1. CCP
1.1 What is a CCP?
CCP is a step or procedure in the food process at which control needs to be applied, resulting is the prevention or elimination of food hazard.

1.2 Identification of CCP?
After a hazard analysis is done for the product, we would then proceed with the CCP decision tree. A sequence of 5 questions would be answered to determine whether the CP is a CCP.
However, CCP differ depends on the different products. A particular process step maybe essential for us to control, however, a subsequent step will be used to eliminate the hazard. Thereby, it is no longer critical for us to control it.
A food product should not have many CCP, because it is not pausible. More CCP means that more process steps have to be controlled, it would be time-consuming and hectic to do so.

1.3 Critical limit of CCP
It is the maximum or minimum value at which a particular hazard would be controlled to prevent or reduce the incidence of food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Examples of critical limit: Cooking temperature, storage temperature, time, etc.

I have basically covered the 2nd and 3rd principle for HACCP. I would continue to cover the remaining 4 principles at my next post.

References
1. Ensuring Safe Food- A HACCP-Based Plan for Ensuring Food Safety in Retail Establishments. The Ohio State University. http://ohioline.osu.edu/b901/chapter_6.html#2; accessed on 6th May 2008

2. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles and Application Guidelines. U. S. Food & Drug Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. (August 14th 1997) http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/nacmcfp.html; accessed on 6th May 2008