Two-Barrier Reduced Oxygen Packaging HACCP Plan Guidance Document
A two-barrier reduced oxygen packaging (ROP) process is one in which raw or ready-to-eat foods are placed into oxygen impermeable package, a vacuum is pulled or the oxygen content is modified, and the package is sealed to complete the oxygen barrier. Food stored in this manner requires a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.
A HACCP plan is a written document that identifies where hazards might occur in the food production process and puts into place stringent actions to prevent hazards from occurring. It details a complete food safety management system following HACCP principles in combination with prerequisite programs. This guideline may be used as a tool when creating a two-barrier HACCP plan.
Preliminary HACCP Steps
- Assemble the HACCP team. Select people with specific knowledge and expertise about the process and product(s). The team will be responsible for planning, developing and implementing the HACCP plan. It is important to include personnel who routinely make the product(s).
- Develop a complete list of ingredients and raw materials used in the product(s).
- Develop a complete list of equipment and material that will be used to produce the product(s).
- Develop a process flow by listing all steps of the process used to produce the product(s). Steps can include, but are not limited to receiving, cold holding before ROP, preparation of the product (cutting, adding ingredients, etc.), packaging, cold holding of ROP at processing facility, transport to outlets, cold holding of ROP at outlets, and removal from the package. There are several types of process flows to choose from including diagrams, narratives, lists, charts, and tables.
Hazard Analysis
- Conduct a hazard analysis by evaluating the steps of the process flow and identifying the food safety hazards in each.
- Use a Hazard Analysis Worksheet to document the biological, chemical, and physical hazards in the process.
- The following organisms are common biological hazards that may be required to be controlled depending on ingredients used: Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Shigella spp., E. coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Cryptosporidium, Trichinella (if pork is included in the plan).
- A hazard must be controlled if it is reasonably likely to occur and is likely to result in an unacceptable risk to consumers. A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a step at which controls can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable levels. CCPs will vary depending on the steps used to produce the product. Determine which steps in the process are CCPs and identify them on the process flow.
HACCP Worksheet
- The HACCP Worksheet is used to provide details (critical limit, monitoring, corrective action, verification, records/documentation) for all designated CCPs from the process flow.
- In the example below, a separate table is used for each CCP. The following tables include details of the necessary information for the minimum required CCPs on the HACCP Worksheet for a two-barrier plan (note: CCPs are dependent on the facilities process; therefore, additional CCPs may be required).
- Develop a HACCP worksheet, including details for all identified CCPs
| Critical Control Point (CCP) | Cold Holding of ROP products at a processing facility and outlet facilities, if applicable |
|---|---|
| Critical Limit | Temperature (°F) and shelf life (days) |
Monitoring
| Who | Specify who is responsible for monitoring cold holding temperatures and shelf life |
|---|---|
| How | Describe the method of monitoring cold holding temperatures and shelf life |
| Frequency | Specify how often cold holding and shelf life will be monitored |
| Corrective Action | Provide corrective action for equipment not holding at proper temperature Provide corrective actions for food if the temperature is greater than critical limit Provide corrective actions for food held past shelf life |
|---|---|
| Verification | Specify who is responsible for verification of cold holding documentation Specify how often cold holding documentation will be verified |
| Records | Specify where cold holding will be documented Specify how long cold holding documentation will be maintained Specify where shelf life monitoring will be documented Specify how long shelf life monitoring documentation will be maintained |
| Critical Control Point (CCP) | Cooling (required for 2-barrier ready-to-eat ROP products) |
|---|---|
| Critical Limit | Temperature and time parameters |
Monitoring
| Who | Specify who is responsible for monitoring cooling |
|---|---|
| How | Describe the method of monitoring cooling temperatures of bagged products |
| Frequency | Specify how often cooling will be monitored |
| Corrective Action | Provide corrective action for foods not cooled properly |
|---|---|
| Verification | Specify who is responsible for verification of cooling documentation Specify how often cooling documentation will be verified |
| Records | Specify where cooling time/ temperature will be documented Specify how long cooling documentation will be maintained |
Updated on: May 29, 2019