that does not contain a controlled pro-
cessing step to effectively destroy harm-
ful microorganisms.
●Hazard D:Foods that fit this hazard are
subject to recontamination after pro-
cessing and before packaging.
●Hazard E:With this hazard, there is
substantial potential for abusive han-
dling in distribution or in consumer
handling that could render the product
harmful when consumed.
●Hazard F:Foods in this group have not
been subjected to a terminal heat
process after packaging or when cooked
in the home.The following risk categories are based on
ranking by hazard characteristics.
●Category O—No hazard.
●Category I—Food products subject to
one of the general hazard characteris-
tics.
●Category II—Food products subject to
two of the general hazard characteris-
tics.
●Category III—Food products subject to
three of the general hazard characteris-
tics.
●Category IV—Food products subject to
four of the general hazard characteris-
tics.
●Category V—Food products subject to
all five of the general hazard character-
istics: Hazard classes B, C, D, E, and F.
●Category VI—A special category that
applies to nonsterile products desig-
nated and intended for consumption by
at-risk populations, e.g., infants, aged,
infirm, or immunocompromised indi-
viduals. All hazard characteristics must
be considered.2.Determine which CCPs are required to
control the identified hazards.A CCP is
defined as “a point, step, or procedureat which control can be applied and a
food safety hazard can be prevented,
eliminated, or reduced to an acceptable
level.” A CCP must be established
where control can be exercised. Haz-
ards identified must be controlled at
some point(s) in the food production
sequence, from growing and harvesting
raw materials to the ultimate consump-
tion of the prepared food.Critical control points are located at
any point in a food production sequence
where hazardous microorganisms should be
destroyed or controlled. An example of a
CCP is a specified heat process at a given time
and temperature, implemented to destroy
a specified microbial pathogen. Another
temperature-related CCP is refrigeration,
required to prevent hazardous organisms
from growing, or the adjustment of the pH of
a food, to prevent toxin formation. CCPs
should not be confused with those points
that do not control safety. A control pointdif-
fers from a CCP, in that it is defined as “any
point, step, or procedure in a specific food
production operation at which biological,
physical, or chemical factors can be con-
trolled.” Figure 7–1 presents a CCP Decision
Tree recommended by the National Advisory
Committee on Microbiological Criteria for
Foods (1997) to assist in the identification of
CCPs.
Information developed during the hazard
analysis serves as a guideline to identify the
steps in the process that are CCPs. CCPs are
located at any point where hazards require
prevention, elimination, or reduction to
acceptable levels. Examples of CCPs may
include but are not limited to specific sanita-
tion procedures, cooking, chilling, product
formulation, and cross-contamination pre-
vention.
The number of established CCPs should be
kept to a minimum to simplify monitoring