Guidelines for plan development

A. Gather HACCP resources

1. Bring as much knowledge to the table as possible. With a small facility, this may mean bringing togetherone or two employees, at least one of whom has completed HACCP training. It may also meaninvolving outside expertise, such as that available through a local extension office, a trade or professionalorganization, or contractor of choice. Larger facilities may want to involve employees from anumber of departments (e.g., production, sanitation, quality control, and engineering), as well as employeesdirectly involved in daily processing activities.
2. Provide all team members with at least a basic introduction to HACCP. Training can be formal classroomtraining, on-the-job training, information from college courses, and/or HACCP books or manuals.
3. Identify the employee(s) who will be writing the HACCP plan, and ensure they have an understanding of:
   • Technology and equipment used in the processing lines
   • Practical aspects of food operations
   • Flow of the process in the plant
   It is also helpful if the employee(s) have some knowledge of the applied aspects of food microbiology,as well as of HACCP principles and techniques — although this knowledge can be supplemented byoutside experts.
4. List all team members, their responsibilities, and a description of the training they’ve received on the“HACCP Team Form” (Form 1).
5. Gather information from the local public library, community college or university libraries, the extensionservice, scientific publications, FDA guidelines, USDA guidebooks, and any other sources availableto the general public. Obtain as much information about the public health hazards associated withthe specific product/process as possible — including information on each supplier’s conformance withpublic health-related specifications, in-plant incidents of contamination or adulteration, and productrecalls. This will ensure that hazards are recognizable throughout the plan development process.
6. Use the “HACCP Information Sources Form” (Form 2) throughout plan development to create a bibliographyof the sources used. This list will help document and provide the scientific basis for considering ahazard and determining its significance. It will also be useful for validation and reassessment purposes.