Food Safety Systems Fundamental

Question 1

What is a system?

Answer 1

• An assemblage or combination of things/ parts forming a complex or unitary whole
• A coordinated body of methods or scheme or plan of procedure –> FSIS definition

Question 2

What is the purpose of a the food safety system?

Answer 2

To produce safe food

Question 3

What is Evidence of Failure?

Answer 3

• Deficiencies/ noncompliance that evidence increased risk of producing unsafe food or foodborne illness/ injury

Question 4

What are causes of Failure?

Answer 4

• Design deficiencies:
  1. hazards or prevention not identified
  2. Programs/ plans not supported or effective
  3. Programs not maintained or reevaluated routinely, after failures
• Execution deficiencies:
  1. Poor execution - not performing quality control, not maintaining records, not taking appropriate follow-up, not verifying programs are implemented

Question 5

What are consequences of not following the food safety system?

Answer 5

• Lack/ loss of control with no food safety hazard
• Isolated event (low risk) vs recurring event (high risk)
• Lack/ loss of control resulting in unsafe food
• May impact another processor’s system (e.g. undeclared allergies)
• Catastrophic lack/ loss of control with food safety and illness/ death

Question 6

What is a food safety hazard?

Answer 6

Any biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause food to be unsafe for human consumption

Question 7

What does it mean when a hazard is reasonably likely to occur?

Answer 7

A hazard which has occurred frequently in the past or, if no safety measures where in place, would occur

Question 8

What is the Prerequisite Program?

Answer 8

• Practices and conditions needed prior to and during the implementation of HACCP and which are essential to food safety
• Provide a foundation for an effective HACCP plan
• Typically are facility-wide rather than focusing on individual areas

Question 9

What are the basic components of a food safety plan?

Answer 9

• HACCP Plan
• Controls food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur
• Product and process specific
• Prerequisites
• Measures, procedures, and programs that provide a foundation for the HACCP system
• Facility-wise
• May support determinations that a food safety hazard is not reasonably likely to occur

Question 10

What is a holistic system?

Answer 10

• Any set/ group of interdependent parts

- Each part are generally systems themselves

Question 11

What is a linkage in regards to a system?

Answer 11

Relation of the parts to the whole

Question 12

What are interactions in regards to a system?

Answer 12

The influence parts have one one another