A ___________ is used to distinguish between safe and unsafe operating conditions at a CCP.

• A. Hazard analysis
• B. Monitoring procedure
• C. Critical limit
• D. Preventive control

Answer: (C)

The boundary between safe and unsafe operating conditions at a CCP is defined by a critical limit. It’s a specific, measurable criterion—such as a minimum or maximum temperature, a maximum time, a pH value, or a moisture level—that must be met to ensure the hazard is controlled. When the process stays within this limit, the process is under control; if the limit is exceeded or not met, the condition is unsafe and requires corrective action. This boundary is established from scientific data and serves as the tangible threshold that monitoring procedures check against. Hazard analysis identifies potential hazards; monitoring procedures describe how you track the parameters; preventive controls are the actions used to prevent the hazard. The critical limit uniquely specifies the safe/unsafe threshold that monitoring verifies and corrective action addresses when it’s not met.