Ingredient Hazards

Good food safety practices require that you consider the entire supply chain, from the source of your raw materials through one or more suppliers and manufacturing processes, to the final consumer.

The Hazard Analysis process will help you to decide when you should implement a Preventive Control to manage that hazard, but not all ingredients pose a hazard that requires a Preventive Control. For example, salt has not been associated with significant food safety issues. So, a Supply-Chain Preventive Control is not likely needed for salt.

Other ingredients, however, may contain a hazard that should be addressed with a specific control. A Hazard Analysis performed for a peanut butter process likely will identify aflatoxin as a hazard that requires a Preventive Control. Aflatoxin is a known carcinogen that comes from a fungus that grows on peanuts, and many countries have regulations limiting the level of aflatoxin permissible in peanuts and peanut products. Laboratory tests must be run to determine the level, if any, of aflatoxin present.

HAZARD ANALYSIS
Ingredient or processing step	Hazard	Preventive control required?		Justify your decision	Preventive Controls	Applied at this step?
		Yes	No			Yes	No
Incoming shelled, raw peanuts	Aflatoxin	X		Raw shelled peanuts may contain aflatoxin, which is harmful to human health	Supplier tests raw peanuts for aflatoxin	X

The following Hazard Analysis examples for foreign material demonstrate that the result can vary depending on the final product the material is used in. The first table shows what the decision might be if raw peanuts are used in peanut butter.

HAZARD ANALYSIS
Ingredient or processing step	Hazard	Preventive control required?		Justify your decision	Preventive Controls	Applied at this step?
		Yes	No			Yes	No
Incoming shelled, raw peanuts	Foreign material (e.g., wood, metal, plastic, stones)		X	Grinding and milling reduce the size to non-hazardous level or material would damage equipment and prevent processing

But, if the process doesn’t require grinding and milling – if the peanuts are meant to be roasted whole and packaged – the decision is different. 

HAZARD ANALYSIS
Ingredient or processing step	Hazard	Preventive control required?		Justify your decision	Preventive Controls	Applied at this step?
		Yes	No			Yes	No
Incoming shelled, raw peanuts	Foreign material (e.g., wood, metal, plastic, stones)	X		Foreign material 7 mm to 25 mm in size can cause injury	Supplier processes raw peanuts to remove foreign material and provides Certificate of Analysis	X