APPLICATION OF HACCP (HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT) TO MOZZARELLA CHEESE PRODUCTION

Nowadays, Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) has become an important tool in food safety management. Application of HACCP system in the cheese making industry proved to be beneficial and profitable, influencing consumer confidence by producing safe cheese with consistent quality. Mozzarella is a fresh cheese which due to its composition and properties is susceptible to contamination. The aim of this study was to present and analyze the hazards in critical control points (CCP) and to detail the steps of flow diagram in dairy units. The results have revealed that physical, chemical and biological hazards may occur in any step, and four critical control points were found and detailed: raw milk reception, raw milk storage, milk pasteurization and cold storage of final product.