating non-allergen products.
• Seafood plant: Histamine formation in time/temperature abused fish.

Physical hazards are foreign objects that could cause injury when consumed, such as glass fragments, metal pieces, plastic, jewelry, stones, wood splinters or bone fragments. These hazards typically result from contamination during processing or from equipment failure.

Physical hazards industry-related examples:

• Meat processing: Metal shavings from poorly maintained equipment.
• Vegetable factory: Stones or soil clumps in raw produce.
• Confectionery line: Broken plastic pieces from packaging film rollers.
• Bakery line: Glass shards from overhead lighting fixtures.

During this identification phase, your HACCP team should review each step of your production process from raw material sourcing through processing, storage, distribution and ultimately to consumption. This "brainstorming session" helps create a comprehensive list of all potential hazards that could reasonably occur.

Example:

In dairy processing, Listeria monocytogenes is a significant biological hazard during post-pasteurization handling.

In date packaging, a common industry in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, physical hazards such as stone fragments or stem parts are relevant.

After identifying potential hazards, the next step involves evaluating each one based on two critical factors: severity and likelihood of occurrence.

Severity refers to the seriousness of the consequences if the hazard were to occur. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends categorizing severity into levels such as:

• Catastrophic: Could cause multiple deaths or foodborne illness outbreak
• Major: Serious or life-threatening effects with possible long-term consequences
• Moderate: Serious safety issues requiring professional medical attention 
• Minor: Temporary impairments not requiring intensive medical attention 
• Insignificant: Causing customer inconvenience without safety effects 

Likelihood assessment examines how probable it is for the hazard to occur in your specific operation.

This can be categorized from "almost certain" to "rare" based on historical data, scientific literature and industry experience. A hazard that has historically occurred or has a reasonable possibility of occurring should be considered "reasonably likely to occur”. The combination of severity and likelihood helps determine which hazards are significant enough to require control within your HACCP plan. Many food safety professionals use a risk assessment matrix to visualize this relationship and prioritize hazards accordingly. This systematic approach ensures resources are allocated to controlling the most significant risks first.

You must assess the following:

• Severity: Impact on consumer health.
• Likelihood: How likely is this hazard to occur?

Many facilities use risk ranking matrices (e.g., Severity × Likelihood score) to prioritize hazards.

Example:

• In a milk processing plant, Listeria contamination after pasteurization is considered high severity and moderate to likely if sanitation is weak. Thus, it's classified as a significant hazard.
• A small bakery might rate the risk of foreign body contamination from flour sacks as low severity and unlikely, resulting in a lower risk rating.

Control measures should be specific, validated, and appropriate to the process. Control measures may be applied before, during or after the step where the hazard is identified.

Control measures are actions designed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards to acceptable levels.

Examples:

• Pasteurization to eliminate microbial pathogens
• Supplier verification to control pesticide residues in imported herbs
• Metal detection systems to identify physical contamination in processed foods

Note: Control measures may be applied at different stages than where the hazard originates.

Example: If metal contamination is identified as a hazard at an early production stage, the control measure might be implemented later in the process through metal detection equipment and rejection systems.

Essentially, the hazard analysis process creates the foundation for your entire HACCP plan. As the FDA notes, "If the hazard analysis is not done correctly and the hazards warranting control within the HACCP system are not identified, the plan will not be effective regardless of how well it is followed". This underscores why this first principle is truly the cornerstone of effective food safety management.

Examples of practical control measures