Module 11 · Principle 4 — Monitoring CCPs

Module 11 · Principle 4 — Monitoring CCPs0% complete · 7 slides left

HACCP Level 3
Module 11

This course contains audio. Use headphones in public places.

Introduction

A critical limit is only useful if someone checks it. Monitoring is the planned series of checks or measurements that shows whether each critical control point is staying within its critical limit.

Good monitoring detects a loss of control quickly enough for action to be taken before unsafe food reaches the customer.

The Monitoring Plan

For each CCP, the HACCP plan must state:

What is monitored, for example the core temperature of cooked food.
How it is monitored, for example with a calibrated probe thermometer.
When, and how often, for example every batch.
Who is responsible, by name or job title, and that they are trained.
Where the result is recorded.

Continuous and Periodic Monitoring

Continuous monitoring checks all the time, for example a temperature probe linked to a data logger in a cold room, or a chart recorder on a pasteuriser. It can raise an alarm automatically.
Periodic monitoring checks at set intervals, for example probing every batch of cooked food, or reading fridge temperatures at the start and end of each shift.

The frequency must be often enough to catch a problem before unsafe food leaves the business.

Using a Probe Thermometer

Clean and disinfect the probe before and after each use, with a probe wipe.
Insert the tip into the centre, or thickest part, of the food, avoiding bones and the container.
Wait until the reading is steady.
Check the accuracy regularly. In iced water it should read 0°C, and in boiling water 100°C, within one degree either way.
Replace or repair any thermometer that is inaccurate.

Recording the Results

Record each result immediately, and accurately.
Sign or initial each entry, so that it is clear who did the check.
Never fill in records in advance, or after the event from memory.
Never falsify a record. A false record hides a food safety problem, and is a serious offence.
Supervisors should review monitoring records regularly, and sign them.

Summary

In this module, you have learned that:

Monitoring confirms that each CCP stays within its critical limit.

The plan states what is checked, how, how often, by whom, and where it is recorded.

Thermometers must be accurate, and records completed immediately, signed and never falsified.

In the next module, we will look at Principle 5: corrective action.

Knowledge Check

Monitoring confirms that each critical control point stays within its what?

Select one answer, then press Check.

Budget

Recipe

Critical limit

Schedule

Correct. Monitoring checks that each CCP stays within its critical limit.

Not quite. Think about the measurable value that separates safe from unsafe, and try again.

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