Food Hygiene and HACCP Course (EU): HACCP: the seven principles in practice

1. Question 1 of 18

   What does Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004 require food businesses to have?

   • AA separate HACCP certificate for every single employee
   • BA one-time HACCP plan written on the day they open and never changed
   • CA permanent procedure based on HACCP principles
   • DA HACCP plan only if they sell food to other countries
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   Answer: C. A permanent procedure based on HACCP principles

   Article 5 requires operators to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on HACCP principles.

2. Question 2 of 18

   What does HACCP stand for?

   • AHealth and Accident Control Checking Process
   • BHazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
   • CHazard Alert and Customer Care Procedure
   • DHygiene Assessment and Cleaning Control Plan
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   Answer: B. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point

   HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.

3. Question 3 of 18

   What are prerequisite programmes (PRPs)?

   • ABasic conditions and activities that keep a business hygienic
   • BCourses that every customer must complete before buying food
   • CExtra critical control points that are added at the very end of a plan
   • DNational laws written separately by each EU Member State
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   Answer: A. Basic conditions and activities that keep a business hygienic

   FSAI describes PRPs as basic conditions and activities needed to keep a hygienic environment, such as cleaning, pest control and staff hygiene.

4. Question 4 of 18

   Which of these is the FIRST of the seven HACCP principles?

   • ASet up corrective actions
   • BSet critical limits
   • CIdentify the hazards
   • DKeep records
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   Answer: C. Identify the hazards

   Principle 1 is to identify the hazards that must be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.

5. Question 5 of 18

   Which of these is a preparatory step before the hazard analysis?

   • ADraw a flow diagram and check it on site
   • BVerify the whole system after buying a new oven
   • CThrow away all of the food that is in the fridge
   • DSet the corrective actions for every step in the process
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   Answer: A. Draw a flow diagram and check it on site

   The Commission notice lists preliminary steps: form a team, describe the product, identify its intended use, draw a flow diagram and confirm it on site.

6. Question 6 of 18

   When is a hazard "significant" in a hazard analysis?

   • AWhen at least one customer has complained about it in writing during the last year
   • BWhen it would cost the business a lot of money to control it
   • CWhen it has appeared in a newspaper or television story
   • DWhen it is reasonably likely to reach an unacceptable level without control
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   Answer: D. When it is reasonably likely to reach an unacceptable level without control

   The Commission notice defines a significant hazard as one reasonably likely to occur at an unacceptable level in the absence of control.

7. Question 7 of 18

   What is a critical control point (CCP)?

   • AThe point at the counter where customers pay for their food
   • BAny place in the kitchen where staff are allowed to take their breaks
   • CA step where control is essential to prevent or remove a hazard
   • DThe office where the HACCP records and plans are kept
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   Answer: C. A step where control is essential to prevent or remove a hazard

   The Commission notice defines a CCP as a step at which control can be applied and is essential for a food safety hazard.

8. Question 8 of 18

   In a kitchen that cooks raw chicken, which step is most likely to be the CCP for killing harmful bacteria?

   • AWriting the menu
   • BWashing up plates
   • CDelivery
   • DCooking
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   Answer: D. Cooking

   Thorough cooking kills pathogens in raw meat, so cooking is the classic CCP for this hazard.

9. Question 9 of 18

   What is a critical limit?

   • AThe maximum number of staff allowed in the kitchen at once
   • BA value or check that separates safe from unsafe
   • CThe highest price the business will pay for ingredients
   • DThe longest time that a customer will wait for their food
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   Answer: B. A value or check that separates safe from unsafe

   Article 5 says critical limits separate acceptability from unacceptability at CCPs.

10. Question 10 of 18

    Which of these is a critical limit that FSAI uses as an example for cooking burgers?

    • AThe burger weighs 150 g
    • BThe burger looks brown on top
    • CThe pan has been on for 5 minutes
    • DThe centre reaches 75 °C
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    Answer: D. The centre reaches 75 °C

    FSAI gives a core temperature of 75 °C, or an equivalent such as 70 °C for two minutes, as the example critical limit for burgers.

11. Question 11 of 18

    Does a critical limit always have to be a number?

    • ANo, it can be something you can observe
    • BYes, it must always be a temperature in degrees Celsius
    • CNo, because critical limits are optional in a HACCP plan
    • DYes, it must always be a weight in grams or kilograms
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    Answer: A. No, it can be something you can observe

    The Commission notice defines a critical limit as an observable or measurable criterion.

12. Question 12 of 18

    Probing each batch of cooked rice and writing down the temperature is an example of which HACCP principle?

    • AMonitoring
    • BHazard analysis
    • CVerification
    • DCorrective action
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    Answer: A. Monitoring

    Monitoring means a planned sequence of observations or measurements to check that a CCP is under control.

13. Question 13 of 18

    A fridge reads 10 °C because of a fault. In the FSAI example, what is the correct corrective action?

    • ATurn the fridge off until the next morning to let it rest
    • BServe the food quickly before it warms up any more
    • CMove all the food to the shelf nearest the fridge door
    • DDiscard the food and get the fridge repaired
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    Answer: D. Discard the food and get the fridge repaired

    FSAI's example says that if a fridge reaches 10 °C because of a fault, the food is discarded and the fridge is repaired so it returns to 5 °C.

14. Question 14 of 18

    A business installs a new oven. What is an example of verification?

    • AProbing food to check the new settings reach a safe temperature
    • BThrowing away the instruction manual for the old oven
    • CWriting a new menu that shows off the new oven
    • DAsking staff whether they like using the new oven
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    Answer: A. Probing food to check the new settings reach a safe temperature

    Verification checks that the system works, for example after a change; FSAI gives this new-oven example.

15. Question 15 of 18

    When must a business review its HACCP-based procedures?

    • AOnly when an inspector from the competent authority asks for it
    • BOnly once every ten years, whatever has changed
    • CWhenever the product, process or any step changes
    • DOnly when a long-serving member of staff leaves the business
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    Answer: C. Whenever the product, process or any step changes

    Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004 says the procedure must be reviewed whenever any change is made to the product, process or any step.

16. Question 16 of 18

    What does EU law say about HACCP records?

    • AThey should suit the nature and size of the business
    • BOnly businesses with over 100 staff keep records
    • CRecords must be destroyed after one week
    • DEvery business must keep the same 50-page record book
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    Answer: A. They should suit the nature and size of the business

    Article 5 requires documents and records appropriate to the nature and size of the business.

17. Question 17 of 18

    How can very small businesses use the flexibility allowed for HACCP?

    • ABy skipping the hazard analysis completely if they are small
    • BBy using the flexibility to remove all critical control points
    • CBy ignoring the hygiene rules on their busiest days of the year
    • DBy keeping simpler records while meeting the same safety aims
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    Answer: D. By keeping simpler records while meeting the same safety aims

    The notice allows simplified documents and records, but flexibility is never applied to the objectives and is not meant to reduce the number of CCPs.

18. Question 18 of 18

    A consultant writes a HACCP plan that sits unused in a folder. What does FSAI say about this?

    • AIt is better than involving the staff in the system
    • BIt is enough, because a written plan exists on paper
    • CIt does not count as a working food safety system
    • DIt only needs to be read on the day of an inspection
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    Answer: C. It does not count as a working food safety system

    FSAI says you and your staff must be actively involved; a system that sits in a folder is not a food safety management system.

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