How can you identify CCPs in a HACCP plan with an example?

• A. Determine points where control prevents or significantly reduces hazards; e.g., cooking to a safe core temperature is a CCP.
• B. Randomly choose points with hazards.
• C. Identify only the final product phase.
• D. Consider administrative steps only.

Answer: (A)

In HACCP, critical control points are stages where a control measure can prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. Cooking to a safe core temperature is a CCP because proper heat treatment directly inactivates biological hazards by reaching a temperature and time that kill harmful microorganisms. This creates a verifiable, monitorable limit—like a minimum internal temperature—that you can measure and maintain, with corrective actions if it isn’t met. The idea is to rely on a point in the process where control has a real, demonstrable impact on safety, rather than selecting points at random, focusing only on the final product, or considering administrative steps alone.