CHA Safety Systems & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which international standard provides a framework for food safety management systems that incorporates HACCP principles?
- ISO 9001:2015
- ISO 22000:2018 (Correct answer)
- ISO 14001:2015
- ISO 45001:2018
Correct answer: ISO 22000:2018
ISO 22000:2018 specifies requirements for a food safety management system and integrates HACCP principles with prerequisite programs.
Question 2: In HACCP terminology, what does the term 'sensitivity' refer to when evaluating a monitoring procedure?
- The ability to detect contamination above the critical limit
- The proportion of true positives correctly identified by the test (Correct answer)
- The speed at which results are generated
- The specificity of the test for a single pathogen
Correct answer: The proportion of true positives correctly identified by the test
Sensitivity in monitoring refers to the test's ability to correctly identify true positive results, ensuring hazards above critical limits are detected.
Question 3: Which regulatory body enforces HACCP requirements for seafood processors in the United States?
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (Correct answer)
- CDC Division of Foodborne Diseases
- EPA Office of Pesticide Programs
Correct answer: FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
The FDA's CFSAN enforces 21 CFR Part 123, which mandates HACCP for seafood processors in the US.
Question 4: A prerequisite program (PRP) differs from a CCP in that a PRP:
- Controls specific identified hazards at defined critical limits
- Manages general conditions and activities that support food safety (Correct answer)
- Requires continuous monitoring with recorded data
- Must have a corrective action plan with root cause analysis
Correct answer: Manages general conditions and activities that support food safety
PRPs manage general environmental and operational conditions that support food safety, whereas CCPs target specific hazards with defined critical limits.
Question 5: When applying the decision tree during a HACCP study, if a control measure exists at a step but a subsequent step will eliminate the hazard, the current step is typically:
- Designated as a CCP regardless
- Not designated as a CCP for that hazard (Correct answer)
- Classified as a critical prerequisite
- Assigned an operational limit instead
Correct answer: Not designated as a CCP for that hazard
If a later step adequately controls the hazard, the earlier step need not be designated a CCP for that specific hazard.
Question 6: In a risk-based approach to food safety, which factor primarily distinguishes a 'significant hazard' from a non-significant one?
- The type of microorganism involved
- Reasonable likelihood of occurrence and severity if not controlled (Correct answer)
- Whether the hazard is biological, chemical, or physical
- The number of previous customer complaints related to it
Correct answer: Reasonable likelihood of occurrence and severity if not controlled
A significant hazard is one that is reasonably likely to occur and, if uncontrolled, would cause harm of notable severity.
Question 7: Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, which term is used instead of 'CCP' for process controls?
- Significant control point
- Process preventive control (Correct answer)
- Hazard control node
- Critical safety parameter
Correct answer: Process preventive control
FSMA uses the term 'process preventive control' rather than CCP, though the concept is analogous to a CCP in traditional HACCP.
CHA Safety Systems & Standards 2
Which international standard provides a framework for food safety management systems that incorporates HACCP principles?