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Food Handler · HACCP and Food Safety Systems

What is a 'critical control point' (CCP) in a HACCP plan?

Correct answer

A step at which a control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food-safety hazard to an acceptable level

  1. A Any step in food preparation
  2. B A step at which a control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food-safety hazard to an acceptable level
  3. C The point of sale to the customer
  4. D The location of the manager's office

Why this is the answer

A critical control point (CCP) is a specific step in the flow of food where a control measure can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food-safety hazard to an acceptable level — for example, the cooking step (where heat kills pathogens) or the cooling step (where rapid cooling prevents bacterial growth). At each CCP, the manager sets a critical limit (such as a minimum cooking temperature), monitors it, and takes corrective action if the limit is not met. Not every step is a CCP; CCPs are the points truly essential to safety. Identifying CCPs is one of the core principles of HACCP.
Source: FDA Food Code — Critical Control Points

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