Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Practice Exam

As a monitor for a dairy processing facility, what should you primarily check regarding the pasteurization process?

1. Ensure the facility is sanitized

2. Check the accuracy of the temperature chart recorder

3. Verify Certificate of Analysis from suppliers

4. No need for monitoring

The correct answer is: Check the accuracy of the temperature chart recorder

Monitoring the pasteurization process is critical to ensuring food safety, particularly in dairy processing. The pasteurization process involves heating milk to a specific temperature for a certain period to kill harmful pathogens while maintaining the quality of the product. Among the choices presented, checking the accuracy of the temperature chart recorder is essential because it provides documentation that the product has been subjected to the required temperature and time standards necessary for effective pasteurization. If the temperature is not accurately recorded or the chart recorder is faulty, there could be a risk of underpasteurization, which means that harmful bacteria may not be effectively eliminated. Therefore, regularly verifying and calibrating the temperature chart recorder guarantees that it reflects the actual conditions within the pasteurization unit, helping to maintain the safety and quality of the dairy products being processed. While ensuring the facility is sanitized and verifying Certificates of Analysis from suppliers are important practices in the overall management of food safety, they do not specifically address the critical control measures necessary for monitoring the pasteurization process itself. Monitoring is essential to confirm that the pasteurization critical control point is being reliably achieved, and this is best accomplished through accurate temperature recording.