Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

When is a HACCP plan required?

1. When food service staff changes occur

2. When preparing vegetarian options

3. When the operator applies for a variance, or uses canning or shrink wrapping to package its product

4. When introducing a new menu item

The correct answer is: When the operator applies for a variance, or uses canning or shrink wrapping to package its product

A HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan is a systematic approach to food safety that focuses on preventing hazards throughout the food production process. The requirement of a HACCP plan is specifically tied to the potential risks associated with food preservation and safety practices. In particular, a HACCP plan is mandated when a food operation applies for a variance, especially in processes that can significantly affect the safety of the food being prepared, such as canning or shrink wrapping. These methods can introduce risks related to foodborne pathogens or spoilage if not properly controlled, thus necessitating a detailed plan to identify and manage these hazards. The plan outlines critical control points and monitoring procedures to ensure that food safety is maintained throughout the process. While other scenarios such as staff changes, preparing vegetarian options, or introducing new menu items may impact operational procedures, they do not inherently require a HACCP plan. Staff changes may influence food safety training but do not alter the necessity for a detailed hazard analysis. Similarly, vegetarian options or new menu items, unless they involve specific preservation methods that pose additional hazards, would not trigger the same requirement as the processes that involve variances.