Development of HACCP Plan for Ethnic Cheese Manufacturing Plant

Abstract

The core purpose of the study was to develop a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for a small ethnic cheese manufacturing plant located in Wisconsin. The project incorporated the usage of seven principles of general HACCP model in order to develop a unique plan for two ethnic varieties of cheese Paneer and Queso Fresco. The HACCP based food safety system used in dairy industry all over the world have proved to be beneficial and profitable. Thus utilizing HACCP system, cheese plants can more efficiently manage all the possible hazards from raw material to final product in order to increase food safety and build up a consumer confidence. During the application of seven principles of HACCP, several process steps were identified as critical control point (CCP) for both cheeses. The following four CCPs were identified for Queso Fresco: raw milk receiving, pasteurization, addition of salt and potassium sorbet, and temperature control during storage and transportation. Although, in Paneer cheese manufacturing process the step of salt and potassium sorbet addition is absent, but the rest of the CCPs stay the same. Established HACCP plan helped the company to ensure that the finished product is safe and meet quality requirements.