Step 2: Product Description
HACCP method ? A practical approach

This description should not be limited to the finished product. It must also include:

• raw materials;

• intermediate products, if applicable;

• various ingredients;

• packaging materials;

• the processing methods involved in the formulation of the product.

At this stage, the goal is to conduct a comprehensive audit of the product. Particular attention must be paid to legal and regulatory requirements, as well as to information relevant to food safety:

• sanitary characteristics: microbiological, physical, or chemical criteria;

• physicochemical characteristics related to significant hazards:

  • water activity $a_w$,

  • pH,...