HACCP program is a preventive system to eliminate or minimize potential biological, chemical and physical hazards to the safety and quality of food and other procedures. The initials stand for the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system.

This system was developed in 1996 and is preferred by food safety professionals around the world and is widely viewed as critical to food safety because it helps prevent food contamination by identifying potentially unsafe links in the food processing chain. The system is used at all stages of food production and preparation processes.

HACCP is well defined as a preventive system and assures food safety as close to 100%. The success of HACCP depends largely on prerequisite programs including GMP, SOPs and SSOPs.

HACCP is based on seven basic principles

1. Conduct a hazard analysis
2. Determine critical control points
3. Establish critical limits
4. Establish monitoring limits
5. Establish corrective actions
6. Establish verification procedures
7. Establish effective record keeping procedures