What does HACCP stand for and what is its basic purpose?

• A. Hazard Awareness and Critical Control Plans; to identify hazards and implement controls at critical points in the flow of food.
• B. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; to identify hazards and implement controls at critical points in the flow of food.
• C. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; to monitor safety budgets.
• D. Hazard Analysis and Critical Containment Points; to manage allergen labeling.

Answer: (B)

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and its basic purpose is to identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could occur at any step in the food production process and to put in place controls at specific points in the flow of food to prevent, eliminate, or reduce those hazards to safe levels. This approach is proactive rather than reactive, focusing on prevention through established critical points, monitoring, and corrective actions, with documentation to keep the system verifiable. The other options mix up the terminology or describe unrelated aims, so they don’t fit the actual purpose of HACCP.