Which HACCP-related practice would require a variance?

• A. Cooking oysters to a safe temperature
• B. Serving raw oysters without a consumer advisory
• C. Serving pasteurized juice
• D. Freezing seafood before service

Answer: (B)

A variance is the regulatory permission to depart from an approved HACCP plan or from certain risk communication requirements when a processor uses an alternative method but still aims to protect public health. In this context, serving raw oysters without a consumer advisory would be a deliberate deviation from the required risk communication that warns diners about the higher illness risk from raw shellfish. Because that advisory is part of protecting consumers, omitting it would need a formal variance to be permitted.

The other practices described align with standard safety controls and do not require a variance. Cooking oysters to a safe temperature is a routine critical control that eliminates pathogens. Serving pasteurized juice has already undergone a safe processing step. Freezing seafood before service is an accepted parasite-control measure. These are within approved procedures and thus don’t require a variance.