The HACCP concept( Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a quality management system for food safety. It is valid throughout Europe for every company that produces, transports or circulates food. In this blog post, we will focus on the HACCP guidelines for food hygiene and the refrigeration of temperature-sensitive foods during transport and storage.

HACCP guidelines and concept

HACCP(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a concept designed to protect consumers by setting standards for the production and handling of food. Companies subject to the HACCP concept are required, among other things, to carry out ahazard analysis and identify the critical control points for food safety.

According to HACCP guidelines, these critical control points also include refrigeration: the concept stipulates that refrigeration and freezer temperatures must be carefully monitored and traceable along the entire logistics chain.

HACCP conformity is particularly strictly tested in the catering industry. However, other companies involved in the production, transport, storage or sale of food must also develop an appropriate concept.

HACCP and food hygiene

The HACCP concept is fundamentally open-ended. It is therefore not a catalog of measures that the companies concerned have to work through. Rather, it is a kind of guideline that companies can use to develop their own control system for checking food safety and hygiene in their company. Although the HACCP system in Germany has been included since 1998 in the Food Hygiene Ordinance until a few years ago, there was a lack of binding regulations regarding the implementation of a corresponding control system. This changed in 2006:

Since January 01, 2006, all companies that handle foodstuffs have been required to comply with Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs all companies handling food have been obliged to introduce a HACCP-compliant control system. The official food monitoring authority can demand corresponding documentation of the measures taken from the companies concerned at any time.

The HACCP guidelines

The aim of the HACCP guidelines is to identify potential hazards for consumers: inside that emanate from the product itself or (could) arise in the processing process, to assess the risks and to develop appropriate control mechanisms(critical control points) and countermeasures . The HACCP concept is based on seven principles, which are laid down in the EU regulation (quoted in the wording according to Regulation eg No. 852/2004):

(1) Carry out hazard analysis (Hazard Analysis)

According to the EU regulation, the first step in the HACCP system is to identify hazards (hazard analysis) that must be avoided, eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level.

In practice, this step requires an examination of the food in question and all its processing stages (from raw material to finished product). Only in this way is it possible to identify hazards that could affect the purity of the food. The risks to be analyzed here include, for example.

• Contamination by microorganisms (salmonella, listeria, etc.).
• Breaks in the cold chain, leading to the proliferation of potential pathogens.
• Contamination by foreign bodies such as glass or metal particles.‍

(2) Identify risk factors (Critical Control Points I)

According to the EU regulation, the second step in the HACCP system is to determine the critical control points, at the process stage(s) where control is necessary to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

In practice, this step requires those responsible to look at the entire processing chain of a product and identify those process stages where risks for consumers: inside can potentially arise. In this context, we also speak of control points. In the catering industry, relevant control points are, for example, refrigeration and the service life of cold foods.

(3) Set limit values (Critical Control Points II)

According to the EU regulation, the third step under the HACCP concept is the establishment of limits for these critical control points, which are used to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable levels with regard to the prevention, elimination or reduction of identified hazards.

In practice, this requires those responsible to define certain limits based on the available information in order to keep the previously identified risks under control. In this context, we refer to the Critical Control Points, because errors in these process sections can pose significant risks to the health of consumers: inside.

A typical example of such critical control points is the heating of hot food to a core temperature of more than +72 degrees Celsius. This precautionary measure can ensure that potential pathogens are killed. Another example of a critical control point is the pasteurization of milk.

(4) Create necessary conditions

According to the EU regulation, the fourth step after the HACCP plan is to establish and implement effective procedures for monitoring critical control points.

This means that the processing steps identified as high-risk must be planned and managed in such a way that the risks can be reduced to an acceptable level. In practice, we are talking here, for example, about the fact that production facilities must be professionally planned, installed and regularly maintained. Cleaning concepts and the equipment with thermometers for temperature monitoring of cold storage rooms also fall under the fourth point of the HACCP principles.

(5) Control & Monitoring

According to the EU regulation, the fifth step under HACCP concept is to define corrective actions in case monitoring shows that a critical control point is not under control.

Once the necessary conditions for risk minimization have been created, responsible parties are obliged to monitor the effectiveness of their system. For this purpose, records must be kept and a complete documentation of the controls as well as the measured values must be prepared. In addition, the companies concerned are required to develop a system that guarantees the initiation of corrective action in the event of an error. It must therefore be decided which corrective measures are to be taken and who is responsible for this process.

(6) Verification procedure

According to the EU regulation, the sixth step in the HACCP system is the establishment of verification procedures carried out on a regular basis to determine whether the regulations according to principles 1 to 5 are being complied with.

In practice, this means that those responsible must determine what is controlled by whom and how often . The aim is therefore to find out whether the HACCP concept is working as prescribed by means of regular control tests. Since it is never possible to predict when a potential risk factor will occur, it is important that control procedures are applied throughout the entire manufacturing process and that the individual ingredients (raw materials) are also subject to careful control.

(7) Documentation

The last of the HACCP guidelines concerns complete documentation: the HACCP guidelines stipulate that documents and records appropriate to the type and size of the food business must be drawn up in order to be able to demonstrate that the regulations in accordance with principles 1 to 6 are being complied with.

This last directive concerns the obligation to provide evidence of food safety. According to Regulation eg No. 852/2004, every company that produces, transports or distributes food is obliged to prove compliance with the HACCP guidelines. For this purpose, those responsible must, for example, draw up suitable checklists with the help of which the checks can be carried out and documented.

HACCP-compliant storage of foodstuffs

The storage of food is one of the critical control points, because improper storage can pose significant risks to consumers. This risk is particularly high in the catering industry, for example.

