Abstract

Although food safety experts maintain that the U.S. food supply is one of the safest in the world, three recent food recalls raise the question of how food supplies can remain safe in a global environment. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an effective tool to prevent food contamination that has been widely accepted worldwide. In addition, a number of countries have developed national food safety management standards. Recently, an international effort harmonized these standards into a single ISO standard, ISO 22000, which strengthens the HACCP system in several ways and is fully compatible with other ISO standards, such as ISO 9001. ISO 22000 strengthens HACCP by linking the plan to prerequisite programs and defining management’s responsibilities. Three sidebar articles describe HACCP in a nutshell, provide tips for food safety in the home, and describe ASQ’s Food, Drug and Cosmetic Division.