HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point 523provided and updated with regard to good -
hygiene practices and fundamental process-
ing steps; understanding of their role as part
of a safety system is fundamental.
General GHP and GMP codes for differ-
ent food process categories have already
been provided by regulatory food standard
organizations (FAO/WHO 2005a ). However,
enterprises must defi ne and elaborate their
own GHP and GMP codes as operative
guides. If not, the HACCP plans developed
will either try to control too many issues
through the use of critical limits or just will
not control them at all.
Where possible, these prerequisite pro-
grams should have defi nite outcomes speci-
fi ed, in order to verify and validate operations
(e.g., Enterobacteriaceae counts and total
counts for food contact surfaces after sanita-
tion has been completed)(Gonzalez - Miret
et al. 2001 ). Also, a checklist designed to
evaluate pre - requirements should be included
in audits for their verifi cation.
According to data from a checklist
designed to evaluate pre - requirements for
GHP and GMP presented in the Tradisausage
project (2006), approximately 80% of the
small meat - processing units (regarding
essentially traditional products) in Southern
Europe (including France, Greece, Italy,
Spain, Portugal, and Slovakia) have the main
pre - requirements essential to implement the
HACCP system. However, they have to over-
come the problem relating to documented
evidence and validation of GHP (Fraqueza
et al. 2007 ).
The application of a validated Code of
Hygiene practice will be effective to reduce
the risk of hazards and is fundamental for
subsequent implementation of a HACCP -
based approach.Product Defi nition and Intended Uses
A great diversity of meat products with sin-
gular organoleptic characteristics are found
in the meat industries (large or small) in dif-mandatory for food safety. In small food
workshops, they can per se be the foundation
of so - called light HACCP. It may be assumed
in extremis that a well - trained person with
access to guidance is able to implement in -
house HACCP methods.
On the Pathway to a Generic
HACCP Model for Processed
Meat Products
Pre - Requirements
HACCP plans must be supported by compre-
hensive prerequisite programs. They are the
groundwork for successful HACCP plan
implementation. The operator should estab-
lish, implement, and maintain a cluster of
procedures to control the introduction of
hazards through the environment and cross -
contamination. These practical procedures or
processes, known as good hygiene practices
(GHP) and good manufacturing practices
(GMP) programs, are critical for small meat -
and poultry - processing plants, and are
required to fulfi l a HACCP plan for meat
products. GHP and GMP return the process-
ing environment to its original condition (dis-
infection or sanitation programs); keep
building and equipment in effi cient operation
(maintenance program); control employees ’
security and hygiene; control cross - contami-
nation during manufacture (usually related to
people, surfaces, the air, and the segregation
of raw and processed products); provide
potable water; control pests; control chemi-
cals; and calibrate equipment (FDA 2005 ;
Raspor 2008 ). The defi nition of raw material
specifi cations and its agreement with suppli-
ers is one of the fundamental pre - require-
ments for prevention of hazards that should
be introduced in a meat - processing plant.
The traceability of meat and any other ingre-
dient used in a meat product must be estab-
lished and guaranteed at all stages of
production and distribution. Training for all
meat product handlers should be routinely