Random tests have shown that the risk of contracting food poisoning from industrially produced food is significantly lower than the risk of contracting food poisoning in a restaurant or snack bar. This is due to the fact that food in the catering industry is not processed by machine, but by hand. For this reason, the HACCP concept places an obligation on catering businesses of all sizes to develop appropriate rules for the storage of food and to implement processes that ensure compliance.

Hygienic storage of food

The two most important aspects of food storage are hygiene (cleanliness) and compliance with temperature requirements in refrigerated and frozen areas. Basic rules for hygienic food handling and storage are:

• Don't store too much: Order quantities should always be based on the average number of guests. Too many "reserves" in the warehouse tie up capital and increase the risk of food becoming unusable.
• First in - first out: It is important to process products according to their expiration date. When sorting, the new product should therefore always be placed behind the older product. This is the only way to ensure that the older food is processed first.
• Coordinate minimum shelf life with menu plan: There should be regular checks of the best before dates so that food can be processed before they expire.
• Plan with the use-by date: Raw foods (fish, meat, etc.) are marked with a use-by date that must not be exceeded. Freezing the food does not extend the use-by date.
• Separate"clean" and "unclean" foods: "Unclean" foods such as raw eggs or unprocessed vegetables must always be separated from "clean" or ready-to-eat foods (for example, desserts, cleaned salads or ready-prepared fruit salads) when stored in the open. The latter should be additionally covered to prevent contamination.

Properly store refrigerated and frozen foods

Special guidelines apply to the storage of refrigerated and frozen foods in accordance with HACCP. The exact temperatures to be maintained during (frozen) storage are determined by the manufacturer or the legislator. If it is industrially processed food, the manufacturer specifies the required temperature range. If it is a raw product, the law specifies certain temperatures. For example, raw poultry meat must be stored at less than 4 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in a frozen food warehouse must not exceed -18 degrees Celsius. Other important HACCP guidelines for refrigeration and freezing are:

• Keep track: Businesses should document all receipts of (frozen) food with the date to avoid storing it for too long.
• Controlled thawing: When thawing frozen food, this process must not take place at temperatures higher than 10 degrees Celsius. The thawing water of foods that could be contaminated with salmonella (e.g. fish or poultry meat) must not come into contact with other foods under any circumstances.
• Documentation: Self-frozen food must be labeled with the date of freezing, the exact quantity and the name of the respective employee in addition to the product name.

HACCP guidelines for refrigerated and frozen warehouses

The HACCP concept prescribes the continuous monitoring and daily control of temperatures in refrigerated and frozen storage facilities. For operators, this means that all facilities must be equipped with appropriate measuring devices. In addition, the measured temperatures must be documented on company-specific checklists and presented to the official food inspection authority upon request.

In order to ensure continuous cooling even in the event of a power failure or during a blackout, more and more companies are turning to technical innovation. Through the installation of special cooling elements, the cold store becomes a buffer storeThe cooling elements serve as latent heat storage for solar and wind power, do not require maintenance and guarantee a stable energy supply even when the lights go out everywhere.

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The HACCP concept in food transportation

According to the HACCP concept, the transport of food is also one of thecritical control points. In addition, the transport of frozen food is subject to the Regulation (EC) No. 37/2005 on the monitoring of temperatures of frozen foodstuffs in means of transport. The regulations essentially concern two aspects of food transport: compliance with the cold chain and the condition , including cleaning or disinfection, of the transport vehicle.

Condition of the vehicle

A vehicle equipped for food transport should be easy to clean and disinfect. It is therefore important that the load compartment is lined with corrosion-resistant, smooth material . In addition, the cargo area should be well insulated and physically separated from the passenger compartment. Well-sealed door systems prevent temperature fluctuations during loading and unloading. For uniform cooling throughout the cargo area, it is also important to ensure air circulation.

Monitoring the temperatures

We have explained how cold chain logistics basically works in our blog article Maintaining the cold chain in food transport summarized. Since different requirements apply to the transport of frozen foods than in the "simple" cold chain, the HACCP concept was expanded in 1978 to include corresponding regulations for frozen foods. Here, the concept provides for cooling to -18 degrees Celsius . Deviations of more than +/- 3 degrees Celsius are within the tolerance range; in the event of greater deviations, the cold chain is considered interrupted.

The Frozen Food Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 37/2005) also defines explicit regulations for the temperature monitoring during transport:

• Documentation of temperatures: The transport vehicle must be equipped with data loggers for regular temperature recording.
• EN standards: Affected companies must retain all documentation proving that the measuring equipment used complies with EN standards.
• Traceability: Each temperature record must be dated and kept for at least one year, depending on the type and shelf life of the food transported.

Since the 1990s, the legislator has also recommended the use of so-called time-temperature indicators for the transport of foodstuffs in the frozen food sector. These are intelligent indicators attached to the packaging of the transported goods, which indicate a critical change in temperatures by means of color changes.

HACCP-compliant refrigerated logistics with temprify

temprify solves the problems of conventional cooling systems with technical innovation and transforms cooling logistics challenges into sustainable, scalable products. We achieve compliance with HACCP guidelines by combining particularly powerful cold packs with high-performance insulation: 

Our passive coolers are designed so that a single cold pack keeps the goods in the specified temperature range for up to 96 hours. Temperature data loggers, specially developed for use in our boxes, ensure constant recording of temperature and humidity data during transport. In this way, the temperature development remains traceable in accordance with regulations and can be used for documentation in the event of damage.

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