CPFS Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A foodservice operation changes its menu to add a new dish. What action is REQUIRED from a HACCP perspective?
- Inform the local health department before making any menu changes
- Reassess the hazard analysis and update the HACCP plan to address the new process (Correct answer)
- Retrain all employees on general food safety principles
- Add the new dish to existing monitoring logs without changes
Correct answer: Reassess the hazard analysis and update the HACCP plan to address the new process
Any significant change to the menu, ingredients, or process requires a reassessment of the hazard analysis and modification of the HACCP plan to address any new or changed hazards.
Question 2: Which of the following is a physical hazard that would be identified in a HACCP hazard analysis for a bakery?
- Staphylococcus aureus from improper hand washing
- Pesticide residues on wheat
- Metal staples from flour bags accidentally entering dough (Correct answer)
- Undeclared milk allergens in frosting
Correct answer: Metal staples from flour bags accidentally entering dough
Metal staples or other foreign objects that can inadvertently enter food are classified as physical hazards in HACCP.
Question 3: What is the role of the HACCP team in developing a HACCP plan?
- To conduct daily temperature monitoring of all CCPs
- To bring together individuals with knowledge of the product, process, and food safety hazards to develop the plan (Correct answer)
- To replace the general manager during food safety audits
- To approve all supplier invoices related to food safety equipment
Correct answer: To bring together individuals with knowledge of the product, process, and food safety hazards to develop the plan
The HACCP team should be a multidisciplinary group with expertise in areas relevant to the product and process, ensuring a comprehensive hazard analysis and effective HACCP plan.
Question 4: During a HACCP audit, an inspector finds that monitoring records show critical limits were met but corrective action forms were also completed for the same day. What should the inspector conclude?
- The records are fraudulent and must be discarded
- There is likely a paperwork error requiring immediate facility closure
- Corrective actions may have been taken for a brief deviation before recovery, which is acceptable (Correct answer)
- The facility does not understand its own HACCP plan
Correct answer: Corrective actions may have been taken for a brief deviation before recovery, which is acceptable
A CCP may briefly deviate and then recover within the same monitoring period; proper corrective action documentation for that deviation alongside compliant records is a sign the system is working.
Question 5: For rapid-chilling of cooked foods, the critical limit is typically based on:
- The preference of the head chef
- Time and temperature parameters that prevent pathogen growth during cooling (Correct answer)
- The capacity of the walk-in cooler
- The schedule of the next delivery
Correct answer: Time and temperature parameters that prevent pathogen growth during cooling
Critical limits for cooling are established based on scientific evidence showing that specific time-temperature combinations prevent dangerous pathogen growth during the cooling process.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios demonstrates proper use of HACCP records during a health inspection?
- Showing the inspector the employee handbook as proof of food safety training
- Providing completed CCP monitoring logs with dates, times, measurements, and employee signatures (Correct answer)
- Displaying the original HACCP plan only, without monitoring records
- Verbally describing how monitoring is conducted without written documentation
Correct answer: Providing completed CCP monitoring logs with dates, times, measurements, and employee signatures
HACCP records must be maintained in written or electronic form and must include data from actual monitoring, including times, temperatures, dates, and the identity of the monitor.
Question 7: A juice processing company wants to implement HACCP. The FDA requires that their HACCP plan specifically address which hazard as a top priority?
- Physical contaminants from processing equipment
- Pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 in unpasteurized juice (Correct answer)
- Allergens such as tree nuts in juice blends
- Pesticide residues on fruit surfaces
Correct answer: Pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 in unpasteurized juice
FDA's juice HACCP regulations specifically target pathogens, with E. coli O157:H7 being the target organism for a 5-log reduction in juice processing due to historical illness outbreaks.
CPFS Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points 5
A foodservice operation changes its menu to add a new dish.
What action is REQUIRED from a HACCP perspective?