Determining Preventive Controls

Hazard Analysis – Preventive Controls column

HAZARD ANAYLSIS
PRODUCT: Peanut butter					PAGE _________ OF ___________
FACILITY:					ISSUE DATE:
ADDRESS:
Ingredient or processing step	Hazard	Preventive Control required?		Justify decision	Preventive Controls	Applied at this step?
		Yes	No			Yes	No
	B
	C
	P

Once the decision has been made that a preventive control is needed, and justification has been documented in column 4 of this form, the preventive control should be described in column 5. Remember, preventive controls may include:

• Process preventive controls. These steps that you take in the manufacturing process can remove dangers or make them harmless, such as removing rocks or killing bacteria.
• Allergen preventive controls. Some common ingredients can make people very sick if they are allergic. These steps keep those ingredients out of your products or make sure that you label products so that people with allergies know.
• Sanitation preventive controls. Certain cleaning actions and review can prevent contamination and people getting sick from your products. 
• Supply-chain preventive controls. Suppliers who sell you raw materials may check for common dangers – such as aflatoxin – and be required to show you proof that their supply passed lab tests for safety.
• Recall plan. When the food safety plan fails and contaminated product may leave your factory, you should have a system to track down your product and reclaim it before anyone can consume it and get sick.

Some examples of preventive controls include:

Biological hazards

• Process controls that kill pathogens (e.g., cooking)
• Process controls that prevent growth (e.g.,limit time at improper conditions, temperature controls)
• Supply-chain programs for sensitive ingredients without a kill step
• Sanitation controls that prevent contamination

Chemical hazards

• Supply-chain programs
• Allergen labeling
• Sanitation controls that prevent allergen cross-contact

Physical hazards

• Process controls such as filtering, metal detection, x-ray devices

Finally, it should be noted in column 6 whether the preventive control is applied at this step in the manufacturing process or at a later step in the process.