How to finish a HACCP plan

The food company has received many complaints from customers claiming that they had fallen ill after consuming the first production batch of a new product recently . The Managing Director has deemed this incident as serious issue that has to be address immediately. He has tasked the technical team to put up a proposal on how to prevent future recurrence of such problem; and to look into all potential hazards associated with the product.

I have to submit a complete report including a product recall procedure and a HACCP plan for the product,so how to finish the HACCP plan,could anyone help me?

The food company has received many complaints from customers claiming that they had fallen ill after consuming the first production batch of a new product recently. The Managing Director has deemed this incident as serious issue that has to be address immediately. He has tasked the technical team to put up a proposal on how to prevent future recurrence of such problem; and to look into all potential hazards associated with the product.

I have to submit a complete report including a product recall procedure and a HACCP plan for the product, so how to finish the HACCP plan, could anyone help me?

I’m very surprised the company have gone ahead supplying a new food product without carrying out a HACCP study. Now it’s kind of like shutting the stable gate after the horse has already bolted. Anyway you already know that and you have a problem you need to solve.

If you have some expertise ‘in house’ e.g. HACCP/GMP/Food Science then I am sure members here will be able to help you put a logical plan together to satisfy the Managing Director. However, if you want us to help you will need to provide a lot more information about your product and process and the uses of your product. You mentioned the need to finish the HACCP plan. If you have the HACCP plan part finished then it would be very helpful if you could attach it for review

If you do not have the above-mentioned experience then you will be far better off employing the services of a consultant and learning from him/her. It takes a long time to gather the knowledge and expertise necessary to get it right. And food safety is far too important not to get right.

Regards,
Simon

A good HACCP plan takes significant time to complete. I would strongly suggest you investigate and find the cause of this incident and find a way to specifically prevent that hazard. I would not release any other product until that is done. At the same time, seek to prevent any other reasonably likely hazard.

My company assists others in developing HACCP and Recall Plans. We are located in the U.S. Let me know if you are interested.

A good HACCP plan takes significant time to complete. I would strongly suggest you investigate and find the cause of this incident and find a way to specifically prevent that hazard. I would not release any other product until that is done. At the same time, seek to prevent any other reasonably likely hazard.

My company assists others in developing HACCP and Recall Plans. We are located in the U.S. Let me know if you are interested.

Good point Cathy, they must first deal with the immediate problem / risks.

Simon

You never ever finish a HACCP plan. it's always going to be a working document.

I agree with Simon, sending a product to the production line before identifying your hazards is asking for trouble.

Product recall should be part of your quality / operations manual.

i think you need to look long and hard at your systems if you don't have these fundaments in place, and it may be that you'll have to bring in the services of a company like cathy to assist you.

but your immediate priority is to investigate this unfortunate incident, ensuring you document everything in case it becomes a legal / enforcement issue.

Dear kevin,

Sorry you are having quality problems.

As per above comments, some data is necessary to answer in more detail regarding production of a HACCP plan although finding root cause / corrective action is obviously an immediate necessity.

Regarding a recall plan, this is handled in various ways by different authorities also with steps depending on the specific situation.

An Australian perspective is at -
http://www.health.sa...lletin-3-03.pdf.

ANZFA hv also produced a detailed "manual" on this subject which includes a model recall plan -

5th_FIRP___june_2004.doc   426.5KB   98 downloads

Another commercial organisation's approach (with US orientation) which includes a summary of suggested requirements to be considered in a recall plan is given here -
http://www.iddba.org/prwise2.htm

An official US presentation is here -
http://www.fsis.usda...calls/index.asp

Hope this of some help.

Rgds / Charles.C

Links to previous discussions here:

Product Recall & withdrawal, What is the difference between recall & withdrawal?

Recall Planning, Deveoping a Recall Strategy

The food company has received many complaints from customers claiming that they had fallen ill after consuming the first production batch of a new product recently . The Managing Director has deemed this incident as serious issue that has to be address immediately. He has tasked the technical team to put up a proposal on how to prevent future recurrence of such problem; and to look into all potential hazards associated with the product.

I have to submit a complete report including a product recall procedure and a HACCP plan for the product,so how to finish the HACCP plan,could anyone help me?

Kevin... To Developing HACCP Plany you have to :

Step 1 - Assemble The HACCP Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2 - Describe The Product and Its Method Of Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3 - Develop a Complete List of Ingredients and Raw Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4 - Develop A process Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5 - Meet the Regulatory Requirements for Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

and you have to implement the HACCP principles, they are :

PRINCIPLE 1 - Conduct A Hazard Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PRINCIPLE 2 - Identify Critical Control Points

PRINCIPLE 3 - Establish Critical Limits

PRINCIPLE 4 - Establish Monitoring Procedures

PRINCIPLE 5 - Establish Corrective Actions

PRINCIPLE 6 - Establish Record keeping Procedures

PRINCIPLE 7 - Establish Verification Procedures

There is 12 steps to make HACCP plan.. hope make you clear how to finish HACCP Plan

don't forget to validate your haccp plan!

thanks all, I really appreciate it.Now Im trying to finish it.

Frankly, I do not buy food products coming out from China (with or w/o HACCP Plan) as I find the "unknown risks and hazards" far too high to take.

So your did not even done any tests on your Finished Product before sending it out? Product recall cost more than the tests you should be doing...

thanks all, I really appreciate it.Now Im trying to finish it.

Kevindongren, If you really want to get this right from now on I advise you post any procedures or HACCP study on the forum for critical review. There are many experts here who are very happy to share knowledge in the furtherance of improved food safety.

None of us are perfect and we all have scope to improve. What is that saying about sin and casting stones?

Regards,
Simon

Too true Simon. I'm jobless and bored. My brain needs using and I'm happy to help.

I echo other users comments. It might sound wierd though to countries without a HACCP 'cuture' but HACCP should come before launch.

Ok, to be brutal, you're in the sh*t. If you were in the UK, I'd be expecting the lawsuits any day. All you can do now is be right going forward.

You need to do as everyone else has said; don't release product until you know it's safe; conduct a HACCP study etc but also you need to think; what did or could have caused this illness? If that micro-organism / chemical etc is there, does it indicate our controls we thought we had in place aren't working? Is there any reason to doubt the results of in house testing. You'd be surprised how much bad testing goes on. Last job I had I heard of people who didn't know how to take a swab. Makes a big difference lol!

Dear All,

Yes to the above comments but how many QA people hv met this situation from "top" management -

order received > costing done / OK > production requested immediately

cc to QA - please ensure compliance with all relevant specifications (usually incomplete from buyer, destination legality frequently unknown).

My guess is 90 pct up but perhaps not in UK and .....?

Rgds / Charles.C

That's where you have to be ahead of the game. There is no way a new product will be launched without trials, meetings etc. You can't wait to be told, you need to be planning HACCP as soon as you hear something is changing. In whatever country you are in, if you wait to be told to do a bit of hazard analysis, it won't happen!

That's where you have to be ahead of the game. There is no way a new product will be launched without trials, meetings etc. You can't wait to be told, you need to be planning HACCP as soon as you hear something is changing. In whatever country you are in, if you wait to be told to do a bit of hazard analysis, it won't happen!

I think that's the key GMO. No matter how much you try to convince commercial people about the importance of crossing the t's and dotting the i's they always seem to forget. The person repsonsible for food safety, quality, legislation has to work closely with R & D, commercial, technical to ensure that a robust process is in place where they get early warning and involvement. Make it your business, get in their face.