What Hazard Analysis Is in the HACCP System

Hazard analysis is one of the core requirements of the HACCP system. It must be performed across every production stage and every process. The hazard analysis identifies potential and likely hazards and defines their levels, including what is tolerable and what constitutes a hazard. Incorrect hazard identification or misreading of levels can cause problems on the production floor. Hazard analysis covers raw material receipt, food additives, food production, distribution, sale, and storage.

Sources of Hazard in Food

Microbiological sources: potential hazards in or on food that can endanger human health. These include the presence of substances or additives that can cause food poisoning, contamination risk during production, handling, or distribution, and the failure to remove identified microbial hazards from the production environment.

Chemical sources: the risk of contamination from additives or from the equipment used in production on the core raw materials.

Physical sources: external contaminants that can enter production, for example glass from breakage, metal objects, hair, and similar foreign material.

Conditions that can cause contamination in food:

• Pesticide residues on agricultural raw materials from field spraying or pest control
• Harmful substances arising during livestock rearing or slaughter, or food intended for consumption containing toxins

Contamination types that can occur from the field to the consumer:

• Personnel-sourced contamination risk
• Unsuitable storage conditions
• Pesticide residues
• Pests
• Metal-source contamination in the production area
• Non-conforming packaging
• Cross-contamination from storing food alongside incompatible materials

Food hazard analysis is not limited to the items above. Hundreds of food safety and hazard identification standards exist worldwide, and a properly scoped analysis draws on the right reference for each production type.