HACCP is the acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. The World Health Organization describes prerequisite programs (PRP) as, “essential food safety practices that need to be implemented prior to and during the installation of HACCP”. These good hygiene practices are elements of a Food Safety Management System’s prerequisite programs. The primary means to reduce cross-contamination in a food processing plant is proper employee training. Astoundingly, documentation demonstrates that between 30% and 50% of persons do not wash their hands after using the restroom. In the USA, a majority of an estimated 75 million cases of foodborne illness are reported to have resulted from poor worker hygiene practices. The two common causes of major food safety incidents and recalls are undeclared allergens and cross-contamination. Implementation of food safety management systems (ISO 22000:2018) along with incorporation of management tools such as HAZOP, FMEA, Ishikawa and Pareto have proved to be proactive in the maintenance of a positive food safety culture and prevention of cross-contamination and fraud. Moreover, we correlate this with microbiological criteria. For emphasis, we make use of the example of organizational food safety culture failures and the lack of managerial engagement which resulted in a multi-state listeriosis outbreak in USA. Our study focuses on the importance of Food Safety Management System (FSMS), Critical Control Points Hazard Analysis (HACCP) and the Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) as the foundation of HACCP, in preventing foodborne outbreaks. This phenomenon was noticed, worldwide, for all food processors, but with a much higher incidence in the medium- and small-sized food processing plants. When the group runs out of ideas, focus attention to areas in the chart where ideas are thin.The food industry’s failure in planning and designing of and in implementing a Food Safety Management System and its foundation elements leads, in most instances, to compromised food safety and subsequent foodborne illness outbreaks.
Layers of branches indicate causal relationships. Continue to ask “Why?” and generate deeper levels of causes. Write sub–causes branching off the causes. Ask the question “why does this happen?” again.Causes can be written in several places, if they relate to several categories. Ask: “Why does this happen?” As each idea is given, the facilitator writes it as a branch from the appropriate category. Write the categories of causes as branches from the main arrow.For instance, it might make sense to start with these generic headings: methods, machines (equipment), people (manpower), materials, measurement, and environment. Brainstorm the primary categories of causes for the problem.Write the problem statement at the center right of the flipchart or whiteboard, box it, and draw a horizontal arrow running to it.The group should agree on a problem statement (effect).