Rapid Microbiological Methods with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

The proactive approach to ensuring food safety termed hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) was introduced in the 1960s by the Pillsbury Company, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to help guarantee that astronauts would not be incapacitated by the trauma of foodborne illness during space flights. The approach has subsequently been adopted as the standard food safety management system worldwide and is seen as forming the basis for harmonization of food inspection regulations necessitated by trade agreements such as General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and North American Free Trade Agreement as the move toward globalization of trade in food products gains momentum. The new U.S. Department of Agriculture Mega-Reg requires mandatory introduction of HACCP, and the Food Safety Enhancement Program of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, as well as the “due diligence” legislation of the European Union, is centered on HACCP principles.