Preliminary steps to enable hazard analysis:

As you build your system, you will need to identify information
that is needed to conduct an effective hazard analysis. You will
also need to collect, maintain, update and document this
information. The first step to address these requirements is to
establish your food safety team. They are the experts that will be
conducting the preliminary steps. The members of the team will
collect information on characteristics of raw materials,
ingredients and end products and identify food safety requirements
related to them and prepare descriptions to be used in the hazard
analysis.

In addition to this information the team will determine the
intended use of the end products, considering the consumers of the
product. It is up to the team to identify what potential risks
there are of misuse or mishandling and if there is a particularly
vulnerable group of people included in the consumers. The team
documents the information to be used in the hazard analysis.

The next step is for the team to prepare flow diagrams for the
products. The diagrams show the sequence and interaction of each
step in the process for the product. It is important that this
shows where raw materials, ingredients and intermediate product
enter the flow as well as where they are released or removed. All
outsourced work is identified on the flowchart so it can be
considered during the hazard analysis. Once the diagrams are
prepared the food safety team verifies the diagram by onsite
checking of the process against the diagram.

The last piece of information to prepare to enable the hazard
analysis is a description of the process steps and existing control
measures. A description of any regulatory or customer requirements
is included so they are addressed in the HACCP plan. Once all of
this information is thoroughly documented by the team you are
prepared to move on to the hazard analysis.