A __________ is a point, step, or procedure at which control can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to acceptable levels.

• A. Critical Control Point
• B. Preliminary Control Point
• C. Hazard Analysis Point
• D. Preventive Control Point

Answer: (A)

A Critical Control Point is a step in a HACCP plan where you can apply a control to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. The importance lies in the fact that if control is not maintained at this specific point, the hazard could become unmanageable and pose a risk to consumers. Examples include cooking to a defined internal temperature to destroy pathogens, or cooling and holding at safe temperatures to prevent microbial growth. The other terms aren’t standard HACCP concepts, so they aren’t used to describe this idea.