CPFS Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which prerequisite program directly supports the control of physical hazards by preventing foreign objects from entering food?
- Pest control
- Equipment maintenance (Correct answer)
- Allergen management
- Supplier verification
Correct answer: Equipment maintenance
An equipment maintenance program helps prevent physical hazards such as metal shards, gasket pieces, and broken glass from contaminating food during processing.
Question 2: A HACCP team is assembling a process flow diagram. What is its primary purpose?
- To document employee responsibilities
- To provide a visual step-by-step map of the food process for hazard analysis (Correct answer)
- To track food inventory from purchase to sale
- To outline training procedures for new hires
Correct answer: To provide a visual step-by-step map of the food process for hazard analysis
A process flow diagram provides a simple step-by-step description of the process, which the HACCP team uses as the basis for conducting the hazard analysis.
Question 3: When developing corrective actions for a HACCP plan, which element is REQUIRED?
- Specifying who will purchase replacement product
- Identifying what happens to product that may have been affected (Correct answer)
- Notifying customers of the potential hazard
- Retraining all staff within 24 hours
Correct answer: Identifying what happens to product that may have been affected
Corrective actions must address the disposition of affected product—determining whether it is safe to use, needs reprocessing, or must be destroyed.
Question 4: The HACCP team for a deli operation is evaluating slicing as a process step. Using the decision tree, they determine slicing is NOT a CCP. This is most likely because:
- Slicing equipment is cleaned daily
- A subsequent cooking step will eliminate potential hazards introduced at slicing (Correct answer)
- The deli has had no foodborne illness complaints
- Slicing is a low-risk activity per the FDA
Correct answer: A subsequent cooking step will eliminate potential hazards introduced at slicing
If a subsequent step in the process will eliminate or reduce the hazard to acceptable levels, an earlier step may not qualify as a CCP.
Question 5: Which of the following correctly describes an 'operational limit' versus a 'critical limit'?
- Operational limits are always stricter than critical limits to provide a safety buffer (Correct answer)
- Critical limits are stricter than operational limits
- Both are the same value and used interchangeably
- Operational limits apply only to chemical hazards
Correct answer: Operational limits are always stricter than critical limits to provide a safety buffer
Operational limits are set more conservatively than critical limits to allow corrective action before a critical limit is breached, providing a safety buffer.
Question 6: Which of the following records would be REQUIRED as part of a HACCP system?
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- CCP monitoring records documenting time, temperature, and initials (Correct answer)
- Weekly sales reports
- Supplier invoices for all ingredients
Correct answer: CCP monitoring records documenting time, temperature, and initials
HACCP record-keeping must include CCP monitoring records that document critical limit measurements, dates, times, and the identity of the person performing monitoring.
Question 7: A metal detector at the end of a meat packaging line is a CCP. If a package triggers the detector, what should happen?
- The package is set aside and retested after 24 hours
- The package is removed from the line and the corrective action procedure is followed (Correct answer)
- The entire production batch is immediately destroyed
- The production line continues and the incident is noted in the log
Correct answer: The package is removed from the line and the corrective action procedure is followed
When a CCP deviation occurs—such as a metal detector alarm—the corrective action procedure requires removing and segregating the affected product for evaluation.
CPFS Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points 4
Which prerequisite program directly supports the control of physical hazards by preventing foreign objects from entering food?