Implementing a paperless HACCP system

How to create a thorough, effective and paperless HACCP system.

Food safety is an ongoing issue for any manufacturers who produce or package edible materials. As such food safety programs must be developed to document a business’s practice of handling food. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) provides a systematic preventive for food safety planning and is encouraged within Australia to uphold and ensure correct practices. HACCP is also internationally recognised and often a requirement when importing or exporting food, beverages or raw material.

Businesses should record and retain copies of action taken demonstrating compliance with the food safety program and ensure it is audited by a food safety auditor. Paperless inspection software in combination with mobile devices simplifies this process by providing automated inspection processes, allowing employees to create routine checks of critical control points and identified potential hazards. Not only does this save time, energy and money, it allows for employees to prepare and anticipate potential threats and create effective work routines and high-quality workplaces.

How to create a thorough and effective seven-stage HACCP system

1. Hazard analysis: This stage can be completed by identifying any hazardous biological, chemical or physical property in raw materials and processing steps, and to assess their likeliness of occurrence and potential to manufacture food unsafe for consumption. This stage can quickly be completed by using mobile devices to photograph and annotate potential hazardous areas at all touch points raw materials coincide with.

2. Critical control points: An area which is controlled to prevent/eliminate the possibility of a hazard occur. By referring to collected images and notes, a logical decision can be concluded whether preventive steps need to be introduced.

3. Critical limits: This stage concludes an acceptable or unacceptable level of use ie, temperature, humidity, water activity etc. Once evaluated appropriately, it can be noted for future use alongside the existing imagery. This imagery also acts as references for employees as they now have photographic evidence of what acceptable levels refer to.

4. Critical control monitoring: Through paperless software it allows the ongoing input of data, both imagery and notes, in a logical, systematic order. This then allows a business to review trends in data input which will act as warnings and highlight areas that need attention. At this stage employees can input their name and time/date data was collected.

5. Corrective actions: Preventive procedures must be in place and developed so employees are able to intervene with different points, processes and materials before the raw material is affected. Employees may refer to electronic procedure notes allocated through the paperless solution to perform the corrective procedure correctly.

6. Evaluation procedures: Testing is needed for the ongoing evaluation of the HACCP plan and its recognised procedures. Evaluation is made easy with paperless software as after the correct evaluation is assigned, ie, observation, levels, sampling etc. Employees can then simply input data via annotating imagery on their mobile device, uploading forms and making notes using the speech-to-text capabilities of the paperless application.

7. Record keeping: Detailed records are essential to create accurate and useful data. These records encourage high-quality workspaces and correct process and are helpful for the:

• documentation of the HACCP plan;
• tracing ingredients and different process points when problems occur;
• identifying both long- and short-term trends.

By combining the tools of mobile data collection and automation, a food inspector and the community can achieve a safer food future for all.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/mindscanner