Chapter 10 - Food Safety: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Abstract

The food industry uses important quality management tools, mainly Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). The main objective of the HACCP system is prevention of risks to human health, as well as prevention of changes in foodstuffs by means of control practices in production steps in which there is a greater probability of health hazards. HACCP may be applied to all production steps, from raw material production to the manufacture of the final product. Before the HACCP system is implemented in food industries, prerequisite programs, such as GMP and SSOP have to be established. This chapter presents a comprehensive description of the GMP, SSOP, and HACCP principles and practices, taking into account their positive impact as important safety strategies in the food industry and the barriers to its implementation.