Principle 2

A CCP is a step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food-safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level. The Codex Decision Tree (Q1–Q4) assists in determining whether a step is a CCP.

If a hazard has been identified at a step where control is necessary for safety, and no control measure exists at that step or any other, then the product or process should be modified at that step, or at any earlier or later stage, to include a control measure. Not every step requiring control is a CCP; some controls are managed via prerequisite programs (GMPs, sanitation, allergen controls).