Is a Supplier with a few CCPs better than one with a lot of CCPs?

Hi..
I need to clarify one thing in supplier evaluation. If particular supplier has lower number of CCPs, it means that supplier better than another supplier who has higher number. Is it correct?. I struggling to determine that, bcs, higher number of CCPs means, they are monitoring lot of process steps well. So who is better?

Thanks,

Sumudu

Hello Sumudu,

No, the HACCP program with the higher number of Critcal Control Points is not better or worse than a plan with a lower number of CCP's. It just means that the processes are different or the HACCP team that put the plan together came up with different conclusions. HACCP is fairly subjective for the most part (at least as far as deciding what is a Pre-requisite program, a Control Point (or oPRP), or a Critical Control Point). I think that most here on the ISFQN would agree that the goal is to work towards elimination of as many CCP's as possible.

So what exactly is a CCP? As good old Wikipedia puts it so well:

"Critical control point (CCP) is a point, step or procedure at which controls can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable (critical) levels."

This is done by breaking down your proccess into a step by step flow diagram and performing a hazard analysis of each step and determining whether or not a potential food hazard is present. It's possible to make changes/modifications to your process to reduce the hazard to an acceptable level (for example from a CCP to a CP or PRP).

HACCP is very difficult to explain in a quick post, and I'm sure others here will give you some pointers, but I'd really recommend that you take a 2 or 3 day HACCP class to really begin to understand the concept(s).

Regards,
esquef

Well agree with esquef’s post however might suggest a tiny expansion. Maybe it should be self-evident.

The Codex definition of critical control point includes one more word which is intended to be operationally beneficial, viz –
“A step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level”.

For example, the idea is to enable a differentiation between a CCP and a “control point”. This lack may have caused the comment in the OP although other explanations are also possible as per esquef's post.

Unfortunately, defining/interpreting the “essential” creates a lot of the aforementioned subjectivity. Hence risk matrices, etc, etc.

Rgds / Charles.C

PS, it might also be added that the word "step" has many alternative interpretations also.

Perfect responses. Thank you very much.
Sumudu

as the others have explained, it should give you no idea about safety since the processes may vary. However, it's best to have a look at their Prerequisite and Operational Prerequisite Programs as well as their Quality Plan to make a good comparison between their processes and their safety.