Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment Flashcards

Which step in the preliminary HACCP tasks directly informs hazard identification by listing all inputs and processing steps?

Answer: Constructing the process flow diagram

The process flow diagram lists every ingredient, process step, and output, giving the HACCP team a structured basis for identifying where hazards may enter or increase.

Mercury contamination in large predatory fish such as swordfish is best classified as which HACCP hazard type?

Answer: Chemical

Mercury is a heavy metal that bioaccumulates in fish tissue and is classified as a chemical hazard in HACCP.

A beverage company uses a water supply that occasionally shows elevated nitrate levels. To assess this hazard, which factor should drive the significance determination most heavily?

Answer: Severity of nitrate toxicity (especially methemoglobinemia in infants) and likelihood based on water testing history

Nitrate causes methemoglobinemia in infants (high severity) and historical water data determines likelihood — both factors together define significance.

Which pathogen is the primary biological hazard concern in low-acid canned foods and drives the thermal process validation requirements in those HACCP plans?

Answer: Clostridium botulinum

Clostridium botulinum produces heat-resistant spores and a deadly neurotoxin in anaerobic low-acid environments, making it the target pathogen for canned food thermal processing.

When a HACCP team evaluates a raw ingredient from a new supplier, which action best supports thorough hazard identification?

Answer: Request a Certificate of Analysis, review supplier audit data, and consult scientific literature on hazards associated with that ingredient

Reviewing COAs, supplier audit results, and published hazard data provides a science-based foundation for identifying hazards in new raw materials.

Which of the following scenarios represents a 'radiological' hazard in food production — the least common HACCP hazard category?

Answer: Contamination of crops with radioactive isotopes from fallout near a nuclear facility

Radioactive isotope contamination from nuclear fallout is a true radiological hazard, whereas approved irradiation and UV/X-ray detection are controlled technologies, not contamination hazards.

A HACCP team must decide whether lubricant oil leaking from overhead equipment onto an open food line is a significant hazard. Which combination of factors makes this significant?

Answer: High likelihood due to visible leak points and high severity if non-food-grade lubricant is used

Visible overhead leak points make contamination likely, and non-food-grade lubricants can cause serious chemical harm — both factors elevate significance.