INTRODUCTION
Dairy products are considered to be amongst the most nutritionally complete foods.
Unfortunately, this characteristic also makes them highly susceptible to bacterial contamination
that can lead to outbreaks of food borne disease. Since modern dairy plants are capable of
processing large volumes of products, outbreaks can potentially affect large sectors of the
population.
The basic approach of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program is to prevent
a foodborne disease outbreak from occurring. The HACCP concept was originally developed by
the Pillsbury Company for the United States space program, to produce foods which were 100%
safe. To achieve this end, Pillsbury controlled all aspects of the food production system
including the raw materials, the process, and the environment.
For the dairy plant manager, the HACCP program simplifies dairy product safety by identifying
the critical operations and providing effective and efficient methods for monitoring and
controlling them. The final outcome is the highest assurance of food safety.