First, a few factoids to set the stage — HACCP: The acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. History: Developed by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). Pioneered by the Pillsbury Company, with cooperation and participation from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), Natick Laboratories of the U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force Space Laboratory Project Group. Definition and Purpose: A management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product (USFDA Nov. 26, 2014). Principles: Seven (7), beginning with the performance of a hazard analysis… Application: Every segment of the food industry — from field to fork, seed to seat, grove to glass, farm to table, etc., etc. This concludes the factoids on HACCP. However, before outlining the brief of what this presentation intends to offer and why the focus on HACCP, it is important to underscore what this presentation will not address and why:
• This presentation will not be a lecture on HACCP, detailing the classical preventative approach to food safety — the approach and system we have been trained in, understand, practice and implement on a daily basis.
• Nor should this be interpreted as minimalizing or trivializing HACCP — far from it. It remains essential, if not imperative, to maintain a lead on continued improvements (operational excellence) and shared learnings with regard to HACCP, its supporting, aligned, required conditions, practices, and any and all related programs and activities necessary to work alongside a HACCP system, including but not limited to the critical role of prerequisite programs, operational prerequsite programs and other analytical and/or controlling activities identified and now codified in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
• HACCP has been addressed in some way, shape or form for at least five of the last 12 Ivan Parkin Lectures, and it will be addressed in a number of sessions, panels, talks and posters during the Annual Meeting. Consequently, for me to attempt to bring something new and insightful with regard to the classical use and deployment of HACCP would be missing a bigger opportunity.
During this presentation, I will offer different perspectives on the use of HACCP with focus on its application, utility and value to disciplines outside the food safety realm. I intend to demonstrate, using two non-food safety examples, how I have applied the HACCP approach and its seven principles to problem mitigation and resolution. As Stephen Covey, in his bestseller Seven Habits of Highly Effective People demonstrates how his seven principles are not limited exclusively to workplace, management, or leadership, I will discuss how HACCP is a methodology, a tool, a thought and action process whose benefits go beyond food safety. Consequently, these benefits are currently unknown, underused and/or underappreciated by many sectors — public and private — as an approach that may be effective for problem and risk mitigation, resolution and yes, even prevention.
No disrespect to Robert Fulghum, but maybe everything I need to know I didn’t learn in kindergarten. In fact, my supplemental HACCP training was the icing on the cake. Many thanks to the food safety professionals who enabled this to happen — for me and many others.