Most Small Meat Plants Ready for HACCP

October 27, 1999

Meat and poultry plants with fewer than 10 employees or less than $2.5 million in production must meet hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) regulations by Jan. 25. USDA says the vast majority of them will be ready.

The HACCP rule requires that plants analyze their production systems, identify hazards and establish points where those risks can be eliminated or reduced. Raw products also must meet strict limits for the prevalence of salmonella. Under HACCP, the prevalence of salmonella on carcasses and raw ground products has been reduced dramatically.

Almost two-thirds, 63.4%, of plant owners were working toward meeting the HACCP requirements at the end of September. About a quarter of them, 28%, demonstrated an awareness of the requirements but were not sure how to meet them. A small number, 4.4%, demonstrated an awareness of the requirements but were struggling to meet them. And 1.8% had no awareness of the requirements and did not have an interest in meeting them.

To help very small plants meet the requirement that someone on staff must have HACCP training, a self-study package, including instructional materials and videos, was distributed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service to all very small plants.

Field supervisors have had-delivered self-instruction guides, helped plant owners work along the time line and assisted in their progress toward successful implementation of HACCP.

HACCP has been implemented in three phases: the 300 largest plants came under HACCP in January 1998; about 3,000 small plants implemented the systems this past January, and 3,300 federally inspected and 2,300 state inspected very small plants will implement the system on Jan. 25, 2000.