Embracing HACCP in Food Service and Retail

HACCP can be intimidating to smaller retailers and food service operators, some observers note, because it’s perceived as overly complex. Many of these organizations lack internal resources or knowledge and so stay away. But as some trainers point out, HACCP offers a rigorous approach to food safety that isn’t necessarily burdensome. They simply need to adhere to its seven principles:

• Perform a Hazard Analysis,
• Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs),
• Determine the Critical Limits,
• Establish Procedures to Monitor CCPs,
• Establish Corrective Actions,
• Establish Verification Procedures, and
• Establish a Record Keeping System.

While the system was originally developed by Pillsbury in conjunction with NASA and the U.S. Army to ensure food safety for astronauts, its principles are suitable for the broader industry. By following them, organizations can prevent rather than just react to problems in their food safety programs. It is mandatory for seafood, meat and poultry, fresh-cut produce, juice, and some specialty producers to develop and implement a HACCP plan, but retail and food service establishments such as restaurants, grocery stores, prisons, health care facilities, child and adult care centers, convenience stores, and others are exempted from federal requirements. However, a growing number of businesses are embracing some or all of these principles as part of their overall safety and quality programs because of HACCP’s proven effectiveness.

Expanded Food Offerings

One such organization is the Cenex brand of convenience stores, which is owned by CHS, Inc. Two years ago, the company certified a number of its employees in HACCP to enhance its food safety program. Since then, the company has expanded its services beyond Cenex stores to other food service operators, including Wendy’s and Dairy Queen as well as school districts and others. Bob Gumatz, manager of retail solutions, explains that the company decided to become HACCP-certified as a way to maintain quality and food safety throughout its Cenex locations, which are owned and operated by co-ops and independent dealers in 22 states. About 80 percent of the stores offer food items such as fresh sandwiches and salads and roller grill items. Some sell fried chicken, pizza, and other hot foods. The company this year will offer take-home dinner items in some locations.

Gumatz says by investing in a HACCP program, the company wanted to ensure the Cenex brand maintained the highest safety culture. With foodborne incidents on the rise, CHS management sought to make sure one incident doesn’t end up tarnishing the entire brand. Additionally, as convenience stores have expanded their food selection, the potential for problems rises without proper training and protocols.

“If someone at a Cenex store in Wisconsin ate food and got sick and that got publicized, don’t you think people in Washington State or Montana are going to drive by their Cenex store and say, ‘Isn’t that the place where people got sick eating their food. Let’s go across the street,’” poses Gumatz. “We don’t want to react. We are being proactive.”

In working with various companies, Gumatz says the level of HACCP understanding among retail and food service businesses and state and local inspectors varies widely. Typically, large corporations with a dedicated safety staff are well-versed in HACCP principles, but others had trouble with even the acronym. His experience with health inspectors is similar, with some states actively promoting a HACCP approach in the retail and food service segment while others strictly abiding by the Food Code (see sidebar). The disparity in knowledge is reflected in the commitment that different organizations make to food safety and quality.