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HACCP: What It Is, the Seven Principles and How it Differs from GMP
HACCP, hazard analysis and critical control points, is a preventive food-safety system that finds where hazards can enter a process and controls them at the critical points before they reach the consumer. It builds on good manufacturing practice: GMP is the hygienic foundation; HACCP is the targeted control on top of it.
Why is HACCP important?
What are the seven principles of HACCP?
The system is built on seven principles, in order:
- Conduct a hazard analysis.
- Identify the critical control points (CCPs)
- Set critical limits for each CCP.
- Monitor the CCPs, and set corrective actions when a limit is breached.
- Verify the system works, and keep records that prove it.
How does HACCP differ from GMP?
Foundation versus targeted control. Good manufacturing practice is the baseline hygiene and process discipline every food operation needs. HACCP sits on that base and targets specific hazards at specific control points. GMP keeps the whole environment safe; HACCP guards the exact steps where a hazard could get through. It’s a quality assurance approach, close cousin to process safety thinking, and often feeds a recipe management system.
HACCP vs GMP at a glance
Targeted control versus the hygienic base.
| Aspect | HACCP | GMP |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Targeted hazard control | Baseline hygiene and practice |
| Focus | Critical control points | The whole operation |
| Nature | Preventive, specific | Foundational, general |
| Relationship | Sits on top of GMP | The foundation |
