What does HACCP emphasize primarily?

HACCP, or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, primarily emphasizes prevention as its core principle. This approach is designed to identify potential hazards in food production processes and establish measures to prevent those hazards from occurring rather than waiting to detect them after they happen. By focusing on prevention, HACCP allows for systematic identification of critical points within the production process where risks can be controlled or eliminated. This proactive strategy is essential for ensuring food safety and protecting public health.

While other aspects like employee training, consumer awareness, and control of food costs can be important in a food safety management system, they are not the primary focus of HACCP. Employee training is crucial to ensure that staff understand and implement the HACCP plan, but it is a means to support the prevention strategy rather than an end in itself. Similarly, while consumer awareness can play a role in food safety, the framework of HACCP is centered around the prevention of hazards, ensuring that safe practices are built into the food production process right from the beginning.