Millions of people get sick from contaminated food; many of them are hospitalized and several thousand die each year. The key to preventing sickness that traces back to our facility is in controlling the way employees work.
Because it is so important that the food we produce at is safe, we have a system to recognize which hazards might be present at our facility, and we address those hazards to reduce the risk of foodborne illness or other dangerous issues, called the hazard analysis critical control point, or HACCP, system.
What is HACCP?
There are seven basic principles of HACCP that uses to promote food safety.
- Analyze hazards.
- Identify critical control points.
- Establish critical limits.
- Monitor critical control points.
- Establish corrective actions.
- Keep records.
- Verify the HACCP system.
Following these seven principles, has done a thorough analysis of our facility and identified the areas that might present a risk.
In each of these areas, we have designed specific controls to take to lower these risks. Employees have the important role of putting these control measures into action, and their dedication to them could save someone’s life.
Examples of Safety Measures
It is important that employees follow these control measures, because just one weak link could mean compromising the safety of our product. What are some of the measures we are referring to and why are they important? Following are a few examples.
- Allergens are an important element of food safety. Foods like milk, soy or egg are considered chemical hazards because they can be very dangerous to people with allergies.
- Hygiene is the foundation to food safety. Sanitary working surfaces and good housekeeping habits are extremely important in preventing food safety failures.
- Temperature should always be controlled and recorded.
Follow the Plan
Axis’ HACCP plan contains specific actions workers must take on the job to reduce the risk of producing unsafe food products. Each part of this plan is extremely important. If a worker ignores just one control measure, someone – or many people – could get a serious illness or even die. Take the time to talk through our HACCP plan with employees or contact us if you have any questions.
Need help identifying best practices for implementing and executing a food recall plan? Download our free Food Recall Guide to help keep your business and consumers safe!
