CHA Engine Performance & Tuning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a HACCP audit, an auditor discovers that a CCP monitoring record shows the temperature was 2°F below the critical limit for 15 minutes. What is the MOST appropriate auditor action?
- Accept the record if no illness was reported
- Document the deviation and verify a corrective action record exists (Correct answer)
- Immediately shut down the production line
- Request the facility reprocess the product without documentation
Correct answer: Document the deviation and verify a corrective action record exists
The auditor must document the deviation and confirm that a corrective action record was completed as required by the HACCP plan.
Question 2: Which type of hazard is associated with allergen cross-contact in a food processing facility?
- Biological hazard
- Chemical hazard (Correct answer)
- Physical hazard
- Radiological hazard
Correct answer: Chemical hazard
Allergens are classified as chemical hazards under HACCP because they involve chemical substances that can cause adverse health reactions.
Question 3: A HACCP plan for ready-to-eat deli meats identifies lethality as a CCP. The critical limit is an internal temperature of 165°F. What verification activity would BEST confirm the CCP is under control?
- Reviewing consumer complaint logs
- Calibrating thermometers used for monitoring (Correct answer)
- Auditing supplier certificates of analysis
- Checking packaging label accuracy
Correct answer: Calibrating thermometers used for monitoring
Calibrating thermometers ensures the monitoring equipment provides accurate readings, directly verifying CCP control.
Question 4: According to Codex Alimentarius, how many principles form the foundation of HACCP?
- 5
- 6
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 9
Correct answer: 7
The Codex Alimentarius HACCP system is built on 7 principles, from hazard analysis through record-keeping and verification.
Question 5: A facility's HACCP plan lists metal detection as a CCP with a critical limit of no metal fragments >2mm. During the audit, the auditor finds test wands but no challenge testing records for the past month. This is BEST classified as:
- A minor observation requiring no action
- A critical limit violation
- A verification procedure failure (Correct answer)
- A prerequisite program gap only
Correct answer: A verification procedure failure
Absence of challenge testing records indicates the verification procedure for the metal detector CCP was not performed as required.
Question 6: What is the PRIMARY purpose of a prerequisite program (PRP) in relation to a HACCP plan?
- To replace CCPs for high-risk hazards
- To control environmental and operational conditions that support HACCP (Correct answer)
- To document corrective actions for CCP deviations
- To establish critical limits for biological hazards
Correct answer: To control environmental and operational conditions that support HACCP
PRPs control baseline conditions and activities necessary to maintain a hygienic environment, providing the foundation on which HACCP is built.
Question 7: During hazard analysis, a HACCP team determines that a hazard is reasonably likely to occur but its severity is low. What decision tool is used to determine whether this hazard requires a CCP?
- Risk matrix
- Decision tree (Correct answer)
- Fishbone diagram
- Pareto chart
Correct answer: Decision tree
The CCP decision tree, recommended by Codex Alimentarius, guides teams through a series of questions to determine if a control point must be designated a CCP.
CHA Engine Performance & Tuning 2
During a HACCP audit, an auditor discovers that a CCP monitoring record shows the temperature was 2°F below the critical limit for 15 minutes.
What is the MOST appropriate auditor action?