What is the purpose of HACCP in food safety?

• A. Establish rapid distribution channels for vaccines.
• B. Identify critical control points and implement controls to prevent foodborne illness.
• C. Monitor cold chain temperatures during storage.
• D. Audit financial costs of food production.

Answer: (B)

HACCP is a preventive, systematic approach to food safety that focuses on controlling hazards at specific points in the production process. Its purpose is to identify critical control points where hazards can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels, and then establish controls, monitoring, and verification to ensure those hazards stay under control. This emphasis on prevention and real-time management helps stop foodborne illness before it can occur, rather than relying on end-product testing or merely evaluating costs. For example, setting a critical limit for cooking temperature at a certain step and continuously monitoring it is a classic CCP approach. Cold chain checks fit within this framework as a control measure, but they’re part of the broader HACCP system, not its sole purpose.