HACCP Incident Investigation & Reporting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a HACCP incident investigation, what is the primary purpose of a root cause analysis?
- To assign blame to a specific employee
- To identify the underlying systemic failure that allowed the deviation to occur (Correct answer)
- To calculate the financial cost of the incident
- To satisfy insurance documentation requirements
Correct answer: To identify the underlying systemic failure that allowed the deviation to occur
Root cause analysis identifies systemic failures so corrective actions address the source of the problem, not just the symptom.
Question 2: A frozen food plant discovers that a metal detector CCP failed for a 4-hour production run. Which product disposition decision would be most appropriate under HACCP?
- Release all product since metal contamination is rare
- Hold and quarantine all product produced during the failure period pending evaluation (Correct answer)
- Destroy all product immediately without testing
- Re-run only the last hour of product through the detector
Correct answer: Hold and quarantine all product produced during the failure period pending evaluation
All product produced during a CCP failure must be held and evaluated before any disposition decision is made.
Question 3: Which document should be completed first when a CCP deviation is discovered?
- A corrective action report (Correct answer)
- The end-of-day production summary
- A consumer complaint form
- A supplier notification letter
Correct answer: A corrective action report
A corrective action report must be initiated immediately upon discovery of a CCP deviation to document the event and required actions.
Question 4: An investigator finds that a pasteurization temperature dropped below the critical limit due to a faulty thermometer. What is the MOST appropriate immediate corrective action?
- Continue processing and adjust the records
- Replace the thermometer and re-calibrate before resuming production (Correct answer)
- Increase processing speed to compensate
- Switch to a different CCP to monitor temperature
Correct answer: Replace the thermometer and re-calibrate before resuming production
The faulty monitoring equipment must be replaced and calibrated before production can safely resume at that CCP.
Question 5: When conducting a HACCP incident investigation, who should ideally be included on the investigation team?
- Only the HACCP coordinator
- Quality assurance, production, maintenance, and management representatives (Correct answer)
- External auditors only
- Regulatory officials exclusively
Correct answer: Quality assurance, production, maintenance, and management representatives
A cross-functional team ensures all aspects of the deviation—equipment, process, human factors, and management systems—are properly evaluated.
Question 6: Under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), how long must records of CCP monitoring and corrective actions be retained for most facilities?
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 2 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
Correct answer: 2 years
FSMA requires most food facilities to retain HACCP and food safety plan records for a minimum of 2 years.
Question 7: A facility's HACCP team reviews a deviation report and finds the same CCP failure occurred three times in six months. What action is MOST warranted?
- Continue monitoring with the existing procedure
- Conduct a formal reassessment of the HACCP plan for that CCP (Correct answer)
- Remove the CCP from the plan since monitoring is difficult
- Train only the employee involved in the most recent deviation
Correct answer: Conduct a formal reassessment of the HACCP plan for that CCP
Recurring deviations at the same CCP indicate a systemic problem requiring formal HACCP plan reassessment and potential revision.
HACCP Incident Investigation & Reporting 2
During a HACCP incident investigation, what is the primary purpose of a root cause analysis?