How Do You Prioritize Hazards in a Complex Food Process?

When your food manufacturing process involves multiple ingredients, steps, and equipment, identifying hazards is just the start.

The real challenge?
👉 Knowing which hazards to control first, and which ones pose the biggest risk to your product and consumer.

That’s where hazard prioritization — a key step in HACCP and ISO 22000 — comes in.

🎯 Why Hazard Prioritization Is Critical

• Not all hazards are equal

• Helps prevent over-control and resource waste

• Ensures your Critical Control Points (CCPs) are focused where it matters

• Supports compliance with:

  • ISO 22000

  • FSSC 22000

  • Codex HACCP guidelines

  • GMP and NPRA requirements

🧪 Common Hazards in Complex Food Processes

• Biological: bacteria (Salmonella, Listeria), viruses, parasites

• Chemical: cleaning agents, allergens, pesticide residues

• Physical: metal fragments, glass, bone, plastic pieces

• Radiological or intentional (Food Fraud): rare, but must be considered

⚙️ When Do You Need to Prioritize Hazards?

• New product launches with multiple processing stages

• Complex processes involving:

  • Mixing, blending, fermenting, or packaging

  • Multi-source ingredients

• Contract manufacturing where raw materials come from various suppliers

• High-risk categories: ready-to-eat, infant foods, functional foods

✅ Steps to Prioritize Hazards in a HACCP Plan

1. Identify All Potential Hazards

• Use:

  • Process flow diagrams

  • Supplier specs

  • Previous audit or recall history

  • Scientific literature (e.g., Codex, FSANZ, EFSA)

2. Assess the Likelihood of Each Hazard

• Ask:

  • How likely is this hazard to occur?

  • Has it happened before in similar products or processes?

3. Evaluate the Severity

• Consider:

  • Can it cause food poisoning, injury, allergic reaction?

  • Is it dangerous even in small quantities?

4. Use a Risk Assessment Matrix

• Score each hazard based on:

  • Likelihood (Low, Medium, High)

  • Severity (Minor, Moderate, Severe)

• Multiply scores for risk ranking

5. Categorize Hazards

• High-risk → must be controlled by CCP

• Medium-risk → may be controlled by PRPs or OPRPs

• Low-risk → monitor through GMP or general hygiene programs

6. Determine the Point of Control

• For high-risk hazards, ask:

  • Where in the process can this be controlled?

  • Can it be eliminated, reduced, or prevented?

🛠 Tools to Support Hazard Prioritization

• HACCP worksheets with risk ranking columns

• Decision trees (Codex-based) for CCP identification

• Food safety software with built-in hazard libraries

• Consultant guidance for custom or high-risk operations

💬 Tips to Make Prioritization Easier

• Always review your hazard list during HACCP review (annually or after changes)

• Involve cross-functional teams: QA, production, engineering, R&D

• Don’t assume — verify with lab testing or supplier COAs

• Use real-life data (e.g., complaints, incidents, recalls) to adjust risk rankings

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating all hazards as equally critical

• Failing to reassess risks after process or supplier changes

• Over-relying on checklists without factory-specific data

• Ignoring emerging hazards (e.g., allergens, Listeria in RTE)

📌 Final Thoughts

Hazard prioritization isn’t just paperwork — it’s your first line of defense against product failure, recalls, and consumer harm.

Ask yourself:
✅ Are we spending time and resources controlling the right hazards?
✅ Are our CCPs based on risk, or just habit?
✅ Do we review and adjust our prioritization when changes occur?

If the answer is unclear, it’s time to revisit your risk ranking and strengthen your HACCP foundation.

💼 Need help prioritizing hazards in a complex or high-risk food process?
At CAYS Scientific, we guide Malaysian SMEs through:
✔️ HACCP hazard analysis workshops
✔️ Risk ranking tools and training
✔️ CCP identification and verification
✔️ ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 implementation

📞 Let’s ensure your HACCP system targets the right risks — before they target your product.