Division of Environmental Health Food Safety and Sanitation Program

HACCP Plans

About HACCP Plans

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a food safety management system that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards for foods that are produced using certain specialized processes.

Facilities that produce food using a process that requires a HACCP plan must conduct a hazard analysis to determine any significant hazards that need to be addressed in the HACCP plan. The facility will also need to identify critical control points for the hazards. These are the points in production where it is necessary to apply food safety controls to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the identified hazard(s).

The HACCP plan is simply the formal, written document that explains the facility's hazard analysis, the steps they will take to control hazards at each critical control point, and the procedures that staff will follow to implement this food safety management system.

Processes That Require a HACCP Plan

The Alaska Food Code requires HACCP plans for foods that are produced using specialized processes that present food safety risks that are not otherwise addressed in the code. Please note that HACCP plans are not the same as food safety plans. Some food processing facilities (not exempt from 21 CFR Part 117 Subpart C) may need to have a food safety plan.

Food establishments that use one of these processes to produce food must have a HACCP plan:

• Smoking, when it is used to preserve a food (not when it is only used to enhance the food's flavor);
• Curing;
• Sprouting seeds or beans;
• Using food additives or adding ingredients, such as vinegar, to preserve a food (not when those additional ingredients are only used to enhance the food's flavor);
• Using food additives or adding ingredients, such as vinegar, so that a food does not require time or temperature controls to be safe;
• Packaging a potentially hazardous food using a method of reduced oxygen packaging that is not described in 18 AAC 31.265(b);
• Any other process that allows the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms;
• Any other process that allows the slower growth of Clostridium botulinum.

HACCP Plan Requirements

Food establishments must submit a HACCP plan and the associated fee to the Department of Environmental Conservation and receive approval before starting a specialized process that requires a plan. If new products are added or there are any changes to the processing procedures, the Department must be notified and an updated HACCP plan may be required.

HACCP plans must include:

1. Food establishment information
   • Operator's name
   • Facility address
   • Facility contact information
2. Food(s) that will be controlled under the HACCP plan
3. For each food being controlled under the plan, a flow diagram or flow chart for the specialized process that includes
   • Each step in the process
   • Hazards (e.g., bacteria growth) for each step in the process
   • Controls (e.g., temperatures, pH level) for each step in the process
   • Steps that are critical control points
   • Ingredients, materials, and equipment used to prepare the food
   • Formulations or recipes that describe the methods and procedural control measures that address the food safety concerns involved in the process
4. For each food being controlled under the plan, a critical control point summary that includes
   • Critical control point(s) being summarized
   • Critical limit for each critical control point (measurements like time, temperature, pH)
   • Method and frequency for monitoring and controlling each critical control point
   • Identification or job title of the designated employee responsible for monitoring critical control points
   • Method and frequency for the person in charge to verify that the designated employee is following standard operating procedures and monitoring critical control points properly
   • Action to be taken by the designated employee or person in charge if the critical limits for each critical control point are not met
   • Records maintained by the person in charge to demonstrate the HACCP plan is properly operated and managed

Regulatory References

• 18 AAC 31 Alaska Food Code
• 18 AAC 31.260 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan
• 18 AAC 31.265 Reduced Oxygen Packaging at Food Services or Markets
• 18 AAC 31.700 Food Processing Establishment Design and Control
• 18 AAC 31.050(a)(1)(G) Fees: HACCP Plan

Resources and Contacts