A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a step in a process where control is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
CCPs are important because they:
- Target specific hazards such as microbial contamination, allergens or foreign material;
- Require monitoring to ensure critical limits are consistently met;
- Support safe production through controlled, validated steps; and
- Form a key part of a HACCP-based food safety system.
Failure to properly monitor or control a CCP can result in unsafe product, nonconformances, and potential recalls.