Charles,
Let me start by saying, I have no food science degree. I have only 3 yrs experience as a QA Manager. Prior to that 4 yrs as a QC Tech. We have passed numerous 2nd and 3rd party audits since my being the QA Manager, 5 audits in a span of 1 1/2 months at one point, including clients, BRC, and a FSIS FSA (2 NR's, only minor, paperwork, and I never want to see that guy again!), all passed.
We call it chill/freeze because chilling as well as freezing meets the USDA requirements for time/temperature requirements for cooling. No-one has ever questioned the fact that the freezer is not a CCP.
Our Chill/Freeze CCP follows the USDA Time/Temperature Guidelines. Temperature does not remain between 130°F and 80°F for more than 1.5 hours nor between 80°F and 40°F for more than 5 hours.
We use the nitrogen freeze tunnel as our process according to Federal Code of Regulations Part 430.4 Alternate 2. to supress or limit the growth of L.m.
Also:
FSIS Appendix A "Compliance Guidelines for Meeting Lethality Performance Standards for Certain Meat and Poultry Products",
FSIS "Microbiological Hazard Identification Guide for Meat and Poultry Componenets Products Produced by very Small Plants",
FSIS Compliance Guidelines to Control Listeria Monocytogenes in Post-Lethality Exposed Ready-to-Eat Meat and Products"'
USDA Food Safety Information-"Fresh Pork from Farm to Table",
"Tompkins Microbiological Specifications in Food"
PHLS (Public Health leadership Society)-"Guidelines for the Microbiological quality of some RTE Foods Sampled at the Point of Sale"'
To mention a few of the resourses and scientific data we use to justify our process.
GMP's, sanitation, etc.
If I'm not answering correctly, what your're asking, that's because I don't understand the question sometimes, but I do understand why we do things the way we do, and thankfully the auditor's understand, that I know the who, what, where, when, why and how of things. Just in a laymans terms
Believe me, if I had the funds to pay for further food science education, I would be first in line to sign up!